Uttar Pradesh is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populous state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was created on 1 April 1937 as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh during British rule, and was renamed Uttar Pradesh in 1950, giving it the acronym UP. The state is divided into 18 divisions and 75 districts, with the state capital being Lucknow, and Allahabad serving as the judicial capital. On 9 November 2000, a new state, Uttaranchal, was carved from the state's Himalayan hill region. The two major rivers of the state, the Ganges and Yamuna, join at Triveni Sangam in Allahabad and flow further east as Ganges. Other prominent rivers are Gomti and Saryu. The forest cover in the state is 6.09% of the state's geographical area. The cultivable area is 82% of total geographical area and net area sown is 68.5% of cultivable area.
North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indus-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Central Asia.
The Braj language, Braj Bhāshā, also known as Braji or Brij Bhasha or Braj Boli, is a Western Hindi language. Along with Awadhi, it was one of the two predominant literary languages of North-Central India before the switch to literary Hindustani in the 19th century.
Saang, also known as Swang or Svang (स्वांग), is a popular folk dance–theatre form in Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. Swang incorporates suitable theatrics and mimicry accompanied by song and dialogue. It is dialogue-oriented rather than movement-oriented. Religious stories and folk tales are enacted by a group of ten or twelve persons in an open area or an open-air theatre surrounded by the audience.Swang as an art of imitation means Rang-Bharna, Naqal-Karna.
Teej is the generic name for a number of Hindu festivals that are celebrated by women in many parts of India and Nepal. Haryali Teej and Hartalika Teej welcome the monsoon season and are celebrated primarily by girls and women, with songs, dancing and prayer rituals. The monsoon festivals of Teej are primarily dedicated to Parvati and her union with Shiva. Women often fast in celebration of Teej.
Pandit Laxmi Ganesh Tewari is a Hindustani vocalist from India. He is an exponent of the Gwalior gharana (tradition) of vocal music. After studying with Dr. Lalmani Misra at Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, he pursued education and teaching opportunities in America. At Sonoma State University since 1974, his career has combined performance, scholarship and teaching.
The Chik are a Muslim community, found in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India. They are also known as Bakar Qasab, Buz Qassab and Chikwa. The Chik have been granted Other Backward Class status in both Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
The Culture of Uttar Pradesh is an Indian Culture which has its roots in the Hindi and Urdu literature, music, fine arts, drama and cinema. Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, has several beautiful historical monuments such as Bara Imambara and Chhota Imambara. It has also preserved the damaged complex of the Oudh-period British Resident's quarters, which are being restored.
The Khanzada or Khan Zadeh are a community of Muslim Rajputs found in the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh, India. This community is distinct from the Rajasthani Khanzada Rajput, the descendants of Wali-e-Mewat Raja Naher Khan, who are a sub-clan of Jadaun gotra. They are also a community of Muslim Rajputs. They refer to themselves as Musalman Rajputs. After the Partition of India in 1947, many members of this community migrated to Pakistan.
The Panchpiria are a Muslim community found in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India.
The Qalandar are a Muslim ethnic group, found in North India and Pakistan. They are also known as Qalander Faqir. A few Qalandar are also found in the Terai region of Nepal.
The Kingharia are a Muslim community found in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. They are also known as Panwariya.
Bahānds are the traditional folk entertainers of India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. In India and Nepal, the Bahand are now an endogamous Hindu community, which is no longer involved in their traditional occupation of folk entertainment. They include actors, dancers, minstrels, storytellers and impressionists.
The Bhojpuri region or Bhojpur is an area encompassing parts of the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in northern India where Bhojpuri is spoken as the mother-tongue. The Bhojpuri region is bordered by Awadh in the west and Mithila in the east. Ujjainiya Rajputs of the former Shahabad district of ancient Bihar established their headquarters in the town of Arrah, Bhojpur district from where the whole region received its name.
The Bhumihar', or sometimes spelled Bhuinhar, are a community found in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. They are also known as Bhumihar Pathan, and are found mainly in the district of Ghazipur. The community is one of three Brahman groups in Uttar Pradesh, the other two being the Tyagi and the Nagar, who are converts.
The Dharhi are a Muslim community found in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India.
The Bhale Sultan Khanzada are a pathan community found in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. They are a sub-group within the pathan community of eastern Uttar Pradesh.
The Patari are a community found mainly in the Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh, India.
Chowk-poorana or chowkpurana is folk art practised in Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh. In Uttar Pradesh, the term chowk-poorana refers to decorating the floor with various designs using flour and rice and also the walls using designs specific to the region.
Pandit Radhavallabh Chaturvedi was an Indian singer, music composer of Hindustani classical music, scholar and conservator. His repertoire includes the genres of khyal, Dadra, thumri, Dhrupad, Tappa and Tarana.
