🦌 State Symbols & Biodiversity Highlights

State Symbols — Complete Reference

Every Indian state designates official symbols representing its natural and cultural identity. UP's state symbols reflect the biodiversity of the Gangetic plain and Terai ecosystems.

The easiest way to revise this lesson is in two layers:

• first, memorize the official state symbols
• then connect them to the real ecosystems of UP such as Dudhwa, wetlands, Chambal, and the Gangetic plain

Symbol	Species	Scientific Name
State Animal	Barasingha (Swamp Deer)	Rucervus duvaucelii
State Bird	Sarus Crane	Antigone antigone
State Tree	Ashoka	Saraca asoca
State Flower	Palash (Flame of Forest)	Butea monosperma
State Fish	Moh / Chital	Chitala chitala
State Dance	Kathak	—
State Sport	Field Hockey	—

Exam Tip: This table is one of the most frequently tested topics in UP GK. Memorize all symbols including the state dance and sport.

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State Dance — Kathak

Kathak is UP's official state dance and one of the eight classical dance forms of India. The word "Kathak" derives from katha (story) — it originated as a form of temple storytelling where wandering bards narrated epics through dance and mime.

Two major gharanas (schools) of Kathak flourished in UP:

Gharana	City	Characteristic
Lucknow Gharana	Lucknow	Emphasis on expressiveness (abhinaya), grace, and Nawabi elegance
Banaras Gharana	Varanasi	Emphasis on footwork (tatkar), rhythm, and pure dance (nritta)

The Lucknow gharana developed under the patronage of the Nawabs of Awadh, blending Hindu devotional storytelling with Mughal court aesthetics. Legendary exponents include Birju Maharaj (Lucknow gharana).

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State Sport — Field Hockey

Field Hockey is the designated state sport of Uttar Pradesh. UP has produced several national and international hockey players and hosts major hockey infrastructure including the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Lucknow, named after the legendary hockey wizard from Jhansi, UP.

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State Emblem

The official emblem of Uttar Pradesh carries deep historical and cultural symbolism:

Element	Significance
Confluence of Ganga-Yamuna	Represents the sacred Sangam at Prayagraj
Pair of Matsya (fish)	Legacy of the Nawabs of Awadh who used the fish emblem
Bow and Arrow	Symbolizes Lord Ram and Ayodhya

The emblem beautifully combines the Hindu and Islamic heritage of the state — the bow and arrow of Lord Ram alongside the Matsya (fish) symbol of the Nawabi era, unified by the sacred rivers.

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State Animal — Barasingha (Swamp Deer)

The Barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii) is a large deer endemic to the Indian subcontinent, found in marshy grasslands and floodplain meadows.

Parameter	Details
Common Name	Barasingha / Swamp Deer (दलदल का हिरण)
Scientific Name	Rucervus duvaucelii
IUCN Status	Vulnerable
Schedule	Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
Height	~120–135 cm at shoulder
Weight	Males: 170–280 kg
Antlers	10–14 tines (Bara = 12, Singha = horn)
Habitat	Marshy grasslands, swampy meadows
Diet	Grasses, aquatic vegetation

Subspecies in India

Subspecies	Location	Habitat
R. d. duvaucelii (Wetland)	Dudhwa (UP) — largest population	Swampy grasslands
R. d. branderi (Hard-ground)	Kanha (MP)	Dry grasslands
R. d. ranjitsinhi (Eastern)	Kaziranga (Assam)	Alluvial grasslands

The Dudhwa population is one of the most important surviving populations of the wetland subspecies. Billy Arjan Singh's conservation efforts in the 1960s-70s helped save this subspecies from near-extinction when numbers had fallen drastically.

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State Bird — Sarus Crane

The Sarus Crane (Antigone antigone) holds a special place in Indian culture and is UP's most recognizable bird.

Parameter	Details
Scientific Name	Antigone antigone
IUCN Status	Vulnerable
Height	Up to 1.8 m (6 feet)
Distinction	World's tallest flying bird
Wingspan	~2.5 m
Plumage	Grey body, bare red head and upper neck
Behaviour	Monogamous — pairs bond for life
Call	Loud trumpeting, audible over 2 km
Breeding Season	July–October (monsoon)
Nest	Ground nest in shallow water/marshes

Population and Distribution

Region	General Status
Uttar Pradesh	One of the strongest Sarus populations in India
Rajasthan	Important population
Gujarat	Smaller but notable population
MP and others	Scattered populations
Global Context	Mostly concentrated in the Indian subcontinent

UP's Etawah-Mainpuri-Kannauj belt is widely regarded as one of the strongest Sarus-crane landscapes. The bird thrives in paddy fields and marshes where farmers traditionally protect it.

Cultural Significance

The Sarus Crane appears in the opening verse of the Ramayana — sage Valmiki witnessed a hunter killing a Sarus from a pair, and his grief at the separation of the mates inspired the first shloka of the epic. In rural UP, killing a Sarus is considered deeply inauspicious.

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State Tree — Ashoka

The Ashoka tree (Saraca asoca) is revered in Indian mythology and has significant medicinal value.

