Flora and Fauna of Uttar Pradesh

The Forests constitute about 12.8% of the total geographical area of the state. The Himalayan region and the terai and bhabhar area in the Gangetic plain have most of the forests. The Vindhyan forests consists mostly of scrub. The districts of Jaunpur, Ghazipur and Ballia have no forest land while 31 other district have less forest area.

Near the snow line there are forests of rhododendrons and betula (bhojpatra). Below them are forests of silver fir, spruce, deodar, chir and oak. On the foothills and in the terai bhabhar area grow the valuable sal and gigantic haldu. Along river courses the Shisham grows in abundance. The Vindhyan forests have dhak, teak, mahua, salai, chironji and tendu. The hill forests also have a large variety of medicinal herbs.

Sal, chir, deodar and sain yield building timber and railway sleepers. Chir also yield resin, the chief source of resin and turpentine. Sisso is mostly used for furniture while Khair yields Kattha which is taken with betel leaves or pan. Semal and gutel are used as matchwood and Kanju in the plywood industry. Babul provides the principal tanning material of the state. Some of the grasses such as baib and bamboo are raw material for the paper industry. Tendu leaves are used in making bidis and cane is used in baskets and furniture.

According to an authoritative computation, there are species of woody plants, including trees, shrubs and woody climbers. Species of grasses have been collected from the Gangetic plain. Herbs include medicinal plants like rauwolfia serpentina, Viala serpens, podophyllum, hexandrum and ephecra gerardiana.

Climate of Uttar Pradesh

The climate of the state is tropical monsoon, but variations exist because of difference in altitudes. The Himalayan region is cold. The average temperature varies in the plains from 3-4oC in January to 43-45oC in May and June.

There are three distinct seasons - the cold season from October to February, Summer from March to Mid June and the rainy season from March to September. The Himalayan region has about 100-200cm of rain fall. The rain fall in the plains is heaviest in the east and decreases to wards the north-east.

Floods are a recurring problem of the state, causing damage to crops, life and property. There are occasional cloud-bursts adding to the misery of the people. The worst floods were in 1971, when 51 of the 54 districts of the state were affected and the area involved was nearly 52 lakh hectares. The eastern districts are the most vulnerable to floods, the western districts slightly less and the central region markedly less.

The eastern districts proneness to floods is ascribed, among other things, to heavy rainfall, low flat country, high subsoil water level and the silting of beds which causes river levels to rise. The problem in the western districts is mainly poor drainage caused by the obstruction of roads, railways, canals, new built-up areas etc.

There is water logging in the large areas. The major flood-prone rivers are the Ganga, Jamuna ,Gomati ,Ghaghra ,Rapti, Sarda and Ramganga. The inadequate drainage capacity of the smaller western Sirsa, Kali and the Aligarh drain is also a cause of floods.

Festivals in Uttar Pradesh

The important Hindu festivals of Uttar Pradesh are Navaratri, Diwali, Shivaratri, Raksha Bandhan and Janmashtami

Karva Chauth: This festival falls on nine days after Dussehra, on the fourth day of the dark fortnight of Kartika. Karva Chauth is held by married Hindu woman for the safety and prosperity of their husbands.

The day is spent in complete fasting till the rise of the moon and it is worshipped by women. Four days later, is the festival of Ahoi Astami, when women fast and pray for the welfare of their children. Followed five days later, by a series of festivals culminating in Diwali, the festival of lights on Kartika Amavasya.

Annakoot is celebrated which is devoted to feasting and Govardhan puja in the evening and rounded up next day by Bhaiya Dooj when sisters apply vermilion tika (auspicious mark) on the forehead of their brothers who reward them with money. On Dooj weapons, pen and inkpot are also worshipped.

Shitla Ashtami, which falls on eight day after Holi, is devoted to the goddess of small-pox, followed by Ram Navami on Chaitra Sudi Navami, commemorating the birth of Lord Rama; Baisakhi Purnima, a big bathing day; Bargadee Amavasya in Jaistha Dussehra, another great bathing day; Guru Purnima in Asadh when Vyas Puja is held and Nag Panchami dedicated to the worship of the Snake God, Shesha.

