Kanpur Travel Essentials

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Ideal duration: 2-3 days

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"Leather City of the World, Manchester of India"

Kanpur Tourism

Situated on the banks of Ganges, Kanpur is one of the largest cities of Uttar Pradesh, and the industrial capital of the state known for its chemical, textile and leather industries. Known for its immense human resource, it has also earned a reputation as the eleventh most populous agglomeration in India. Kanpur has established itself in the pages of history, being a part of major dynasties and an important British garrison town until 1947.

The bloody tale of the capture of Kanpur by various rulers is recorded all over the city in different architectures, museums, books and by the oral legends. Kanpur was believed to have been established by king Hindu Singh Chandel of Sachendi, initially naming it as 'Kanhiyapur' because it was said to be founded on the birthday of the Hindu god, Lord Krishna. Later on, in its way to acquire the name ‘Kanpur’, it was known as Kanhapur, Caunpoore and Cawnpore. Many old texts suggest that it derived its name from the legendary character of Mahabharata, Karna, as it was called Karnapur too.

Kanpur is a city where one finds a perfect blend of history, architecture, commerce and culture with authentic cuisines, traditional theatrical art and an amalgamation of two eras running parallelly. Having played a significant role in the first Indian war of Independence, Kanpur houses several historical tourists’ spots. Being situated on the banks of Ganges, it serves as a pilgrimage destination too. Apart from this, the IIT-Kanpur is a major educational institute of the region and one of the country’s best.

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Local Culture of Kanpur

Festivals: Kanpur is lit dazzlingly during the festival of Diwali and Janmashthami which is celebrated here with much pomp and fervour. Also, Ram Leela is celebrated with a magnanimous grandeur while the Ganga Fair is a prominent annual celebration held after Holi.  

Art: Theatre is something that the locals enjoy being a part of which they term as ‘nautanki’ or drama.

Cuisine: Food is one of the many specialities of Kanpur, influenced by Mughal cooking techniques. Nawabi food and Punjabi dishes are among the mouth-watering cuisines one can find there. Your meal would be incomplete without having ‘paan’ after a Nawabi cuisine.

Language: The people of Kanpur speak a number of languages including Hindi, English, Bengali, Punjabi, etc but the uniqueness lies in the fact that the ancient Awadhi community is found in this place in a huge number.

Shopping in Kanpur

Kanpur is known for its shopping complexes and street food. Sisamau Bazaar is one of the oldest markets in Kanpur where one would get the best deal for their money. Look out for the best leather shoes and bags and sarees, although crowd may be the only obstacle. Another destination for shopaholics would be Sadar Bazaar with its vibrant artefacts.

While you are shopping in Kanpur, be sure not to miss out on the street food, especially khoya laddoo and biryani. It is better to take a stroll through the roads to explore what the city has to offer. One can plan sightseeing within the city for two days and explore the food and shopping complexes in the evening.

History of Kanpur

Kanpur was believed to have been established by king Hindu Singh Chandel of Sachendi and ruled by the dynasty between 10-13th century. Historically, the prominence of Kanpur has grown over the years as it had been a major city of the Panchala, the Slave dynasty, the Mughals, the Marathas and finally the British in 1801 A.D which it acquired from Peshwa Baji Rao.

Unsurprisingly, Baji Rao’s son, Nana Sahib played a crucial part in the revolt of 1857, making Kanpur, then known as Caunpore, a British garrison town, and finally a focal point of the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny. The first woollen mill in India, the British India Corporation was set up in Kanpur in 1876. Starting from being a cluster of villages, it is now one of the largest cities in the country.

Best Time to Visit Kanpur

How to Reach Kanpur

How to Reach Overview

Being a prominent city in Uttar Pradesh, Kanpur is well connected by bus, train, car and flights to major destinations in India. Reaching Kanpur from cities outside Uttar Pradesh is most convenient through the nearby major city - Lucknow. Within the state, buses and trains ply to and from Kanpur on a regular basis.

How to reach Kanpur by flight

Even though Kanpur has an airport of its own - Chakeri Air Force Station - it allows minimal direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata and is not open to civilians. The nearest airport to Kanpur is the Chaudhary Charan Sing Airport in Lucknow. Located about 80.5 km away, it takes about 1 hour 45 minutes to reach. The Lucknow Airport has regular direct flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Patna and some other major cities.

The nearest major international airport to Kanpur is the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. Even though it is around 438 km away, it is accessible by NH19 and Taj Express Highway.

How to reach Kanpur by train

Kanpur, being a garrison town of the British has one of the oldest and the busiest railway stations in the country-Kanpur Anwarganj. It is well connected with all the major cities with around 600 trains passing through daily.

