Lucknow
Lucknow, the
capital of Uttar Pradesh situated along the banks of the River Gomti
rose to prominence as the centre of the Nawabs of Avadh. Legend says
that Lucknow derived its name from Lucknau named after Lakshmana (a
character in the famous Epic Ramayan) when his elder brother Rama
gave away this part of the country to him. The huge mausoleums of
the nawabs and the ruins of the Residency which stood witness to one
of the most remarkable episodes in the Indian Mutiny in 1857, make
it an interesting place to visit. Historically reputed as a city of
culture, Lucknow is famous for its gharana of music and chickken
(shadow work embroidery) work.
Geography of Lucknow
Situated at the
heart of Uttar Pradesh, 500 km south-east of New Delhi, Lucknow is
surrounded on the eastern side by Barabanki District, on the western
side by Unnao District, on the southern side by Raebareli District
and on the northern side by Sitapur and Hardoi districts. The Gomti
River flows through the city, dividing it in trans-gomti and
cis-gomti regions. Some of the tributaries of this river are the
Kukrail,
Loni,
and
Beta.
The Sai River flows from the south of the city. Lucknow is
accessible from every part of India through air, rail and road.
Lucknow's Amausi airport is an international airport and is the 13th
online station for Air India.
History of Lucknow
Lucknow’s foundations were laid
in the 13th century. Lakshman Tila, the central part of the city, is
believed to have been the site where a fort was built by a clan from
Bijnor. By the end of the 13th century, the fort had fallen into the
hands of the Sharqi rulers of Jaunpur, who held it till 1476. In the
1540s, the fort was annexed by the Sultan of Delhi, Sher Shah Sur.
During the Mughal Emperor Akbar’s reign, the Oudh, as Lucknow was
then called, flourished under imperial patronage. In 1724, the
Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah, appointed Nawab Sadat Khan
Burhan-ul-Mulk as the Governor of Oudh. Thus began the reign of the
Nawabs over Oudh, which continued till the close of the 18th
century.
Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula, in 1775, shifted his capital to Lucknow, and
proceeded to ‘modernise’ the town by building numerous monuments.
When the region was struck by a famine in 1784, Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula
offered ‘food for work’. Under his directions and funding, work
began on the Bara Imambara. The generous Nawab, who employed more
than 22,000 people, including nobles, adopted a dual policy of
construction. During the day, the Imambara was built, and at night,
the workers destroyed parts of what had been built. This was to
ensure that no one remained unemployed, and the edifice was not
completed too soon.
By 1854, the British, under Lord Dalhousie, took the control of
Lucknow. An unconcerned Nawab Wajid Ali Shah played chess while
British troops entered and occupied Lucknow. By the time he realized
his folly, it was too late.
In 1857, British troops in and around Lucknow retreated to the
Residency, with Indian sepoys and civilians laying siege to the
complex. When Sir Colin Campbell took on the Indian forces in a bid
to rescue his countrymen, the siege lasted 87 days during which
cannon and small arms fire ruined the Residency.
After India gained independence from the British in 1947, Lucknow
was made the capital of the state of Uttar Pradesh. Today, the city
is a busy political centre, and the hometown of India’s Former Prime
Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee.
Tourist Attractions of Lucknow
·
Bara Imambara (Tomb
of a Muslim holy man)
The hall built by
Asaf-ud-Daula for famine relief, is one of the largest in the world.
There are excellent views of Lucknow from the top of the Imambara.
An external stairway leads to an upper floor laid out as an amazing
labyrinth known as the bhulbulaiya. The dark passages stop abruptly
at openings which drop straight to the courtyard below. There's a
mosque with two tall minarets in the courtyard complex and to the
right of this is a well which is said to have secret tunnels opening
into.
·
Rumi Darwaza
This huge 60-feet-high
door was also built by Asaf-ud-Daula. It is also called the 'Turkish
Darwaza,' it is the entrance to the Bara Imambara. It is a massive
gate on the the western side of the front of Bara Imambara.
