Fatehpur Sikri: Historical Place of Uttar Pradesh

Every destination is having special features, though selection of tourist place is depend on interest of visitors. Fatehpur is listed in 71 regions of UP (Uttar Pradesh), India. It is one of my favorite Indian tourist places spread in 4,152 km² area. The average population of Fatehpur district is more than 2,500,000 according to 2001 Census. However, the city is positioned at the banks of holy rivers Ganga and Yamuna. This place is having historical values as well as and also mentioned in Puranic literature of India. Some popular ghats here are Asani and Bhitaura. 

When we plan to visit attractive places for holidays we also look for surrounding areas. This is because if we get spare time then we can enjoy some more locations at same time. Fatehpur is kind of similar location that is closer to two big cities of UP. Allahabad and Kanpur are such cities famous as holy cities of India. Allahabad is also recognized as Prayag, though Kanpur is famous for restaurants and temples. Allahabad is 117 km away and Kanpur is 76 km far from Fatehpur.

Talking about the tourist attractions of Fatehpur city there are limited locations to visit. However, city is having historical values so our travelers will not get bored in the place. Some best monuments, river sites, Ghats and several gardens are most impressive spots of Fatehpur. 

As we talk about the monuments of city the world famous Fatehpur Sikri fort is one of them. Here the key attraction in this fort are Diwan-I-Am, Diwan-I-Khas and Pachisi court. 

Fatehpur Sikri: A fort that is having Buland Darwaza (Biggest entry door), cabins, gardens and many other spots. To reach Sikri you have to cover the distance of 37 kms from Agra. Fatehpur city was the dream of Mughal Ruler Akbar. He decided to make first planned city of Indo-Islamic design in India. The fort is constructed in 8 square km area and its altitude is 194 meters from sea level. Best period to reach the Fatehpur Sikri is from October to March. However, winter is chilled here so you need to take warm clothes if you have planned in winter to visit this place. 

Buland Darwaza: All set the best attraction of Fatehpur Sikri to start. This is the biggest door to enter the fort of Fatehpur set in south direction. You will find countless mosques, small and big monuments inside the fort. A deep well closer to door is another attraction for voyagers. Some of the villagers show stunts on this well which is their earning system. If you can pay a certain amount you will see lots of amazing performances of the best divers of this well. The door itself was configured after 5 years of the fort completion. This door was configured between 1576 as a victory symbol Mughal Emperor Akbar. 

Jama Masjid: Next attraction of the fort is Jama Mosque listed as first building of the complex. Construction of this holy mosque was done in 1571 with massive entry to the square. In this masjid there are three Mihrab’s in each bay decorated with marble. 

Tomb of Salim Chisti: Mughal rulers were good for architectural structures. They showed their best designs in almost every monument and Fatehpur Sikri is having similar design as well.  Here you will find the white marble tomb of greatest Sufi saint known as Salim Chisti. This tomb is built inside the Jama Masjid's courtyard. It is the single floor building built closer to central chamber. Carved net in surrounding is protection the tomb from external harms. 

Diwan-I-Aam: One of the key attractions of the Fatehpur fort is Diwan-I-Am which is also known as Hall of Public spectators. It is the multi bayed pavilion of rectangular shape fronting the large space of monument. 

Diwan-I-Khas: A one more impressive location of Sikri is Diwan-i-Khas that is built for private audience. It is the plain square structure having four Chhatri’s. Diwan-I-Khas is popular for central pillar that is made of octagonal shaft. 

Ibadat Khana: A place of worship known as Ibadat Khana is next spot to visit here. Basically it is the meeting house constructed in 1575 by Akbar. 

Anup Talao: It is the ornamental pool having four bridges. The key attractions of Anup Talao is royal enclave surround including Khwab Gah (means house of dreams). Panch Mahal and five-storey palace are few more impressive areas closer to this Talao.

Hujra-I-Anup Talao: One more spot identified as residence of wife of Akbar. 

Few other areas of Fatehpur Sikri are Birbal's House, Mariam-uz-Zamani's Palace, Pachisi Court, Naubat Khana and Panch Mahal. Birbal was the favorite minister of Akbar so a separate palace is designed for Birbal in the fort area. He was the only Hindu minister in Akbar Court. 

