Hello Ayaan!! Where are you from? Please tell me some interesting traditions and cultures of your state.

Hello Olivia !! 

I belong to Ghaziabad city which is in Uttar Pradesh. I would love to take you on a virtual ride of the traditions and cultures. 

 It is believed to be the land of the Nawabs, of Rama and Buddha, of Taj Mahal. People of Uttar Pradesh take pride to be the first to introduce the two great epics- Ramayan and Mahabharata to the world.

The folk tradition includes a variety of classical music, dance and drama. Ramlila is a famous art form, which is based on Lord Rama's life story.

Is there any particular dance form of your state?

Yeah sure !!

The people of Uttar Pradesh follow a large number of traditions and customs. The Hindu culture considers it auspicious to take a dip in the holy waters at least once in a lifetime. They believe it cleanses them of their sins.

Uttar Pradesh has a lot of ghats to take the holy dip in. Allahabad has the world-renowned Sangam, which is the confluence of the holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.

Aarti is another important ritual followed at the ghats. The Hindus perform these poojas before starting any new endeavour because these bring good luck and prosperity.

Wow !! That sounds interesting !! 

Can you also tell me the traditional food that people eat?

Uttar Pradesh is home to a variety of cuisines, most famous of which are Awadhi and Mughal very popular in Lucknow.  

Dum biryani, dum Gosht and Nihari, is slow-cooked overnight and sealed in large pots.  The staple food includes kachori, Aloo curry and the very regular dal, roti and rice. 

Petha is a very famous sweet dish of the city of Agra.

Thank you so much Ayaan for enlightening me with the traditions and cultures of your state Uttar Pradesh. 

Do visit next time and I will show you the popular places.