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               KANPUR TRAVEL GUIDE

Kanpur is located on the banks of the Ganga and is an important industrial centre. It
has an area of over 1600 kmē and had a population of around 4.13 million in the
2001 census. Owing to its industrial importance one of the Reserve Bank of India
was established in the city. Kanpur is home to several most prestigious educational
institutions of the country

Nestled on the banks of the eternal Ganga, Kanpur stands as one of North India’s
major industrial centres with its own historical, religious and commercial
importance. Believed to be founded by king Hindu King Chandel of the erstwhile
state of Sachendi, Kanpur, it is believed by some, derived its name from Kanhiyapur,
the town of Kanhiya (Lord Krishna). In the course of time, Kanhiyapur probably was
abbreviated as Kanhapur and subsequently as Kanpur (the Anglicized spelling of
which was Cawnpore during the British rule). Others believe that the name is derived
from Karnapur and is associated with Karna, one of the heroes of Mahabharata.
Duryodhana made Karna a king, seeing him as a fitting match to Arjuna, and gifted
him this area; hence the name Karnapur, which later became Kanpur. Historically,
Jajmau on the eastern outskirts of present day Kanpur is regarded as one of the
most archaic townships of Kanpur district.

Kanpur's growth until the thirteenth century is shrouded in the mists of time. It is
interesting to note that while no reference to Kanpur is found in history, the history of
two of its suburbs, Jajmau and Bithoor, can be traced back to legendary times.
Bithoor is located about 20 km upstream of the river from the city and is
approximately 10 km from the IIT Kanpur Campus. Jajmau is about 8 km east of
Kanpur city and is nearly 20 km upstream of the river from the IIT Campus. According
to Hindu mythology, just after creating the universe, Lord Brahma performed the
Ashvamedh Yajna (where a horse is let of freely and armies march along with it
anyone who stops it has to face a war it was thus a sign of supremacy latter the
horse returned back from where it started) at Bithoor (also known as Brahmavart)
and established a shivalingam there. Moving further to later times, another
mythological site at Bithoor is the Valmiki Ashram, where the famous sage Valmiki is
supposed to have written the Sanskrit epic Ramayana. According to this epic, queen
Seeta, on being exiled by King Ramachandra of Ayodhya, spent her days in
seclusion at the ashram bringing up her twin sons Lava and Kush.

At Jajmau there are remains of an ancient fort, now surviving as a huge mound.
Some recent excavations on this mound tend to prove that the site is very ancient
indeed, perhaps dating back to the Vedic age. Popular legends have it that the fort
belonged to Yayati, a king of the ancient Chandravanshi race, the eighth in
succession to Lord Brahma. The famous Siddhnath temple of Lord Shiva and
Siddha Devi temple at Jajmau belong to the Buddhist period. The place for a while
was known as Siddhpuri.


GENERAL INFORMATION

Time zone          IST (UTC+5:30)
Area                    1,640 kmē (633 sq mi)
Elevation            126 m (413 ft)
District(s)           Kanpur
Population         4,137,489
Density               1,366/kmē (3,538/sq mi)


PLACE TO VISIT

Green Park Stadium - is a 45,00 capacity floodlit multi-use stadium located
in Kanpur, and the home of the Uttar Pradesh cricket team. It is the only international
cricket stadium in Uttar Pradesh which has witnessed many international cricket
matches of both of its dominant formats.

Bithoor -  is a centre of Hindu pilgrimage in Kanpur District near Kanpur city,
Bithoor has been referred to as Brahmavarta in the Puranas, and is the center of
Brahman (universe). This is where, according to Hindu mythology, Brahma, the god
of creation, commenced creation of the world. Brahma is also believed to have
enshrined here a lingam of Shiva, which is still worshiped as the deity Brahmeshwar
Mahadeva.

Shri Radha Krisha Temple - Popularly known as JK Temple, this is a
wonderful piece of architecture and art and you must see this monument if you visit
Kanpur. The Temple has statues of Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva, Lord Hanuman, Lord
Vishnu, and Lord Rama. The temple is located in the heart of the city near Gumti no.
5 and Pandav Nagar. The illuminated towers of the temple can be seen from quite a
distance at night. On Sundays, it is usually very crowded at Summers as people try to
get some relief from the high tempratures in the greenery and openness of the
Temple premises.


HOW TO REACH

By Rail - Being located on the national corridor of railways the city of Kanpur is
well connected with the rest of India by rail services. eg. Shadabti express from Delhi
to Kanpur

By Air - Monday to Saturday : If flying from Delhi, you can take Air India (fomerly
Indian Airlines) flight no. IC 7801 to Kanpur. If flying from any other city, you can take
an Air India (fomerly Indian Airlines) flight to Delhi (get your luggage checked through
to avoid confusion - Air India offers the service), and then take Air India flight number
IC 7801 from Delhi to Kanpur. Sunday : You may take a flight to to Lucknow and then
deive to Kanpur (1hr drive). If there is no direct flight to Lucknow, you may take a flight
to New Delhi/Kolkata/Mumbai and then a flight to Lucknow and then drive to Kanpur.