How to reach Fatehpur Sikri?

Closest destination to reach the destination is Agra (another impressive city of India).

By Air: Agra is having domestic airport that means you can reach our target space from any metro city of India. However, closest international airport is Delhi located at 180 km distance from Fatehpur Sikri.

By Train: You can easily avail the train for Agra from almost every city of India. Agra is the city of Taj and it is properly connected through train to all corners of nation. 

By Road: Fatehpur is reachable through road and state transport is available for the city. You will get plenty of buses and taxis from Agra, Delhi, Chandigarh and many more cities. Better to get the bus from Delhi as the multiple states are having buses from this capital city of India for various locations. Agra is next best city for state transport to Fatehpur City.

Ghazipur: Historical City of Uttar Pradesh

I love to travel different places and that is the reason why search for secret, known and unknown locations so that my journey will become perfect. My today’s target is Ghazipur that is also spelled as Ghazeepore, Ghazipour and Gauspur. I will refer the place as Ghazipur city as that is the most popular name of the place. Ghazipur is also a headquarters of big rich agricultural state Utter Pradesh, India. 

As per the sources Ghazipur name derives from the Ruler's name Sayyid Masud Ghazi. This Muslim ruler defeated the local King of the city and established this town as a big commercial place for his empire. Records says Ghazipur was established in 1330 CE. This town was also the major center for British East India Company. 

Opium factory established in 1820 by the British government is one of the major sources of income of the city. Ghazipur opium factory is one of the biggest plants in the world. This industry is producing a huge quantity of drugs for world pharmaceutical industries. Other big trades of Ghazipur are rose oil and perfume (attar) of roses. Handloom is also famous in Ghazipur City. 

Frankly telling the city is having limited tourist attractions, but the nearby other locations allow voyagers to enjoy the trip of Ghazipur properly. Here I am discussing some major spots that you can plan if you have decided to attain Ghazipur. 

Ghazipur: A historical city full of traditional substance of Syed Masood ruled till 1330. Earlier the city was known as Gadhipuri, though later it was changed to Ghazipur. The city is having a best Cornwallis monument that is the major attraction here. Cornwallis is made of four meters high flooring with gray marble. The big holy river Ganga is flowing from this region so you can take a holy dip in this river. Spend your beautiful time of evening at Ghats and hear the noise created by water of river Ganga.  

Pohari Baba Math: A holy place of the town located closer to River Ganga at 4 km distance is one more attraction of Ghazipur. Local transport is available from the Ghazipur station and other parts of the city to reach Pohari Baba Math.

Aunrihar: Initial location of the region is Aunrihar in the western part of Ghazipur. The only distance of 3.2 km from another town Saidpur makes it easily reachable spot. If you love to watch historical places, then Aunrihar is best for you. Here you can enjoy the archeological spots build during Muslim rulers.

Bahadurganj: Next destination close to Ghazipu is Bahadurganj situated close to River Saryu. This attractive location is 35 km far from Ghazipur founded by Sheikh Abdullah in 1742 AD. Ramnavami is the special occasion when a fair is conducted in Bahadurganj. 

Bhitari: Another tourism spot at 32 km gap from Ghazipur. Bhitari is closer to Saidpur town, though its name is derived from Bhimutri word. Great archaeological place famous for Buddhists temples. Gupt Era was the main period of the development of the town. Popular monolith made of red stone is a prime spot of Bhitari. 

Dildarnagar: Nearby cities and towns are amazing in Ghazipur and Dildarnagar is one of them. This town lies on the highway between Varanasi and Zamania. It is only 20 km far from Ghazipur. If you split Dildarnagar, then it will be Dildar (means kind hearted) and Nagar (location). The world Dildarnagar mean place of hearted people. This ancient place is famous for the hospitality of Ghazipur localities. 

Gauspur and Zamania are two more attractive places located closer to Ghazipur. Gauspur is only 14 km away and Zamania is only few km away from Ghazipur. 

How to reach Ghazipur?

The best part of Ghazipur is a different mode of transport to reach the destination. You can get the train, can come by road, select the waterways or come by air. The city is having all methods through which you can easily attain to your favorite destination. 