Janmashtami is the most important Hindu festival celebrating the birthday of Lord Krishna. This festival is followed by Hartalika Teej, Ganesh Chaturthi, Anant Chaturdashi, and Pitra Visarjan Amavasya devoted to making of oblations to the pitras (dead ancestors) and is called Pitra Paksha.

Getting inUttar Pradesh

By Air
Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, is well connected by air with New Delhi, Patna, Calcutta and Mumbai. Indian Airlines flies to Babatpur Airport which is 22 kms. from Varanasi and 30 kms. from Sarnath. There is a direct, daily flight connection between Varanasi and New Delhi. Varanasi is also connected by air to Agra, Khajuraho, Calcutta, Bombay, Lucknow and Bhubaneshwar.

By Rail
Lucknow is an important junction of the Northern and North Eastern Railways. It is well connected with all important cities of India. Varanasi is an important and major rail junction. The city is linked by trains with all metros and major cities across the country - New Delhi (760 Kms.), Bombay (1509 Kms.), Calcutta (735 Kms.), Madras (1970 Kms.), Lucknow (286 Kms).

By Road
Lucknow is well connected with New Delhi (497 km), Agra (363 km), Calcutta (985 km), Kanpur (79 km) and Allahabad (225 km).

Varanasi is connected with Calcutta (677 Kms.), Delhi (765 Kms.), Madras (1901 Kms.), Bangalore (1763 Kms.) and to the rest of the country by good motorable, all-weather roads.

Best Season
The best season to visit Varanasi is undoubtedly September end - November. This is chiefly on two accounts. Firstly, the weather during these months is rather mellow and secondly, this is the festive season in India, especially the northern plains. So tourists at this time can enjoy the gaiety and splendour that these festivals offer.

Toursit Attractions in Uttar Pradesh

The Ganga Ma (Mother Ganga), the sacred river flow through this state. The water of Ganga is believed to have a purifying effect on the soul. India’s holiest city Varanasi is on the banks of this sacred river. It is India’s fourth largest state with an area of 2,94,413 sq km .

Agra

This city is 200 Km away from Delhi. Agra flourished under the Mughal emperor Akbar (1542-1605) and his successors, Jahangir and Shah Jahan. The destinations given below provide an insight into the range of India’s culture and history. It encompass some of the country’s most spectacular architecture.

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is situated at Agra, about 200 Kms away from Delhi on the banks of the river Yamuna. It is at Taj Road, Open from 0800 to 1600, Tuesday to Sunday. Taj Mahal is the enduring monument of love. It is a mausoleum. Shajahan build it on the death of his beloved wife Arjumand Bonu Begam (Mumthaz Mahal).

The unique beauty of Taj makes it one of the wonders of the world. It is build with white marble. It was studded with precious stones. (crystal from China, Lapis Lawzuli from Afghanistan and Ceylon, Turquoise from Tibet, Gold from Egypt, amethyst from Persia, agate from Yeman, Malachite from Russia and Diamonds from Golconda, India)

There was a gateway which was remarkable with doors of solid silver, but it no longer exist. In front of the Taj there is a well kept garden with a symmetrical layout. The tomb exterior is ornamented with calligraphy (Verse from Quran). Inside the tomb there is intricate carvings in solid marble. The acoustics’ of the building is designed to echo the religious chants. Visit : The best time to see the Taj Mahal is early morning when the pale rays of the sun give a soft pastel luster to the marble. Friday is free and it may have a huge crowd. Monday the grounds of Taj is closed.

The Taj Mahal Museum

It is a small museum situated on the ground of Taj near the mosque. It contains the memorabilia from the Mogul period and historical back ground of Taj Mahal. The paintings of Shajahan and Mumtaz Mahal can also be seen. Visit from Saturday to Thursday. Friday is holiday. Time from 0800 to 1700.

Akbar’s Tomb It is 10 Km north of Agra, along Great Trunk road. The tomb was started by the Great Emperor Akbar himself in 1602. It was completed by his son Jahangir after the death of his father. This monument is an eclectic blend of cultures and style. It is build with rough red stone topped with white marble. Its graceful minarets are surrounded by a Hindu style courtyard. Visit : 0600 - 1730, Friday - free.

