|  Lucknow
rose to its prominence as the capital of the Nawab of
Oudh in the 18th century. This city played a great part
in the first war of independence in 1857.
The Nawabs of Lucknow were great patrons of poetry,
music, dance, painting, craft and cuisine. Unique dance
form of Kathak, local style of music and poetry developed
as a result. Visit the great or Bara Imambara, one of
the largest vaulted halls in the world dominating the
north-west corner of the city. Outside the great Imambara
is the Rumi Darwaza or Turkish Gate, supposed to be
a copy of the Porte Sublime in Constantinople.
This vigorous edifice is half a vast dome cut perpendicularly
and lavishly encrusted with exotic ornament. One can
also visit the Chhota Imambara built by Mohammad Ali
Shah in 1837 wherein the large courtyard encloses a
raised triangular tank with small imitation of the Taj
Mahal on each side. The Hussainabad Clock Tower built
in 1837 over 220 ft. high carries the largest clock
in India is another interesting site. Also worth a visit
is the Picture Gallery which houses excellent portraits
of the Nawab of Oudh
HISTORY
Surprisingly, the story of Lucknow began
not so very long ago. Though the city traces its origin
to the Suryavanshi dynasty of Ayodhya in ancient times,
and derives its name from Lakshmana (the brother of
Lord Rama), Lucknow actually came into prominence during
the 18th century. In 1732, Muhammad Shah, one of the
later kings of the once-powerful Mughal dynasty, appointed
Mohammed Amir Saadat Khan, a Persian adventurer of noble
lineage, to the viceroyalty of the area known as Avadh,
of which Lucknow was a part. Saadat Khan was the founder
of the famous dynasty known as the Nawab Wazirs-a dynasty
that changed the face of this hitherto little-known
place. Under his successors, Lucknow flowered as never
before and all but became the cultural nerve center
of northern India. The rapid growth of Lucknow dates
from 1755 when the fourth Nawab, Asaf-ud-Daula, transferred
the capital of Avadh from Faizabad to Lucknow and set
about gifting to the city some of its most splendid
architectural marvels, a tradition that was sustained
by this successors. During this period, Lucknow also
established its prominent place in the field of poetry,
music, and dance. A colorful local culture, incorporating
fairs and festivals, also flourished alongside. But
what really set Lucknow apart from others was a certain
elegance and grace of lifestyle. A romantic and courtly
ambience became a part of the city. In fact, even today
the city breathes history, and the sound of laughter
and music, the tinkling of ankle bells and the mellifluous
rendering of Urdu poetry (shairi) still echo and reverberate
through the long corridors of time. Even today, when
one wanders through the city, s/he will encounter the
kind of refined courtesy and polish that seems to belong
to another age.
Lucknow today, nestling on the banks of the river Gomti,
is a modern, bustling metropolis and serves as the capital
of the large north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. But
despite the changes it has undergone over the decades,
it still retains the vestige of the culture that once
made it one of the most celebrated cities of the land.
It represents a harmonized blend of the old and the
new; it has the advantages of a big, modern city, without
any of the disadvantages. There is a profusion of parks
and gardens redolent with nostalgia of another time.
More importantly, residents of Lucknow have an extremely
relaxed and laid-back attitude to life. So even though
Lucknow is a big city today, there is none of the mad
rush and hectic pace that one normally expects in a
busy metropolis.
SITES TO VISIT
Lucknow abounds with lovely monuments
that tell the story of their time. For any visitor to
this city, a trip to the various architectural wonders
is an absolute must. Among the most important monuments
are the Imambadas, the many mosques, the Roomi Darwaza,
and the many splendid Mughal architectural marvels.
The Bada Imambada or Asafi Imambada (Imambada: patriarch’s
place) is an important tourist attraction of Lucknow.
It was built by the then Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula in 1784
to provide succor to the famine-stricken people. Apart
from the galleries in the interior, there is no woodwork
anywhere. The interior vaulted hall, measuring 162 feet
long, 53 feet broad, and 50 feet high is said to be
one of the largest apartments of its kind in the world.
From the outside, a staircase leads to a series of artfully
designed labyrinths (bhoolbhulaiyan) where it is very
easy to get lost! You could wander through the zigzag
narrow galleries for hours without finding your way
out! It’s a very eerie sensation, moving towards
the sunlit corridors that seem to be going out, only
to find that you are actually deeper in the labyrinth!
Most visitors therefore are only allowed inside with
guides who are, quite amazingly, familiar with the maze.
In fact, a favorite trick of all guides is to tell the
visitor that he will be given 15 minutes to find his
way out. Most visitors, needless to say, fail the test!
There are also large underground passages that have
now been blocked up. Next to the Imambada, in the same
compound, is a majestic mosque and to its right, a row
of cloisters concealing a huge well, which is said to
be fathomless.
The Hussainabad or Chota Imambada is an exquisite building
built by Nawab Muhammad Ali Shah in 1839 as a burial
place for himself. As you enter the compound, you step
into a large courtyard with a rectangular raised tank
spanned by a small bridge. The beautiful Imambada, reflected
in the placid water of the tank is one of the prettier
sights in Lucknow. On either side of the courtyards
stand a miniature version of the Taj Mahal. In one of
them lies buried Zinat Asuja, the daughter of Muhammad
Ali Shah and in the other are preserved the remains
of her husband. The walls of the Imambada are embellished
with calligraphic verses in Arabic. The interior of
the Imambada houses an exotic assortment of objects
ranging from elaborate chandeliers and gilded mirrors
to tazias made of sandalwood, wax, and paper. A silver
railing encloses the graves of Muhammad Ali Shah and
his mother. During Muharram, both the Imambadas are
ablaze with illumination.
