Varanasi

Uttar Pradesh is India's most spiritually charged state. Varanasi (also called Kashi or Benares) is one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities ??? a place where life and death coexist in full view on the ghats of the Ganges. The dawn boat ride on the Ganges, the evening Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat with its synchronized lamp choreography, and the labyrinthine silk-weaving lanes are experiences beyond comparison. Agra is home to the Taj Mahal ??? the world's greatest monument to love ??? as well as the Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. Mathura and Vrindavan pulsate with the energy of Krishna devotion. Lucknow offers royal Nawabi cuisine and the finest chikankari embroidery.