People of Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in the Indian Union. Kanpur is the biggest city in the state. Other big cities are Agra, Varanasi and Allahabad. The Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas, the three upper castes people of the state who have dominated the political and economic scene over the centuries are in a minority. A major group comprises of the backward classes, scheduled castes and tribes.

The tribal population is largely concentrated in the hill, terai-bhabhar and Vindhya regions. The central government has recognised five of the tribal communities, viz. Tharus, Bhoksas, Bhotias, Jaunswaris and Rajis as scheduled tribes. Besides the upper class, there are also other Hindu and Muslim communities. The scheduled castes and scheduled tribes live in rural areas and are mostly dependent on agriculture, forming the landless labour class.

Hindus

The central fact of the social order in Uttar Pradesh is the existence of the caste system among the Hindus who constitute the vast majority of the population. The state has a number of citadels of Hindu orthodoxy which from very ancient times laid down the law for the Hindus and have had a profound influence on their life and behaviour. Great movements of reform have also originated from these citadels, which influenced and changed the social structure of the society.

The broad hierarchy in the Hindu social system were the Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras and achhuts or untouchables. Further division based on occupation gave rise to castes like nai (barber), dhobi (washer man), lohar (blacksmith), darzi (tailor) and all of them formed a vital part of the village economy and life.

Under economic pressure some Brahmins in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, way back in an undetermined past, took to tilling the land themselves. This was a taboo for Brahmins in this area and they became outcastes. A separate sub-caste, which is lower than the full blooded Brahmins in hierarchy but higher than the Kshatriyas, thereby came into existence, known as Bhumihars. Several other of Khatris and Bishnois can be cited. These arose out of an intermixture of blood and other factors.

The rigid caste attitude in the past and the social and political tensions have resulted in the growth of large settlements of particular castes in compact regions in Uttar Pradesh. Thus there are a large pockets of Ahirs, Gujars, Kurmis, Bhumihars and so on in different parts. The scheduled castes and the Harijans have their own settlement everywhere. The village leadership is in the hands of the upper castes while in the Urban areas, the trading class (Vaishyas), with plenty of money to spend, is a well-knit community and has a large say in the direction of affairs.

Economy of Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in the country accounting for 16.4 per cent of the country’s population. It is also the fourth largest state in geographical area covering 9.0 per cent of the country’s geographical area, encompassing 2,94,411 square kilometres and comprising of 83 districts, 901 development blocks and 112,804 inhabited villages. The density of population in the state is 473 person per square kilometres as against 274 for the country.

Population

The total population of the state was 8.8 crores in 1971. It increased to 11.1 crores in 1981 and then reported to be 13.9 crores in 1991. The increase, in population in these two decades was almost identical at 25 per cent. As against this, the national population shows a declining trend from 25 per cent in 1971-81 to 23.8 per cent in 1981-91. Since 1971-81 the decadal variation of U.P. population in percentage forms has remained higher than that of the national.

Urbanisation

The pace of urbanisation has been lower in the state. The level of urbanisation has also been lower than most other states. The numbers of urban centres with more than one lakh population have grown slowly over last thirty years. The growth of urban centres with population less than five thousand have, on the other hand, have grown more significantly and these centres have grown in larger numbers in the western part of the state.

Economy

The per capita income of the state at Rs. 4787 in 1993-94 is one of the lowest in the country except Orissa (Rs. 4726) and Bihar (Rs. 3620). The per capita of the state in 1950-51 at Rs. 259 was very close to the national per capita income of Rs. 267, short by only Rs. 8 i.e. 3 per cent only. In 1995-96 this shortfall stood at Rs. 35.8 and is likely to go up.The average annual growth in total income of the state in the period between 1951-74 was always far less than the country. However, the population growth in the state being lower in the country during the period, the gap in the per capita income between the state and the country was costructed to some extent.