By Train: Ghazipur railway station is connected to major North Eastern cities of India. Trains from Varanasi, Delhi, Patna, Howrah, Lucknow, Mumbai, Amritsar, Guwahati, Chennai and many big cities of India. 

By Air: Airport at Andhau is another good method to reach the Ghazipur city. This airport is only 9 km away from Ghazipur. However, limited flights and VIP plans are only allowed to land in this airport. The biggest airport is in Varanasi that is only 90 km far from Ghazipur.

By Water: Ganga is the big river and a port of Ghazipur is connected to Haldia and Allahabad so you can reach Ghazipur through water as well.

By Road: Ghazipur is the big city of Uttar Pradesh and it is properly connected to various parts of the nation through road. Buses and private taxis are available from Shastrinagar, MahuaBaag, Rajdepur, Varanasi, Delhi and some more cities.

Rampur

Rampur is the city situated closer to Indo-Nepal border. You have to reach Rohilkhand district of Uttar Pradesh to reach Rampur city. This article is about the historical city of India popular for palace, national library and many other monuments. Basically, Rampur is the industrial state of India, but there are several tourist attractions that show the value of this city for tourism. Cotton mill and sugar refinery are main industries of the city. 

​Rampur region is the group of 4 villages founded by King Ram Singh. Later, the city was named as Faizabad. However, there are many other cities known as Faizabad so the city got the new name as Mustafabad (alias Rampur). This city is having black history as it played important role for British Army in the first Indian Independence War in 1857. The Nawabs of Rampur fought against the Indian army that helped the British rulers to control the war from northern portion.



​Rampur city is surrounded by Bareilly city in east, Udham Singh Nagar in north, Badaun city in south and Moradabad city in west. 


​Weather: If you are planning for Rampur then be aware that summer is hottest and not to visit period as the temperature goes to 43 °C most of the time. Winter is the best period to reach Rampur city. 

​Music: Rampur city is popular as the birthplace of many legends of Hindustani Classical Music. Rise of Gharanas Maihar and many more (music schools) are proof that people of city are music lovers. Some big names in Hindustani classical music legends are Ustad Allauddin Khan, Wazir Khan, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Vasant Rai, Nikhil Banerjee, Pannalal Ghosh, Sharan Rani and Bahadur Khan.

Knife making: If you are familiar with this city, then you might know that Rampur is famous for knife production as well. The best-known  Rampuri Chaaku is well known throughout the nation. However, the firms are not manufacturing big knives now onwards because state government has banned making such knives.


An attraction in Rampur:

Jama Masjid: Rampur is the Muslim city, and Jama Masjid is the initial spot to visit. This city was ruled by Nawab Faizullah Khan who built the Jama Masjid. Big market surrounding the monument is major attraction for visitors. 


​Raza Library: A public library established by Nawab Faizullah Khan is the next place to visit. However, the library was designed for his  use, but after independence, it is declared as public place. Raza library is listed as the biggest book collection store of Asia. Here you will find a collection of big scholars, painters, poets, calligraphers, literature and musicians. 

​Rampur Planetarium: A planetarium established by state government is another attraction for visitors. Sources say Rampur Planetarium is the first digital laser planetarium of India. 

Gandhi Samadhi: One of the major attractions of city is Gandhi Samadhi that is the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi. 


Kothi Khas Bagh: A special palace garden or Kothi Khas Bagh is located at Rampur. The spot is 30 km distant from Moradabad city of Uttar Pradesh. The palace is spread in 300-acre land designed in European style. 

Ambedkar Park: A memorial dedicated to Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar is the next place to visit. The beautiful garden is located close to railway line.

Transport for Rampur:

By Rail: Rampur railway station is connected to big cities of India. Lucknow to Moradabad line is allowing voyagers to reach Rampur city. Trains for Rampur are available from Bareilly, Lucknow, Moradabad, Delhi, Jammu, Amritsar, Kolkata, and Kathgodam.



By Road: NH 24 is allowing a tourist to reach Rampur by road. State buses are available at every ½ hour from Moradabad. Direct transports for Rampur are attainable from Lucknow, Delhi, Bareilly, Haridwar, Aligarh, Rishikesh, Rupaidhiya, Kanpur, Agra and many other cities.

