Uttar Pradesh is a state in the Plains region of India. Lucknow is the capital and Kanpur is the commercial capital and the largest city of 'Uttar Pradesh'. On 9 November 2000, a new state, Uttarakhand , was carved from the mountainous Himalayan region of Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh is known for ages for its rich culture and tradition. It is home to Ayodhya and Mathura birthplace of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna respectively. Uttar Pradesh attracts a large number of both national and international tourists. Taj Mahal , one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in Agra is also located in Uttar Pradesh. There are different places one can visit in Uttar Pradesh. Agra , Jhansi , Lucknow and Meerut are historical cities famous for their monuments. Mathura , Vrindavan , Gokul , Varanasi , Ayodhya and Allahabad are holy cities for Hindus and Kushinagar and Sarnath are important Buddhist places among the main four pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha . Noida is the most developed urban city of Uttar Pradesh. 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 . Kumbh Mela (especially the Maha Kumbh Mela) is the most sacred of all the pilgrimages. Varanasi (also called Kashi and Benares) 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. Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi is home to the Vishwanath Jyotirling temple, which is one of the most sacred of Hindu Temples. Birthplace of Lord Krishana. Both Mathura & Vrindavan have beautiful temples devoted to Krishna . The place comes alive at the time of Holi , when a special brand of Holi called the Lath mar Holi is played here. Hindus believe the birthplace of Rama to be in Ayodhya at the place called Ram Janmabhoomi , the site of the demolished Babri Mosque Ayodhya is also the birthplace of five Tirthankars, including the first Tirthankar of Jainism , Shri Rishabh Dev. He is known as the father of Jain religion. The city is also important in the history and heritage of Buddhism in India, with several Buddhist temples, monuments and centers of learning having been established here during the age of the Mauryan Empire and the Gupta Dynasty . The Dudhwa National Park is a national park in the Terai of Uttar Pradesh , India , and covers an area of 490.3 km 2 (189.3 sq mi), with a buffer zone of 190 km 2 (73 sq mi). It is part of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve . [1] It is located on the Indo- Nepal border in the Lakhimpur Kheri District , and has buffer of reserved forest areas on the northern and southern sides.