The Kanpur Central railway station is about 3 km from the city centre while the other station, Kanpur Anwarganj Railway Station is 1.1 km away. Both the stations are well connected through busses and taxi/cab services. The Govind Puri Railway Junction, the Panki Station and the Rawatpur station are for boarding passenger trains around the city.

How to reach Kanpur by bus

Kanpur is well connected with all the major cities of Uttar Pradesh and the nearby states with NH 2, NH 25, NH 86 and NH 91 passing through it. The major bus station is the Jhakarkati Bus Station and ISBT (Inter State Bus Station) which has buses going to Delhi, Jaipur, Agra and the other neighbouring cities. Apart from UPSRTC (Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation), some private companies operate regular AC and Non-AC buses on these routes.

Local transport in Kanpur

Travelling within Kanpur is not a problem due to the good transport network in the city. KMBS or Kanpur Metropolitan Bus Service provides AC and Non AC local buses at cheap rates.

Local auto-rickshaws or tempos called Vikram are a low-cost alternative. These tempos have fixed rates according to the distance they cover.

Cycle rickshaws are a good option to travel short miles due to their easy availability and low prices.

Cab services such as Ola, TaxiForSure and Uber are available, but bike-taxi services such as Rapido are not. However, you can easily book self-driven two-wheelers or cars if you want to travel by yourself in the city. Most of the rental services have an online presence. Gozo cabs provide the best services for outstation rentals in the city. Other than these, one can find out about local cab services and rentals in the town as there are several options to choose from.

Kanpur Photos

Kanpur
ISKCON Temple - Situated 4 kms Away From Kanpur
Kamla Retreat - Owned by Singhania Familly, the Place has Amazing Scenery
Green Park Stadium - Initially Called as Modi Stadium, the Stadium has the Capacity to Hold 32000 Spectators

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FAQs on Kanpur

What is famous about Kanpur?

Due to the number of textile and leather industries, Kanpur is a great city for shopping of these items.

What is not so good about Kanpur?

Kanpur tops the list as one of the most polluted cities of India accompanied by heavy traffic and crowded spots all over the city.

Who should visit Kanpur?

Kanpur is a good place to visit with your family if you are planning a trip around North India.

What is the best time to visit Kanpur?

October to March is the best time to visit Kanpur when the winter sets in making the weather pleasant for sightseeing. The temperature during these months ranges between 7° C to 20° C.

The summers are scorching in Kanpur, with uncomfortably high temperatures and 'Loo' (hot winds) blowing through the day, as is common in most of North India.

During the monsoon season, heavy showers are frequent in Kanpur rendering most of the tourist attractions inaccessible at times. It is, therefore, best to avoid months like June-July.
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What is the best way to reach Kanpur?

Being a prominent city in Uttar Pradesh, Kanpur is well connected by bus, train, car and flights to major destinations in India. Reaching Kanpur from cities outside Uttar Pradesh is most convenient through the nearby major city - Lucknow. Within the state, buses and trains ply to and from Kanpur on a regular basis.
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What are the things to do in Kanpur?

The top things to do in Kanpur are Blue World Theme Park, Green Park Stadium, Nana Rao Park, Mahatma Gandhi Park, JK Temple, Kanpur Zoo. You can see all the places to visit in Kanpur here

What are the places near Kanpur?

The top places near to Kanpur are Lucknow which is 75 km from Kanpur, Agra which is located 244 km from Kanpur, Nainital which is located 336 km from Kanpur, Varanasi which is located 292 km from Kanpur, Chitrakoot which is located 151 km from Kanpur

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Kanpur Reviews

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rohit tiwari

2 years ago
Kanpur is amazing and beautiful place. I liked this place blue word park, jk temple, iskon temple, zoo, mall, metro train, khereswer temple anandeswer temple,green park,church,Badi Karbala Ganga and (Read More)barrage are very beautiful

Nirjhar Bhatnaagar

on Green Park Stadium 3 years ago
I believe it has free entry in green park...but actual park is closed only side small one is open... i went there and i was meet by a very rude Guard...I was wanting to slap him but he talk to me ver (Read More)y rudly...and said ...... "kya aadmi ho kaha se aaye ho....park ddekha hai kabhi....! Is this the behaviour towards to own fellow city member...! It is a beautiful place i understand the security concern also youth needs to understand it is a practice park not a lovers point as many don't understand the decency of the people and staff who are managing the place and keeping it neat and clean. It is from both side but it could be regulated as many young players come there to practice in morning sessions..but this behaviour is so stupid...some one need to fire that guy or give him ultimatum. Also i don;t understand why kanpur government don't open these as a tourist attraction... also a place called 'Lal Imli'...I went there and police men were sitting there..didn't allowed me to go inside.. i understand the concern...but can't government open and maintain the old machine and open it a tourist attraction...this whole civil lines, maal road, pared road looks more like a overly protected military zone than a normal city. ~namaste~
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