By Air: Closest airport for Rampur is Delhi located at distance of 300 km. Flights for Delhi are accessible from Lucknow, Dehradun, Chandigarh and many other cities.

Ayodhya - Holy Town of Uttar Pradesh

Ayodhya is the city of Uttar Pradesh always in debate because of Ram Janam Bhumi and the Lord Ram Temple. However, there are many plus points of this place, so we will discuss about the tourism and the wonder hospitality of the city. This ancient city of India is also known as Saket that is the word of Sanskrit. This Indian tourist place is the birth place of Lord Rama, and it is described in an epic Ramayana as well. Faizabad is the closest big city that is also famed for various tombs and monuments. Uttar Pradesh is the rich agricultural state of India, and its cities are famous for the religious values. People of UP are very much cooperative. Their hospitality and local language are famous in whole India. 

​Talking about the Ayodhya city it was the capital of ancient Kosala Empire. The city starts the day with Morning Prayer in temples. The beautiful surrounding sounds give the day a peaceful and calm start. River Sarayu and its flowing water noise are different experience. According to sources, Ayodhya was founded by Manu around 9000 years back. If we go through the list of tourist attraction, there are more than 22 places to visit. However, few of them are most demanding and favorite spots in Ayodhya.





​An attraction in Ayodhya:
Ramkot: Furthermore, known as Ram Janam Bhomi is the initial place to visit in Ayodhya. Here the ancient palace of Lord Rama is available and best reaching a period is from March to April. The most exciting frame of Ayodhya is Rama-Navami festival when people celebrate the birth of Lord Rama.  







The Hanuman Garhi: It is the temple of Sevak Hanuman of Lord Rama constructed in shape of a fort. This fort is located at central part of city. 76 steps into the temple could be little hard for old age people, but the temple is amazingly constructed so everyone should visit this shrine. The interesting feature of this temple is an idol of Anjani Mata (Mother of God Hanuman) and Hanuman inside the temple. 

Kanak Bhawan: A kind of museum where Lord Rama and Goddess Sita paintings are available. The paintings are designed with traditional dress and crown on both Rama and Sita. Kanak Bhawan is the Hindi words that mean “House of Gold." This palace was constructed by Queen Vrishbanu Kuvari of Teekamgarh in 1891. 

​Mani Parbat and Sugriv Parbat: A stupa built at small hill of town is the next place to visit. It is the favorite place for local people as the spot is having religious values. According to epic Ramayana it is the place where some part of Sanjivini herbs mount fall down when Lord Hanuman was taking such mount to Lanka to save Laxmana. 

Nageshwarnath Temple: A shrine of Lord Shiva that was built by Lord Rama’s son Kush is another tourist place of city. As per local views, Kush fell in love with Nag-Kanya, who was the devotee of Lord Shiva. Later, Kush constructed this temple and gifted to Nag-Kanya. It is one of the ancient temples of city still persisting. If you go through other temples, their structures are almost ruined. The temple is having connection with Vikramaditya, who was the big successful ruler of North India.

River Saryu: Take the dip in holy river Saryu and get rid of all your bad past if have any. Local people take the sacred dip at regular intervals. However, this river is proof of existence of Lord Rama in the ancient period. He used to play and take a bath in this river during his childhood. 

Gurudwara: Ayodhya is the holy town and there are some Gurudwaras as well. The big gurudwara located closer to Brahim Kund and Nazarbagh are famous. It is associated to Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Teg Bahadur Ji and Govind Singh Ji. Followers reach the gurudwara frequently in a large amount. 

​Tulsidas Bhawan: Ayodhya is having tourist spot known as Tulsi Smarak Bhawan dedicate to Goswami Tulsidas. He was the Saint, and the big poet that his writes are still educated in many schools in India. Tulsidas ji was famous for his Dohas. It is also Shodh Sansthan of Ayodhya where a large repository of literature is conducted. People perform Ramleela each day in this bhawan from 6 pm to 9 pm.

