|
Lucknow is a rare city.
Few places in the world are o endowed with 5rich cultural traditions
as is this romantic city of nawabs. Whether it is history,
architecture, music, dance, handicrafts, etiquette, and sports –
Lucknow has its own story to tell.
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 Lakshman, brother of Lord Rama the hero of the
Indian epic, Rmayana, it really came into priminence during
the 18th century. In 1732, Muhammad Shah, one of the
later kings of the once powerful Mughal dynasty, appointed Mohammad
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 which changed the face of this hitherto
little known place. Under his successors, Lucknow flowered as never
before and all but became the cultural nerve – centre of
northern India. The really 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 preeminent place in the field of poetry, music and
dance. A colourful local culture, incorporating fairs and festivals
also flourished alongside. By what Lucknow really became synonymous
with 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 you wander through the city, you will
encounter the kind of refined courtesy and polish that seems to
belong to another age.
For any visitor to this
city, a trip to the various architectural wonders is an absolute
must. Among the most important monuments are the Imambaras,
popularly known as the Bara (big) Imambara and the Chota (small)
Imambara. The exact meaning of the word Imambara is ‘patriarch’s
place’. This name was given by the Shia Muslims of Avadh to a
building consecrated to Moharram, or the observance of the martyrdom,
or the observance of the martyrdom of these sons of Ali, the
immediate descendants of the Prophet, who were put to death by rival
claimants to the headship of Islam in 633 A.D. The great or Asafi
Imambara was built by Nawab Asaf-ul-Daula in 1784 as a relief work
during the terrible famine that year. Apart from the galleries in
the interior, there is no wood work 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 (bhoolbulaiyan) where it is very easy to get lost!
You could wander through the zig zag 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 favourite 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 which have now been blocked
up. Next to the Imambara, 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 Husainabad or Chota
Imambara is an exquisite or Chota Imambara is an exquisite building
which was 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 Imambara, reflected in the placid water of the tank is
one of the prettier sights in Lucknow. On either side of the
courtyards aminiature 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
Imambara are embellished with calligraphic verses in Arabic. The
interior of the Imambara houses an exotic assortment of objects from
elaborate chandeliers, and gilted mirrors to t5azias made of
sandalwood, wax and gilt paper. A silver railing encloses the graves
of Muhammad Ali Shah and his mother. During Moharram, both the
Imambaras are ablaze with illumination and are called pradash
mahal or the Palaces of Light.
Apart from the Bara
Imambara, 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
splendour.
The Imambaras apart,
Lucknow abounds with other lovely monuments too. There is the Jama
Masjid, a great mosque with two minarets and three domes, which
stands to the west of the Husainabad Imambara. 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 Husainabad 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
red-brick building, built by Mohammad Ali shah as a baradari.
Today, it houses enormous portaraits 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 as to the grand costumes and jewellery which the nawabs
favoured. Then there is the Residency, 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 which 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 Alid 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. Today, unfortunately, they are
in a state of decay. Indeed, if one were to continue enumerating the
various buildings Lucknow is famous for – like the La Martiniere
School for boys which is housed in an Italian style building
constructed by Major General Claud Martin for his own residence in
1793, or Ndan 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 Mobarak Manzil which is in the same
compound – one could go on for ever. So the best thing to do is
to explore this fascinating city on your own – and apart from
the well known buildings it is entirely probably that you many
discover some concealed gems yourself!
Today, this picturesque
city with its famous skyline, nestling on the banks of the river
Gomti, is a modern, bustling metropolis and serves as the capital of
the large north Indian state, Uttar Pradesh. But despite the changes
it has undergone over the decades, Lucknow still retains 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. For instance, Lucknow has what many concrete jungles
in the world would dearly like – a profusion of parks and
gardens. Sikandar Bagh, Banarasi Bagh, Dilkusha and other places,
redolent with nostalgia, still attract many visitors. 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.
Hazrat Gunj is the heart
of Lucknow and evokes the memory of Begum Hazrat Mahal after whom it
is named. Today, Hazrat Gunj is a fashionable shopping plaza,
overflowing with shops and restaurants. Strolling leisurely in
Hazrat Gunj, and stopping for a bite of window shopping, meeting
friends at your favourite corner – is a popular pastime here.
Aminabad is among the
busiest markets in the city, where one can pick up all kinds of
things. Shopping in the Chowk, an old locality of Lucknow, is also an
experience. In all these markets, the visitor can pick up several
items which are special to Lucknow. For a start, there is the
extremely popular and delicate embroidery called chikan which
is today done on anything and everything – from nightdresses to
table lines and saris. In the old days, Lucknow’s needle
workers vied with each other in producing the finest, most delicate
chikan embroidery on the garments of that age – on topis
(caps), angarkhas (tunics) and dupattas (long scarves).