The post-1974 period was, however, marked by a significant improvement in the total income of the state. The state achieved a growth of 5-7 per cent per annum, which is higher than the national growth of 5.3 per cent . But this gain in higher growth rate of total income in the state was lost to the state due to increase in the growth rate of population from 1.8 per cent per annum in 1961-71 to 2.3 per cent in 1971-81 which is higher than the country’s population growth rate of 2.2 percent.

The increasing trend of growth in income in the period following 1974 is likely to be replaced by an average annual growth of even less than 3 percent which is much lower that the country’s growth rate of almost six per cent. This means that the shortfall in the states per capita income, which was 35 percent in 1994-95, is unlikely to change in recent time.

Thus the lower rates of growth in the total income of the state during the period 1951-74 was followed by high population growth in the last two decades. But the state is now faced with the reappearance of lower growth of income while the population growth remaining unchanged in foreseeable future.

The structure of state income shows that the contribution of primary sector has declined to 41 percent of the state income though the sector still sustain 73 percent of the total working force. This shows the continued pressure of working population in the primary sector. The share of secondary sector, on the other hand, has gone up to 20 percent of the total state income which now employ 9 percent of the total workers in the state.

This pecentage is the lowest among all the major Indeian states except Bihar (4.6 percent in 1991 census), Madhya Pradesh (8.4 percent in 1991) and Orissa (7.5 percent in 1991). The share of tertiary sector has been more impressive from 25 percent in 1970-71 to 37 percent in 1994-95 and the percentage share of workers employed by this sector has risen from 15 percent to 18 percent in 1991. It thus shows that the U.P.’s growth has been more capital intensive than labour intensive, more urban based than rural based and the shift income from primary to other sectors is not accompanied by corresponding change in employment pattern.

Distinguishing feature of Uttar Pradesh’s economy is its regional imbalances. In terms of economic indicators like agricultural productivity, infrastructural facilities, industrial growth, the Uttar Pradesh’s economy can be categorise into five regions; Western, Eastern, Central, Ruhelkhand and Hill. The Western Uttar Pradesh is agriculturally prosperous. It is relatirely industrialised and has seen greater degree of urbanisation. At the other end is Bundelkhand. Low agricultural growth, less number of industrial units, lesser gross value of industrial products marks tout his region as the least developed in the state.

Poverty

Poverty estimation in India is based on (a) the concept of poverty time which is the prescribed minimum calorie intake neccessary for a normal human being to survive and (b) size and distribution of population by expenditure obtained from the household consumption surveys conducted by national sample survey.Evidently, the incidence of poverty in the state has fallen from about 57 percent in 1973-74 to 42 percent in 1987-88.

The fall in the incidence of poverty is slightly more in the rural areas. However, the numbers of population below the poverty line have increased by 31 take between 1977-78 and 1987-88. This increase is more in the urban area than in the rural area i.e. there has been urbanisation in the root of poverty in Uttar Pradesh during the last two decades. Further, there has been increase in the intensity of poverty in the state over all these years.

Social Indicators of Uttar Pradesh

Almost all social indicators of the state show that the state stands on 13th or 14th position among the sixteen major States. Bihar and in some cases Orissa, are the only two states which lag behind U.P. in terms of social development indicators like medical facilities, teacher-pupil ratio in primary schools, birth rate, death rate, infant mortality rate, literacy, per capita income, electrification of villages, per capita power consumption etc.

Uttar Pradesh is often seen as a case study of development in a region of India that currently lag behind other parts of the country in terms of a number of important aspects of well being and social progress. Their region consists of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. There are important differences between these four states. But the cause of social backwardness in these four different States, never the less, appear to have much in common and recent comparative research have pointed to many similarities in the social, cultural and even political makeup of these states which have contributed to their backwardness.

Health

Life in Uttar Pradesh is short and uncertain. Female expects to less than 55 years and the under-fire mortality rate is as high as 141 per thousands. In these respects Uttar Pradesh. resembles Saharan Africa for with 53 years of life expectancy and 160 under five mortality rate. Among all major Indian states, Uttar Prdesh has the highest under five mortality rate, the second highest crude death rate and the third lowest life expectancy figure. The number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live birth in the state estimated to be 931 in the mid 1980s.