This Indian tourist place is having many more places to visit, and its surroundings are also best to attain. If you have decided to reach Ayodhya, then don’t miss some other places of interest such as Moti Mahal, Gulab Bari, Sita Ki Rasoi, Faizabad, Ram ki Paidi, Vishnu Temple, Rajghat Udyan, Raja Mandir, Bahu Begum Tomb, Military Temple, Guptar Ghat, Fort Calcutta, Ramkatha Park, Dashrath Bhavan, etc.

 




Reach Ayodhya:
By Air: International Airport at Lucknow is the best air hub to reach Ayodhya. It is Charan Singh Airport located at 134 km distance from the city. However, Bumrauli Airport of Allahabad located at 166 km distance is another air hub to reach Ayodhya.

 
​By Rail: Ayodhya railway station is the classic mode to reach. Trains for Ayodhya are available from Lucknow, Mumbai, Howrah, Dehradun, Sealdah, Jammu Tavi, Delhi, and Varanasi, Danapur, Muzaffarpur, Ahmedabad and many other cities.

 
By Road: State transport of Uttar Pradesh is connecting Ayodhya with many other cities of India. Ayodhya is the major Indian tourist place, and it has religious values as well. Keeping such a thing, UPSTC is having direct buses for Ayodhya from several parts throughout the country. You will get a direct bus for your destination from Lucknow, Jhansi, Gorakhpur, Allahabad and Varanasi, Sravasti, Gonda and many other cities.

Aligarh

Most impressive Indian tourist place Aligarh is our next destination.

It’s a city comes under the region of Uttar Pradesh State. For higher education you can get admission in Aligarh as there are countless educational centers for regular and higher studies. Aligarh University is popular for studies and students from whole world are taking admission in this University. A big fight of Ally Ghur between French and British Army was conducted in Aligarh.

For voyagers Aligarh is good city having countless tourist destinations in and outer area. Mangarhi, Sidarmain, and Gorai are few known villages for traditional spots of India located close to Aligarh.

Key spot to attain in city is Aligarh Fort also known as Dor Fort. However, the fort is slowly getting damaged and local admin is not much cared about this fort. Some major spots of Aligarh are mentioned below that will help you to enjoy the spot properly.

Attraction in Aligarh:

Jama Masjid:this Muslim religious spot is in top list of attraction in Aligarh. This city is majorly populated with Muslim community people but they are too polite to the outsiders. Jama Masjid is the one that is recognized as Sir Syed Masjid too. Its constructed was done by Sabit Khan in 1727. Don’t miss to go Sir Syed Ahmed tomb that is placed inside the Masjid area.

Aligarh Fort:on 2^nd spot Aligarh Fort is placed, which is also recognized as Aligarh Quila. Some people call this fort as Baunasaur Quila and Ramgarh Quila. Construction of this fort was done in 1525 by Muhammad who was the son of Umar the Governor of Aligarh.

Maulana Azad Library: the big library of Aligarh is popular in world. Its is also known as Lytton Library founded by Mr. Lord Lytton. He was the former Viceroy of British Empire in 1875. It’s a 7 flooring building spread in 18,000 sq mts area.

CNGP (Chacha Nehru Gyan Pushp) Museum: a location that attracts visitors in Aligarh is museum known as CNGP (Chacha Nehru Gyan Pushp). It is again an educational museum established in 1982. Earlier it was denoted as art gallery of Aligarh, but now its turned as big museum of the city.

Dor Fortress:a monument known as Dor Fortress is next place to visit in city. This fortress is constructed on the peak of small hill in Upper Kot area. The place is named after King Buddhsen Dor.

BBBD (Baba Barchi Bahadur Dargah): another religious spot such as BBBD (Baba Barchi Bahadur Dargah) is available for you. This communal place is able to attract lots of devotees.

Some more key spots of Aligarh are Nagliya, Hakim Karam Hussain Museum, Khereshwar Temple, Teerthdham Mangalayatan, Sir Syed Academy Museum, and Shekha Lake.

Attaining to Aligarh:

If you are planning to attain the city from Delhi then you have to cover the distance of 141 kms. However, few big cities like Jaipur (293 km), Kanpur (306 km), Lucknow (379 km), and Chandigarh (391 km) are also having link and direct trains for Aligarh.

By Train: Aligarh railway station is properly linked to major cities of India because its having huge educational values for the nation. Direct trains from Delhi, Kolkata, Kanpur, Ambala, Bangalore and many other cities are available for Aligarh.