·
Chota Imambara
Hussainabad or Chota
Imambara, was built by Mohammed Ali Shah in 1837 as his own
mausoleum. The appeal of this structure lies in its furnishings
comprising exquisite chandeliers of Belgium glass. The glittering
brass-domes and ornate architecture of this building made a Russian
Prince call it the "Kremlin of India." It contains the tombs of Ali
Shah and his mother. A small bazaar, known as the Gelo Khana or
"Decorated Place", lies inside the imposing entrance of the Imambara.
·
The Clock Tower
It is located very near
to the Rumi Darwaza. Built in 1881 by the British, this 67 m-high
clock tower on the river Gomti is said to the tallest clock tower in
India. The tower has European style artwork. The parts of the clock
are built of pure gunmetal and the pendulum hangs 14 feet. The dial
of this clock is shaped like a 12-petalled flower and has bells
around it.
·
Shah Najaf Imambara
It holds the tombs of
Ghasi-ud-Din Haidar and his two wife's. Situated on the south bank
of Gomti towards the west of Sikandar Bagh, the building is almost
an exact replica of the tomb of Hazrat Ali, the son-in-law of
Prophet Muhammad, at Najaf Ashraf in Iraq. The interior is used to
store chandeliers, and elaborate creations of wood, bamboo and
silver paper which are carried through the streets during the
Muharram Festival.
·
Residency
Built in 1800 by Saadat Ali
Khan for the British Resident. There is a model room in the main
Residency building which is worth visiting and a small museum on the
ground floor. This group of buildings became the stage for the most
dramatic events of the 1857 Mutiny the Siege of Lucknow. There is
cemetery near by with graves of those who suffered in the mutiny.
·
Noor Baksh
Noor Baksh Kothi (Light
giving palace) is in Lal Bagh area next to the Methodist Church and
now known as Noor Manzil. It was believed to be built by Saadat Ali
Khan as a school for royal children and Agha Mir, the Prime Minister
was its owner. Rafi us Shan, son of Muhammad Ali Shah made this his
residence till the end of Nawabi rule. Now it houses a psychiatric
clinic for the mentally disturbed.
·
Chattar Manzil
The two Chattar Manzils near
the Begum Hazarat Mahal Park, on the banks of the Gomti were Royal
pavilions. The name comes from the gilt chattars or umbrellas atop
the two main buildings. The Greater Chattar Manzil was once a king's
palace. Under the existing river terrace was the ground floor with
the tykhanas (cool underground rooms), cooled by the waters of the
Gomti which lapped against its outer walls. Today this building
houses the Central Medicine Research body. The Lal Baradari was also
the part of Chattar Manzil and was built as Coronation Hall and
Durbar Hall.
·
State Museum
The state Museum in Banarasi
Bagh houses an impressive collection of stone sculptures, 1st-11th
century exhibits of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain works, rare coins,
marble sculptures and an Egyptian Mummy.
·
Dudhwa National
Park
Dudhwa is 238 km N of
Lucknow and was designated a National Park in 1977. Bordering the
Sarda River in the Terai, it is very similar to the Corbett National
Park. It has sal forest, tall savannah grasslands and large marshy
areas watered by the Neora and Sohel rivers. Dudhwa National Park is
home to unusual animal species. This national park's star attraction
is the Royal Bengal tiger. About 100 tigers are believed to still
roam this region. The Indian rhino was also introduced here to save
it from extinction. Leopards, elephants, bears, gharial, crocodile,
and spotted deer inhabit the thick forests too.
·
Gautam Buddha Park - Situated in between the Bara
Imambara and the Martyrs Memorial, this park has been a recreation
ground for children. Rides here are a big draw. Also used by
political parties to hold rallies now.
·
Lucknow Zoo
Situated at 4 km from
the Charbagh station, this Zoo is also called as the Prince of Wales
Zoological Gardens. The Zoo comes under the Banarasi Bagh area.
Constructed in 1921, it also has a museum, an aquarium and a toy
train. The plane Rajhans used by Pandit Jawarharlal Nehru is also
kept in the zoo. |
