Kanpur

The Oudh Region of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh contains this place called Kanpur, which is located on the beds of the river Ganga. The city of Kanpur is known for its much historical, religious as well as commercial importance. 

The existence of this city can be traced back to the time of the Mahabharata. Suyodhana gave away the region of Kanpur to Karna as a gift. Karnapur was the initial name of this place, which stood for ‘the Land of Karna’. Later, it got changed to Kanpur. 

Until the year of 1765, Kanpur was an unimportant location. The Nawab of Awadh had to give away the region of Kanpur to the British Government in the year 1765. From that time, Kanpur developed to be an important location for the British’s army barracks.

Under the leadership and command of Nana Sahib, the great ‘Sepoy Mutiny’ of 1875 started in Kanpur and finished in the ‘Massacre of Kanpur’. This unfortunate event came to be a motivation and stimulation for the Indian revolutionaries and freedom fighters. 

At present, Kanpur is a quite an important centre of business and agriculture. All over the globe, this destination is known for its fine leather industry. The main source of income of Kanpur and the backbone of its economy are the manufacturing, tanning and polishing of leather, manufacturing of cotton textiles and exporting of items made of leather. 

Jajmau: Located on the eastern side of the city of Kanpur, Jajmau is an archaic mound. During the time period between 1957 and 1958, archaeological expeditions and excavations were carried out here. Many archaic items belonging to the time period between 600 BC and 1600 AD were found during these excavations. 

Jajmau was called Siddhapuri during the archaic times. It is believed that, this location was the empire of the Puranic King named Yayati. At present, one can see the Siddhnath and Siddha Devi Temple, the tomb of a renowned Sufi saint named Makhdum Shah Ala-ul-Haq and a mosque constructed by Kulich Khan during the year 1679 here. 

Shri Radhakrishna Temple (J.K. Temple): J.K. Trust constructed this temple. It a spectacular specimen of fine architecture, which reflects architectural style of old age as well as modern age. The temple contains five holy shrines. The middle one is sanctified to Shri Radhakrishna. The statues of Shri Laxminarayan, Shri Ardhanarishwar, Shri Narmadeshwar and Shri Hanuman re kept in the other four shrines.

Jain Glass Temple: Located just at the back of the Kamla Tower and in the Maheshwari Mahal, the Jain Glass Temple is a spectacular sight of fine glass work and enamel work. 

Allen Forest Zoo: In the year of 1971, the Kanpur Zoo was established. It is considered to be one of the finest zoos of India. 

Kamla Retreat: This structure is situated in the west direction of the Agricultural College. The ownership of this place is with the Singhania Family. A beautiful swimming pool is present, with devices to make artificial waves. One can also have fun in the canal, which contains amenities for boating and also a zoo is present. A museum in the Kamla Retreat offers in its display, a nice assortment of items having historical importance.

Phool Bagh: Situated on the Mall Road and right in the centre of Kanpur, Phool Bagh is a spectacular garden. A structure named the Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial is present right in the middle of the park. Prevuously known as Orthopedic Rehabilitation Hospital, it is known as Ganesh Udyan at present. This hospital was built following the World War I.

Nana Rao Park: The Nana Rao Park is situated in the west direction of the Phool Bagh. 

The Kanpur Memorial Church (All Soul’s Cathedral): In the year of 1875, the construction of the Kanpur Memorial Church took place. It has been built in the memory of the British, who gave up their lives during the battle of 1857. Walter Granville is the one, who designed this structure. The entire structure of the Church has been done in bricks of bright red color with polychrome coatings. It has been constructed in Lombardic Gothic style of architecture. Memorial Garden in located in the east direction of the church. It can be accessed via two entry points. One can see the spectacular gothic screen, which has been drafted by Henry Yule, at the entrances. A mesmerizing carved form of an angel can be seen at the central point, which has been modeled by Baron Carlo Marochetti. 

Syed Badiuddin Zinda Shah Madar: At Makanpur, which is situated in the district of Kanpur, the memorial of Syed Badiuddin Zinda Madar is located. The brotherhood of Madariya Sufi is considered to be the most ancient in India and is also the biggest Sufi brotherhood. This memorial hosts two numbers of yearly fairs. ‘Basant Panchami’ is the name of one of the two fairs. It is hosted by the people following Hindu religion. The second fair is hosted in the Islamic month named Jammadul Awwal. It is basically during the time of 18th to 24th April. Followers of both the religion visit the fairs . 

By air: The closest air terminal is located in Chakeri, which is set close to the town. It is a domestic airport. The next closest airport is the Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport of Lucknow, which is located at a distance of 65 Kms from Kanpur.

By rail: The city of Kanpur is connected to other major locations of the country via the railway station of Kanpur. 

By road: The city of Kanpur is located on the NH 2 and on the NH 25. It has got good road links to all major locations of India.