Apart from the Bada Imambada, Asaf-ud-Daula also built
the great Roomi Darwaza as a relief work during the
famine of 1783. Said to be a facsimile of one of the
gates of Constantinople, this soaring edifice, which
is 60 feet high, can match any similar structure in
point of beauty and splendor.
Then there is the Jama Masjid, a great mosque with
two minarets and three domes, which stands to the west
of the Hussainabad Imambada. It also owes its origin
to Muhammad Ali Shah who started the construction but
did not live to see it completed. That task was left
to Begum Malika Jahan of the royal family.
The Hussainabad Clock Tower, rising to 221 feet, was
started in 1880 and completed seven years later. The
clock itself, which was designed by M. J. W. Wanson
of London, is said to be the largest in India. Nearby
is the Picture Gallery, a double-storey redbrick building
built by Mohammed Ali Shah as a baradari. Today, it
houses enormous portraits of all the Nawabs of Avadh,
most of which were painted in the late 19th century
by European artists. The portraits, which have recently
been restored, give a good insight into the grand costumes
and jewelry favored by the Nawabs.
The Residency was built in 1800 by Nawab Saadat Ali
Khan for the British Resident at his court. Originally
a very extensive and beautiful building, it received
heavy shelling during 1857, when the First War Of Indian
Independence took place. The inhabitants of the Residency
faced a siege of 140 days before they were rescued by
British troops. The red building is today in a dilapidated
state and marks of cannon shots can be seen on almost
every wall. Surrounded by shady green trees, the ruins
of the Residency stand, still and quiet, in the afternoon
sunshine. A brooding silence engulfs the ruins and one
almost expects the ghosts of the dead to suddenly materialize
and flit across the rooms.
A little distance away from the Residency is the glorious
Chattar Manzil that served for a while as the palace
of Begum Hazrat Mahal, the heroine of India’s
first fight for independence against the British. For
English travelers in the 19th century, it seemed like
something out of Arabian Nights! Today this splendid
building houses a prosaic Drug Research Institute.
Among the other fabulous monuments of Lucknow are the
Kaiser Bagh palaces, built by Wajid Ali Shah, the last
Nawab of Avadh, who was robbed of his kingdom by the
British and confined in Calcutta where he spent the
last years of his life, pining for his beloved Lucknow.
The buildings are said to have cost around 80 lakhs
when they were built in 1850. Today a great deal of
Kaiser Bagh has disappeared (the destruction took place
in the 1857 uprising), but the name still applies to
the historic quadrangle where Wajid Ali Shah, wearing
the dress of a dramatic performer, used to participate
in fairs. There are several small pavilions for the
performance of plays. The surrounding yellow buildings
called Lakhi were, at one time, the harem.
If one were to continue enumerating all the sights
and sounds that Lucknow is famous for-like the La Martiniere
School for Boys (housed in an Italian style building
constructed by Major General Claude Martin for his own
residence in 1793) or Nadan Mahal (one of the oldest
structures of the city) or Moti Mahal (constructed by
Nawab Saadat Ali Khan who used to watch the fights of
large animals from Mubarak Manzil, which is in the same
compound)-one could go on forever. Perhaps the wise
thing to do is to explore this fascinating city on one’s
own. Apart from the well-known buildings, it is entirely
probable that one may discover some concealed gems in
the form of the Charbagh Railway Station, Biblapur Kothi,
Dilkusha Palace, Zoological Gardens, State Museum, Tarawali
Kothi, Khursheed Manzil, Shah Nazaf, Botanical Gardens
(Sikandar Bagh), Badshahi Bagh, Aliganj Mahbir Temple,
Kaiser Bagh, Mothi Roshan-ud-Daula, Lal Baradari, Lakshman
Tila, Dargah of Hazrat Abbas, and the Alamgiri Mosque.
SHOPPING
Lucknow has a number of sites to go
shopping. Blended in history, these shopping places
also are used as the popular means of passing time and
lazy strolling. Hazrat Gunj (named after Begum Hazrat
Mahal) is a fashionable shopping plaza overflowing with
shops and restaurants. Strolling leisurely in Hazrat
Gunj and stopping for a bit of window-shopping or meeting
friends at your favorite corner is a popular pastime
here. Aminabad is among the busiest markets in the city
where one can pick up all kinds of things. But it is
primarily known for jewelry and pickle shops. Shopping
in the Chowk, an old locality of Lucknow, is also a
delightful experience. While doing the rounds of the
shops, a visit to Nakhas, the Sunday market, is obligatory.
A colorful, noisy pavement bazaar, it is a veritable
storehouse of antiques and curios. The visitor can pick
up old, beautifully carved paandans (boxes in which
the various ingredients that make up a paan are kept),
khaasdans (pretty little containers in which the paans
are served), and all kinds of other such charming objets
d’art. Nakhas also has a bird market. And pottery
lovers should make a beeline for Chinhat, located just
a few kilometers away from Lucknow. There are pottery
factories here that churn out attractive planters, bowls,
tea sets, mugs, vases, and dinner sets-all available
at very reasonable prices.
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