LUCKNOW- The City of Nawabs
I thought I will not write this post until and unless I
visit this city completely. But I could not stop myself. Moreover, this is the
only city I visited this year. Popularly known as the City of Nawabs, Lucknow
is definitely in my list of places to visit in India. But I did not go there to visit the place as
such. I went there for some other purpose, but managed to get glimpse of some
of the famous places there. I will go there again and write another detailed
post on the city. But till that time I will just jot down some great things
about this amazing city.
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| The Railway Station of Lucknow |
The city is a perfect mixture of tahzeeb (cannot find an
English word that is closest to it) and modern amenities. There is a thahrav
(stability) in this city and at the same time it is not like any other small
city of India. What makes this city a worth visit is- its distinct monuments,
royal cuisines and the historic buildings. The two great places that I managed
to visit in my short span of time I was there was- Bara Imambaara and Chowk.
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| The Asif Mosque |
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| The Asif Mosque |
Built by Asaf-ud-Daulah, Nawab of Lucknow in 1784, Bara
Imambaara is also called the Asaf Imambara. Blessed with beautiful
architecture, it is supported by a Mosque and Baoli in its left and right. But
the most interesting part of this monument is that it was build as a part of a
relief project for a major famine that took place in the year 1784.
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| The Bhul Bhulaiya inside the Bara Imaambara |
The Bara Imambaara is known for its incredible maze called
Bhulbhulaiya. This is located in the upper floor of the monument. A stairway
leads to this level. One can view a scenic panorama of the city from the top of
this monument, which is absolutely breath-taking. The Bhulbhulaiya is a must
see and the best way to find your way out without getting lost is by hiring a
guide. It is said that great treasures are hidden in these secret tunnels of
this maze. The monument remains open from morning 6am to evening 5pm.
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| Entrance of Bara Imaambara |
The two inseparable part of this amazing city is- its Chikan
Embroideray and Tunday Kabab. Good quality textiles with exquisite form of
embroidery can be purchased from the city and I definitely grabbed the chance
and bought kurtas of Chikan from Chowk. Chowk is a local market in Lucknow
known for Chikan shops. Tunday kabab is something I just loved hogging. But
unfortunately I could not have it because of lack of time. So, next time
whenever I will go there I will make a proper plan and then visit the whole
city properly. So, till then I will try to be satisfied with my short trip.