Chikan work is usually done on very fine cotton cloth of pale, soft
colours. The whole effect of white chikan work on these fine,
delicately coloured cottons is one of ethereal, cool loveliness.
Today, the work is almost completely in the hands of the Muslim
women. Befitting a city of refined, artistic people, addicted to the
more subtle pleasures of life, Lucknow is an excellent place to buy
vials of exotic Indian perfume, known as ittar. Highly
concentrated, ittar should be used very sparingly – just
one drop is enough for the perfume to cling to clothes. The more
popular perfumes are khus, distilled from the root of a kind
of grass found in various parts of Uttar Pradesh, and kewra,
which is abundantly available in the state of Orissa (and so the
portable distillery is sent there every year!). But probably the
most remarkable ittar is that which exudes the perfume of
moist wet earth, evoking memories of cool, silvery monsoon showers
drenching a brown, parched earth.
While doing the rounds of
the shops, a visit to Nakhas, the Sunday market, is obligatory. A
colourful, noisy pavement bazaar, it is a veritable storehouse
of antiquest and curios. The visitor can pick up old, beautifully
carved panndans (boxes in which the various ingredients that
make up a paan (betel) 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 lovely
bird market where you can see anything from the proud, rare falcon to
the more mundane hen and chicken! And pottery lovers should make a
beeline for Chinhat, located just a few kilometres away from Lucknow,
where there are a few pottery factories that churn out attractive
planters, bowls, tea sets, mugs, vases and dinner sets. And at very
reasonable prices.
But what Lucknow is
justifiably famous for is its gastronomic delicacies. Fabulous
sweetmeats which melt when places in the mouth, can be bought from
famous sweet shop in all three main shopping centres. Pickles, made
from fruits and vegetables are another must on every shopper’s
list. And of course, the visitor must sample the delicious Lucknawi
cuisine which boasts of such mouth-watering preparations as biryani,
(fried rice) and various kinds of korma, (special gravy),
keema (minced meat) and meat koftas (meat balls),
kababs (barbecued meat). Indeed, entertaining in Lucknow was
elevated to a fine art in the days of the nawabs, and even today, a
traditional Lucknowite will serve an excellent dinner to his guests.
In fact, in the old days, hosts would compete with each other in
organizing the most sumptuous dinner parties. The story goes that a
famous nawab became tired of serving the same dishes every time he
threw a party. He racked his brain in an effort to find a novel way
of serving food and finally hit upon an incredible idea. When his
guests arrived, they were served an assortment of delicious kababs.
And as they broke the kababs, live quail flew out for m each
one! The nawab had achieved his aim – of throwing a party that
would be talked about for years to come (considering the story is
still making the rounds in Lucknow!) Moreover, a dinner would never
end with just the food. After dinner entertainment was a must, be it
a music performance or a dance show or a poetry recitation contest.
To this day, Lucknow is
considered a centre of the elegant Urdu language, Kathak dance and
thumri singing (a particular style of light classical music).
Most of the nawbs, particularly Asf-ud-Daula and Wajid Ali Shah had a
great taste for fine arts which flowered particularly in the reign of
the latter. Lucknow’s special contribution to Urdu poetry lies
in the domain of marsiy a kind of epic elegiac poem dealing
with the martyrdom of Imam Husain and members of his family. A
favourite pastime of those days, which has survived till today, was
the mushaira, a gathering of poets who would recite their
verses before an appreciative and knowledgeable audience which
repeated the verses even as they came from the lips of the poet. But
Lucknow’s most enduring achievement is in the evolution of a
special brand of spoken Urdu, known for its polish, urbanity and
grace.
Music and dance reached
their zenith in the Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. Himself an accomplished
singer and dancer, the Nnawab patronized these arts. The musical
tradition was preserved by the ustads (master) and their
gharanas (schools of music). The ustads often imparted
their valuable knowledge to the tawaifs (Lucknow’s famous
courtesans, known for their accomplishments and graceful, dignified
deportment) who achieved a high level of excellence in the art. In
dance, Kathak, which is an unusual blend of light footwork and
delicate abhinaya (the expressing of emotions and feelings)
reached glorious heights in the hands of the famous Maharaj family of
Lucknow. Thakur Prasad, as dance teacher to Nawab Wajid Ali shah,
established one of the first schools for Kathak dance. His chief
pupils – apart from the Nawab – were his sons Binda Din and
Kalka Maharaj. Even today, the greatest living exponent of this
beautiful dance form is Birju Maharaj, a descendant of the
illustrious Maharaj family.