If a girl is born in Kerala she can expect to live 20 years longer than if she is born in Uttar Pradesh. The probability that she will die before the age of one is more than six times as high in Uttar Pradesh than in Kerala. According to the recent National Family Health survey, Uttar Pradesh comes second to Bihar among the major Indian states in terms of the incidence of under nutrition among children below the age of five. This corroborate as well as explain to a large extent the lower possibility of child survival in Uttar Pradesh.

Further, the demographic transition of U.P. has been slow. Among all the major Indian states, Uttar Pradesh has the highest birth rate and the highest fertility rate.
Education

Four states identified as lagging behind other major states in terms of democratic transition turn out to be the four states with the lowest literacy level. The 1991 census indicates that the age literacy rate in these four states in the age group between 7 years and above ranges from 38 percent in Bihar to 44 percent in Madhya Pradesh.

Female literacy situation in Uttar Pradesh is dismal. Only one out of four in the 7+ age group was able to read and write in 1991. This figure go down to 19 per cent for rural areas, 11 per cent for the scheduled castes, 8 per cent for scheduled castes in rural areas, and 8 per cent for the entire rural population in the most educationally backward districts. The 1981 census figures suggest that in Uttar Pradesh the crude female literacy rate among scheduled castes in rural Uttar Pradesh in 1981 was below 18 per cent in 18 out of Uttar Pradesh’s 56 districts and below 2.5 per cent in a majority of districts.

In terms of more demanding criteria of educational attainment on the completion of primary or secondary education, in Uttar Pradesh, in 1992-93 only 50 percent of literate males and 40 per cent of literate females could complete the cycle of eight years of schooling involved in the primary and middle stages.

One other distinguishing feature of Uttar Pradesh education system is the persistence of high level of illeteracy in the younger age group. Within the younger age group, the illeteracy was endemic in rural. In the late 1980s, the incidence of illiteracy in the 10-14 age group was as high as 32 percent for rural males and 61 per cent for rural females, and more than two-thirds of all rural girls in the 12-14 age group never went to school.

The problems of education system is exacting. Due to public apathy the school are in disarray, privately run school are functional, but beyond the reach of ordinary people. The State government has taken programmes to make the population totally literate. There are special programmes like World Bank aided DPEP. Steps are being taken with the help of NGOs and other organizations to raise popular participation.

At the level of higher education and technical education Uttar Pradesh has 16 general universities, 3 technical universities, one Indian Institute of Technology (Kanpur), one Indian Institute of Management (Lucknow), one Indian Institute of Information Technology and large number polytechnics, engineering institutes and industrial training institutes. This provides the State with firm basis for providing opportunities for higher education to its youth.

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow is the capital city of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It had a population of 2,207,340 in 2001. Lucknow is also the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division. The name is derived from the name of the brother of the Lord Rama, Lakshmana in Hinduism who stayed here for a period of time. Former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is the MP for the Lucknow constituency.

Geography and climate

Situated at the heart of Uttar Pradesh, 500 km south-east of New Delhi, Lucknow has mainly a tropical climate even though it is situated very close to Nepal. The temperature varies from 45 degrees Celsius(113 degrees Fahrenheit) in the summer to 3 degrees Celsius(37.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in the winter. It is surrounded on the eastern side by Barabanki District, on the western side by Unnao District, on the southern side by Raebareli District and on the northern side by Sitapur and Hardoi districts.

The Gomti River flows through the city, dividing it in trans-gomti and cis-gomti regions. Some of the tributries of this river are the Kukrail, Loni, and Beta. The Sai River flows from the south of the city and in the east enters Raebareli District. Lucknow is accessible from every part of India through air, rail and road. It is directly connected with New Delhi, Patna, Calcutta, Mumbai, Varanasi and other major cities by Amausi airport.

Language

Both Hindi and Urdu are spoken in Lucknow but Urdu has been the lingua franca here for centuries. Under the rule of Nawabs, Urdu flourished and turned into one of the most refined languages. Hindu and Muslim poets like Aatish, Nasikh, Daya Shankar Naseem, Musahafi, Insha , Safi Lakhnavi and the great Meer Taqi Meer took Urdu poetry to dizzying heights. The two great poets, Mir Anis and Mir Dabeer, became legendary exponents of a unique genre of elegiacal poetry called ‘Marsia’ centred on Husayn bin Ali’s supreme sacrifice in the battle of Karbala which is commemorated during the annual observance of Muharram.