Parameter	Details
Scientific Name	Saraca asoca
Family	Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Common Names	Ashoka, Sita Ashoka
Height	7–10 metres
Flowers	Orange-red clusters, fragrant
Flowering Season	February–April
Bark Use	Ayurvedic medicine (Ashokarishtam — gynecological treatment)

Mythological Connections

• Ramayana — Sita was held captive in the Ashoka Vatika (grove of Ashoka trees) in Lanka
• Buddhism — Queen Maya Devi gave birth to Siddhartha (Buddha) under an Ashoka tree in Lumbini
• Jainism — associated with Tirthankara Neminatha
• The name "Ashoka" means "without sorrow" (a = without, shoka = sorrow)

Exam Tip: Do not confuse Saraca asoca (the true Ashoka) with Polyalthia longifolia (the "false Ashoka" or mast tree commonly planted along roads). The state tree is Saraca asoca.

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State Flower — Palash (Flame of Forest)

The Palash (Butea monosperma) transforms the dry deciduous forests of UP into a blaze of orange-red every spring.

Parameter	Details
Scientific Name	Butea monosperma
Family	Fabaceae
Common Names	Palash, Dhak, Flame of Forest, Parrot Tree
Height	8–15 metres
Flowers	Bright orange-red, claw-shaped petals
Flowering Season	February–March (before new leaves)
Traditional Use	Natural Holi colours extracted from flowers
Other Uses	Lac cultivation, fodder, Ayurvedic medicine

The Palash is intimately connected to the festival of Holi — the traditional orange-red colour (tesu/kesudo) for Holi was made by soaking Palash flowers in water. Before synthetic colours, this was the primary Holi dye across northern India.

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State Fish — Moh / Chital

The Chital (Chitala chitala), also called Moh, is a large freshwater fish of the knifefish family found in the Gangetic river system.

Parameter	Details
Scientific Name	Chitala chitala
Common Names	Moh, Chital, Clown Knifefish
Family	Notopteridae
Habitat	Rivers, lakes, floodplain wetlands
Size	Up to 1 metre, weight up to 5 kg
IUCN Status	Near Threatened
Distribution	Ganga, Yamuna, Ghaghra river systems
Culinary Value	Prized food fish in eastern UP and Bihar

This symbol is easy to miss because students often focus only on animal, bird, tree, and flower. For UP exams, Chital / Moh = state fish is a direct recall fact worth memorizing separately.

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Endangered Species of UP

Beyond the state symbols, UP hosts several critically threatened species that deserve attention:

Gangetic River Dolphin

Parameter	Details
Scientific Name	Platanista gangetica
Status	Endangered (IUCN)
National Designation	India's National Aquatic Animal (2009)
UP Habitat	Chambal, Ganga, Ghaghra rivers
Threats	Dam barriers, pollution, fishing nets

The dolphin is functionally blind and navigates using echolocation. The Chambal and relatively cleaner upper river stretches are especially important for its survival.

Gharial

Parameter	Details
Scientific Name	Gavialis gangeticus
Status	Critically Endangered
UP Habitat	Chambal River, Girwa River (Katarniaghat)
Key Feature	Long, narrow snout with bulbous "ghara" (males)
Diet	Exclusively fish
Conservation	Gharial breeding centre at Kukrail (Lucknow)

Bengal Florican

Parameter	Details
Scientific Name	Houbaropsis bengalensis
Status	Critically Endangered
UP Habitat	Dudhwa and Pilibhit grasslands
Significance	One of the rarest bustards in the world

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Biodiversity Hotspots in UP

While UP does not contain any of the four globally recognized biodiversity hotspots of India, it has areas of high conservation value:

Area	Significance
Terai Belt	Highest biodiversity — tigers, rhinos, elephants, florican
Chambal Ravines	Gharial, dolphin, red-crowned turtle
Vindhyan Forests	Sloth bear, leopard, vulture nesting
Gangetic Floodplain Wetlands	Fish diversity, migratory birds
Bundelkhand Rocky Outcrops	Chinkara, vulture colonies

The Terai Arc Landscape is considered a conservation priority area at the global level for tiger and elephant habitat connectivity.

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Summary Cheat Sheet

Symbol	Species	Scientific Name	Key Fact
Animal	Barasingha	Rucervus duvaucelii	10–14 antler tines, Vulnerable
Bird	Sarus Crane	Antigone antigone	6 ft tall, monogamous
Tree	Ashoka	Saraca asoca	Sita's Ashoka Vatika
Flower	Palash	Butea monosperma	Natural Holi colour
Fish	Chital/Moh	Chitala chitala	Gangetic knifefish
Aquatic	Gangetic Dolphin	Platanista gangetica	National Aquatic Animal
Dance	Kathak	—	Lucknow & Banaras gharanas
Sport	Field Hockey	—	Major Dhyan Chand legacy
Emblem	State Emblem	—	Ganga-Yamuna, Matsya, Bow & Arrow
Reptile	Gharial	Gavialis gangeticus	Critically Endangered