At Taj Mahal, Agra, India

 "The Taj Mahal rises above the banks of the river like a solitary tear suspended on the cheek of time." —  Rabindranath Tagore

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(in the north-central part of India) Uttar Pradesh, the most populous and fourth largest state of the country, is bordered by the state of Uttarakhand and the country of Nepal to the north, the state of Bihar to the east, the states of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh to the southeast, the state of Madhya Pradesh to the south, and the states of Rajasthan and Haryana and the national capital territory of Delhi to the west. On January 26, 1950, when India became a republic, the state was given its present name, Uttar Pradesh (literally, “Northern State”). Its capital is Lucknow, in the west-central part of the state.

+ There are few states more quintessentially Indian than Uttar Pradesh. The subcontinent's historic and religious roots -– Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic, and secular -– intertwine in this land of sacred rivers and vast plains, as manifested in sights of profound importance. Aside from iconic city of Agra, Uttar Pradesh is home to Varanasi, India's holiest city, famed for its cremation ghats and vibrant ceremonies along the Ganges River. Stories tell us that Krishna was born in Mathura, while Rama was born in Ayodhya -– a place of tragic conflict in modern times. Buddha gave his first sermon in Sarnath and died in Kushinagar, both now tranquil pilgrimage destinations. The Mughals and the Nawabs made their marks as well, leaving behind architectural and gastronomic masterpieces -– particularly in Lucknow (and Agra).

+ The state lies mainly in the plains formed by the Ganges and Yamuna rivers. The region was the setting of two great Sanskrit epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, and was the scene of the rise of Buddhism after the 6th century BCE. It was ruled by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in the mid-3rd century BCE, the Gupta dynasty in the 4th–6th centuries CE, and King Harsha from 606–647. The Mughals gained control in the 16th century.

+ Most of the workers in Uttar Pradesh are engaged in agriculture, though tourism has emerged as an important industry. The state’s religious and historical sites attract many visitors. The cities of  Varanasi, Allahabad and Ayodhya are sacred to Hindus. India’s most famous tourist attraction is the Taj Mahal (shown here), in Agra. It is a spectacular mausoleum built by the 17th-century Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Also in Agra is the 16th-century Red Fort, which contains the Pearl Mosque and a palace. The nearby town of Fatehpur Sikri served as the capital of the Mughal emperor Akbar in the 16th century. It is the site of a large, impressive mosque known as the Jamiʿ Masjid. (The Taj Mahal, the Red Fort, and Fatehpur Sikri have all been designated UNESCO World Heritage sites.)

+ The British began taking over territory in the region in the late 18th century. It was the center of the Indian Mutiny of 1857–58, a widespread revolt against British rule.