The revolutionary Ram Prasad Bismil “who was hanged by the British at Kakori near Lucknow” was hugely influenced by poetry and wrote verse under the pseudonym of “Bismil”. The towns like Kakori, Daryabad, Rudauli and Malhibad produced innumerable poets and litterateurs of Urdu like Mohsin Kakorvi, Majaz Lucknowi, Josh Malihabadi and Maulana Abdul Majid Daryabadi.

History
Both Hindi and Urdu are spoken in Lucknow but Urdu has been the lingua franca here for centuries. Under the rule of Nawabs, Urdu flourished and turned into one of the most refined languages. Hindu and Muslim poets like Aatish, Nasikh, Daya Shankar Naseem, Musahafi, Insha , Safi Lakhnavi and the great Meer Taqi Meer took Urdu poetry to dizzying heights. The two great poets, Mir Anis and Mir Dabeer, became legendary exponents of a unique genre of elegiacal poetry called ‘Marsia’ centred on Husayn bin Ali’s supreme sacrifice in the battle of Karbala which is commemorated during the annual observance of Muharram.

The revolutionary Ram Prasad Bismil “who was hanged by the British at Kakori near Lucknow” was hugely influenced by poetry and wrote verse under the pseudonym of “Bismil”. The towns like Kakori, Daryabad, Rudauli and Malhibad produced innumerable poets and litterateurs of Urdu like Mohsin Kakorvi, Majaz Lucknowi, Josh Malihabadi and Maulana Abdul Majid Daryabadi.

Tourism in Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh attracts a large number of both national and international visitors. There are two regions in the state where a majority of the tourists go. These are the city of Agra and the holy cities on the banks of the Ganges River that include Kanpur, Allahabad and Varanasi.

A vast number of tourists visit the Taj Mahal in Agra. Other important tourist attractions in Agra are the Agra Fort. Also famous is a 16th century capital city built by the Mughal emperor Akbar known as Fatehpur Sikri near Agra.

Millions of tourists and piligrims visit the cities of Allahabad and Varanasi, as they are considered to be two of the holiest cities in India. Every year thousands gather at Allahabad to take part in the festival on the banks of the Ganges, the Magh Mela. The same festival is organised in a larger scale every 12th year and attracts millions of people and is called the Kumbha Mela.

Varanasi is widely considered to be the second oldest city in the world after Jerusalem. It is famous for its ghats (steps along the river) which are populated year round with people who want to take a dip in the holy Ganges River.

About 13 km from Varanasi is the historically important town of Sarnath. Gautama Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath after his enlightenment and hence is an important pilgrimage site for the Buddhists. Also at Sarnath are the Ashoka Pillar and the Lion Capital, both important archeological artifacts which have national significance.

Education in Uttar Pradesh

The State of U.P. has made investments over the years in all sectors of education and has achieved some success. The female literacy situation in Uttar Pradesh is dismal. Only one out of four in the 7+ age group was able to read and write in 1991. This figure goes down to 19 % for rural areas, 11 % for the scheduled castes, 8 % for scheduled castes in rural areas, and 8 % for the entire rural population in the most educationally backward districts. Possibly Bihar is the only state in India which fares worse than U.P. in education.

In terms of more demanding criteria of educational attainment on the completion of primary or secondary education, in Uttar Pradesh, in 1992-1993 only 50 % of literate males and 40 % of literate females could complete the cycle of eight years of schooling involved in the primary and middle stages.

One other notable feature of the Uttar Pradesh education system is the persistence of high level of illiteracy in the younger age group. Within that age group, the illiteracy was endemic in the rural areas. In the late 1980s, the incidence of illiteracy in the 10-14 age group was as high as 32 % for rural males and 61 % for rural females, and more than two-thirds of all rural girls in the 12-14 age group never went to school.