This then, is a little of
what Lucknow is all about. A city of enduring cultural traditions,
and of a gracious, courteous people who know how to preserve
traditions, even as they move further into the 20th
century.
VISITING LUCKNOW
GETTING THERE
By Air
Lucknow is connected by
daily flight form Delhi, Calcutta, Kanpur, Patna and Ranchi. Regular
flights also connect Lucknow with Allahabad, Bombay and gorakhpur.
By Train
Lucknow is well connected
by trains to all the major cities of the country. Some of the trains
at a glance – Gomti Express (New Delhi to Lucknow), Neelanchal
Express (New Delhi to Puri), Vaishali Express (New Delhi to Barauni),
Ganga Jamuna Express (New Delhi to Lucknow), Sabarmati Express
(Ahmedabad to Varanasi), Avadh Express (Guwahati to New Delhi).
By Road
Lucknow is also well
connected to other citie sby road. Some distances: Delhi-Lucknow
(499 km), Jhansi-Lucknow (340km), Srinagar-Lucknow (1394km),
Varanasi-Lucknow (319 km).
WHERE TO STAY
They are several good
hotels in Lucknow where one can stay. The only five star hotel
(approved by the government) is Clarks Avadh, 8 Mahatma Gandhi Marg,
P.O. Box 59. The hotel serves European, Indian and Chinese cuisine.
The hotel is centrally air conditioned.
The government approved
Carlton Hotel on Shahnajaf Road is a three star. The hotel serves
Indian, Continental, Chinese, Mughlai and South Indian cuisine.
Kohinoor, 6, Station
Road. The hotel serves Indian, Chinese, Continental and Mughlai
food.
Capoor’s Hotel and
Restaurant, 52 Hazrat Gunj, P.O. Box No. 48. Apart from Continental,
Mughlai, Chinese, and south Indian cuisine, the hotel also serves
pure vegetarian food.
Hotel Gomti is run by the
U.P. State Tourism Development Corporation and is located on Sapru
Marg.
WHERE TO EAT
You may visit the
restaurants located in the main hotels of lucknow. Also, venture
into the little lanes and by-lanes of Lucknow and eat its famous
chaat (particularly at Sharma’s in Lalbagh) and sweets (at Ram
Asre in Hazrat Gunj and Chowk areas).
LOCAL TRANSPORT
Taxis, tongas, cycle
rickshaws are available throughout the city. Charges vary according
to the distance.
SHOPPING
Lucknow is famous for its
chikan embroidery work and there are hundreds of shops you can
visit. These include Azad Chikan Works in Chowk, Chikan Mahal in
Naziabad, Lucknow Chikan Emporium on Khunkhunji Road, Roopali in
Hazrat Gunj and Chhangamal also in Hazarat Gunj. Pickles can be
bought at Arora’s in Aminabad. Aminabad is also famous for its
jewellery shops and some of the ones you can visit are Lallu Lal
Jugal Kishore, Kashinath Seth Jewellers and Punjab Jewellers. Also
visit Khunkhunji Jewellers in Chowk. Garbarjhala in Aminabad is a
good place to buy bangles, and Chinhat is the place to buy pottery.
What to see
Charbagh Railway Station,
Biblapur Kothi, Dilkusha Palace, La Martiniere, Zoological Gardens,
State Museum, Tarawali Kothi, Khursheed Manzil, Shah Nazaf, Botanical
Gardens(Sikandar Bagh), Moti Mahal, Badshahi Bagh, Aliganj Mahbir
Temple, Chattar Manzil Kaiser Bagh, Mothi Roshan-ud-Daula, Lal
Baradari, Residency, Bara Imambara, Roomi Darwaza, Husainabad Clock
Tower, Picture Gallery, chota Imambara, Jama Masjid, Lakshman Tila,
Dargah or Hazrat Abbas, Nadan Mahal, Alamgiri Mosque.
Excursions
Nawabgaj Lake-40
kilometres away form Lucknow. A colourful bird sanctuary. There is
a comfortable motel run by the Tourist Department.
Kukrail – 15
kilometres from Lucknow. A picnic spot developed by the Forest
Department. There is a deer farm and a crocodile nursery. A
children’s park, cafeteria and rest house have also been built.
One can see spotted deer, black buck, sambhar and a variety of birds
in their natural abode.
Chinhat Picnic Pavilion –
15 kilometres from Lucknow. A picnic pavilion (including a rest
house has been set up near the Kathauta Lake. In the neighbourhood
are the Chinhat pottery units.
|
