Uttar Pradesh Day in India Date in the current year: January 24, 2024

Uttar Pradesh, often referred to as simply UP, is a state in Northern India. It is the fourth-largest Indian state by area, as well as the country’s most populous state; its area equals to roughly 7% of India’s total area, and it is home to about 200 million people. Although Uttar Pradesh has one of the largest GDPs among all Indian states, it is experiencing problems such as unemployment, overpopulation, illiteracy, and socioeconomic inequality.

Due to its advantageous location, the territory of present-day Uttar Pradesh was part of all major political entities in ancient and medieval India, including the Marya Empire, the Harsha Empire, the Mughal Empire, the Delhi Sultanate, and the Gupta Empire. During the Mughal period, Uttar Pradesh was the heartland of the empire.

In the 18th century, the Mughal Empire began to decline, and the Uttar Pradesh region was invaded by the Maratha Empire. However, the Maratha rule over the territory was relatively short-lived. The British took control of much of the region following their victory in the Second Anglo-Maratha War that ended in 1805.

In 1836, most of what is now Uttar Pradesh was consolidated as the North Western Provinces of British India. The region also included the kingdoms of Ajmer and Jaipur (now cities in Rajasthan). Following the unsuccessful Indian Rebellion of 1857, the British authorities reorganized the administrative borders of the most rebellious regions, splitting Delhi and Ajmer from the North Western Provinces. The newly annexed Kingdom of Oudh, on the other hand, was incorporated into the state, which was renamed the North Western Provinces of Agra and Oudh.

In 1902, the region was renamed the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. In 1920, the province’s capital was moved from Allahabad to Lucknow, the current capital of Uttar Pradesh. During the first half of the 20th century, the region was central to the Indian independence movement.

Shortly after the proclamation of India’s independence, the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh were renamed Uttar Pradesh, which translates as “northern province”. Interestingly, the state’s acronym remained the same, UP. The renaming came into effect on January 24, 1950; its anniversary is now celebrated as Uttar Pradesh Day. The last major change in Uttar Pradesh occurred in 2000, when its northern districts split to form the state of Uttarakhand, then known as Uttaranchal.

The government of Uttar Pradesh officially declared the state’s foundation day a holiday in 2017. Uttar Pradesh Day is marked with various festive events celebrating the cultural heritage and traditions of the state. Despite its official status, Uttar Pradesh Diwas is not a non-working holiday unless it falls on a weekend.