By Air: Closest big international airport is RGIA (Rajiv Gandhi International Airport) of Delhi. Travelers from around the world can get the flights for Delhi.

By Bus:going through road is also possible as direct state and private buses for Aligarh are available from Delhi, Lucknow, Agra and some more cities. 

Bareilly

Bareilly is our next destination for tourism in India. This prominent city of Uttar Pradesh state is located close to RamGanga River. “Lucknow” the Capital of UP is just 252 km away from Bareilly. This city is listed on 7^th position for largest metropolitan of state and 50^th in largest metropolitan city of India. Basically the city is popular for industrial achievements and social places. Bareilly is popular for having big plants of cotton, sugar, cereal and furniture production. The other names of city are Sanjashya and Bans-Bareilly. City was found by the famous king of UP Sri Jagat Singh Katehriya in 1537.

A famous song from the Bollywood movie is created on Bareilly city such as “Jhomka Gira Re Bareilly Ke Bazzar main”.

Some key attractions of Bareilly city are mentioned below:

Jagannath Temple: the initial place where travelers must visit is Jagannath Temple. A shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva located at Champak-Rai Ki Bagia. Another big religious spot of Bareilly is Alakhnath Temple which is again a famous and big shrine of the city. Bareilly is full of religious spots and Ganga Temple is one of them. Ganga Shrine is located in front of Jagannath Temple though the shrine is 200+ years old.

Fun City:visiting theme park is always exciting and Fun City is one of the best spot of Bareilly where travelers can enjoy the water events. This is amusement park of the city having countless features such as Boond Water Park, adventurous rides, the roller coaster, an amphitheatre and a discotheque.

Trivati Nath Temple: a shrine positioned in the middle part of the city is our next destination. Voyagers have to reach Macnair Road to take blessings at Trivati Nath Temple. The recent renovation of temple expresses its beauty to the voyagers.

Alakhnath Temple: next place for our visit is Alakhnath Temple. This shrine is belonging to Anand Akhara order which is the main center of Naga Sadhus. The Naga Sadhus are different group of Lord Shiva followers.

Doopeshwar Nath Temple: a holy place devoted to Lord Doopeshwar Nath is another spot of Bareilly. Sources say Bareilly is the birthplace of Dhrishtadyumna and Draupadi the popular parts of Mahabharata. To attain the temple visitors have to go through Cantonment area of the city. Here, the ancient Guffa (cave) is major spot for travelers at this place.

Tulsi Math: as there are countless tourist places in Bareilly the “Tulsi Math” is another location. Tulsi Math is close to Alakhnath Temple which is popular as home of big poet Tulsidas.

CMLNT (Chunne Miyan's “Lakshmi Narayan Temple”): a temple of Lord Lakshmi Narayan is positioned at Koharapeer in Katra Maanrai division. This shrine is belonging to Hindu refugee’s came from Pakistan to India in 1947.

Dargah (Ala-Hazrat): Dargah Ala-Hazrat is known Muslim religious place created by Imam Ahmed Khan. He was the Ahle Sunnat Scholar popular for Silsila known as Razwi.

Jat Regimental Centre: This is one of the headquarters of Indian Army in Bareilly region. However, visitors or normal public is not allowed to move freely in the area but still the center is neatly maintained and properly managed by the army administration. Visitors can visit some areas of the Jat Regimental center to learn about the history of the Bareilly city.

Attaining Bareilly:

By Train: Bareilly railway station is properly connected to major cities of India. Train passes from Delhi to Kolkata touches the station so reaching Bareilly is easy task. Delhi is the major station for attaining Bareilly as it is just 250 km away. Trains for Delhi are available throughout the nation. Lucknow is another big rail hub to reach the city Bareilly.

By Air: Closest international airport to reach city is Delhi. Domestic as well as international flights are available from around the world to Delhi. Voyagers can plan their trip according to their plan as flights for Delhi are available in large amount.

By Road: State buses are available from Risia, Ujjain, Gonda, Delhi and many other cities of India.

Overall attaining to Bareilly city is easy as there are countless sources from various cities of India to reach this destination.