Kanpur - an ideal destination for an offbeat vacation

Located in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Kanpur is one of the largest and significant cities of the parent state. It is also a popular tourist destination and home to wonderful attractions like Blue World Water Park Kanpur, Bithoor, Shri Radha Krishna Temple, and Allen Forest Zoo.

Kanpur is the largest city in the central Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It headquarters the district sharing the same name and home to above 5 million inhabitants. It is believed that the current name is a distorted version of Karnapur signifying the town of Karna, who is one of the heroes of Hindu mythology Mahabharata. At present times, it is an upcoming city with a fast growth rate. It houses its own domestic airport, a state of art railway station, and multiple bus stations. It is also a chief centre of education in the region. The Kanpur University, presently known as Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, is one of the most prestigious and largest universities not just in India but also in Asia. It sits on the banks of Ganges River and is an old city that was the seat of several Hindu dynasties and some early Muslim rulers who reigned central part of India.

Kanpur also has a growing tourism industry and today counts amongst the hottest tourist destinations in central India. Tourist attractions are spread all over the city and are well-connected to each other. Apart from the age-old monuments and other historic structures, there are beautiful gardens, sparkling water-bodies, ornate temples, etc. that are the attractions to look forward to. Additionally, there are the modern-day attractions like plush shopping malls, birla mandir, libraries, art and culture centres, and other rejuvenation centres that today make the city a prominent destination on India tourism map. Following are some prominent tourist attractions without visiting which your tour of the place is simply incomplete:

Allen Forest Zoo - Capped with lush greenery the Allen Forest Zoo is one of the best zoos in the country. It is a large park home to vast and varied flora and fauna. The major attractions here are lions, tigers, rhinoceros, orangutans, deer, and chimpanzees. It is advisable to take a day to tour the zoo in detail. There is an aviary where different species of birds from across the globe are kept. However, perhaps the biggest highlights here are the life-size sculptures of dinosaurs.

Sri Radha Krishna Temple - It is a beautiful Hindu temple dedicated to different Hindu gods and goddesses. Fondly called JK Temple, it is an old temple, around 50 years old. Hindus put the temple high on reverence and flock it throughout the year, particularly in the time duration of religious festivities. Apart from being highly spiritual it is very scenic. The beauty of the temple reaches another level on every night as it gets lit up with wonderful lighting.

Bithoor - It is not exactly in the city and in fact is about 20 k.m. away from the city's centre. Taxis are easily available to the place. Bithoor is most famous for its close association with Hindu mythology. It is believed that Manu and Satarupa, two major mythological characters were created here. It is also believed that sage Valmiki wrote the Hindu epic Ramayana here and Lava and Kusa were born in the place. Apart from that, the place also has historical significance as Maharani Laxmi Bai spent some years of her childhood here.

Simply put, Kanpur is an ideal tourist destination that you may like to visit on next vacation. It is home to some unique and interesting destinations and offers a holiday experience that you will cherish for long.

Sandeep is an experienced travel consultant, who enjoys travelling and loves to write about the destinations he has been to and shares his experience. He also writes about travel tips, world's best holiday destinations, best hotels in a destination,