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| CITY ATTRACTIONS |
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| LUCKNOW EXCURSIONS |
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| RELIGIOUS PLACES |
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| Bara Imambara |
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Built in 1784 by the fourth Nawab of Oudh, Asaf-ud-Daula, the Bara Imambara is Lucknow’s most famous monument. An Imambara is where Muslims commence celebrations for the festival of Muharram. The Bara Imambara, a.k.a. Asfi Imambara, is a colossal structure. The main hall of the Imambara is 50m long and 15m high, without any pillars to support its ceiling. A balcony runs along the inside of the hall which is built in such a way that even the faintest whisper anywhere in it can be heard across the hall. A labyrinth called Bhool Bhullaiyya adjoins the main hall on the first floor. Towards the left of the main building is a baoli (step-well) connected by tunnels to the river, Gomti. Legend has it that a great treasure lies undiscovered in these tunnels. Within the Bara Imambara compound are mausoleums of Asaf-ud-Daula and his family. |
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| Chota Imambara |
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The Chota Imambara, or the Husainabad Imambara, is also known as the Palace of Lights. Built in 1837, the Chota Imambara is called the Palace of Lights because of its chandeliers that come alive during the Muslim festival of Muharram.
The Chota Imambara, with its golden dome, silver throne and gold-edged mirrors, is the grander of the two Imambaras. The Mughal Emperor, Muhammad Shah began the construction of the Jami Masjid. Situated towards the west of the Chota Imambara, the Jami Masjid was completed by the emperor’s wife in the mid-1840s.
To the east of the Chota Imambara’s is a representation of the Taj Mahal. The false gate near the main entrance was where musicians performed to venerate the departed. In the Victoria Park, near the Imambara, are tombs of the British. Other interesting monuments around the Chota Imambara are the Dargah (shrine) of the Sufi saint, Hazrat Abbas; the Nadan Mahal with the tomb of Shaikh Abdur Rahi, Governor of Oudh, appointed by Emperor Akbar, and the tomb of the Sufi saint Ibrahim Chisti’s son. |
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| British Residency |
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The Residency became the stronghold of the British for 87 days during the Revolt of 1857, and is now in ruins. Within its walls are numerous stories related to the siege, when 3,000 British men, women and children escaped from their homes to seek refuge in these red brick buildings. They fought Indian sepoys, the blistering heat and disease, until Sir Colin Campbell defeated the Indian forces on November 17. Only 1,000 of those who had taken shelter in the Residency survived. What remains of the Residency has now been converted into government offices and a museum. Within the complex are graves of British soldiers who died fighting the Indian troops. Other monuments within the complex are the Kaisarbagh Palace; the tombs of Sadat Ali Khan (died 1814), the first Nawab of Oudh, and his wife; a white obelisk in honour of Indians who died during the Revolt of 1857; the Nur Baksh Kothi and Tarawali Kothi (circa 1832); and the observatory built for the British astronomer, Colonel Wilcox. |
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| La Martiniere |
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La Martiniere College located on Dilkusha Road of Lucknow was founded by Major General Claude Martin in 1845. During the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, Battle Honours was awarded to La Martiniere as its staff and pupils played a major role in the defense of Lucknow's Residency. |
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| Husainabad Clock Tower |
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In the same complex is the huge and ornate Rumi Darwaza, or Turkish Gate, also built in 1784. Nearby is the Husainabad Clock Tower that has the largest clock in India. Towering to a height of 67m, this Victorian-Gothic Clock Tower was designed in the 1880s, by Roskell Payne. A mosque with two tall minarets is located near the Clock Tower. |
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| Faizabad |
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It is a city on the banks of river ghaghra Saryu in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Faizabad has a sister city Ayodhya, considered to be the birthplace of Lord Ram. Faizabad was the first capital of the Nawabs of Awadh. Asaf-ud-Daula, son of Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula made Lucknow the capital of Awadh. Faizabad and Ayodhya have a great heritage and have many monumental sites. The city of Ayodhya is known for its Hindu temples. In Faizabad city there are many monuments of Nawabs, like tomb of Bahu Begum, Gulab-bari and many more. Ayodhya is also the birth place of first Tirthankar of the Jain religion, Shri Rishabh Dev. He is known as the father of Jain religion. The legend of Awadh Umrao Jaan was born in Faizabad and her childhood name was Ameeran. |
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| Deva Sharif |
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Dewa Sharif is a pilgrimage town that is situated just 40 odd Kilometers from Lucknow and 12 kilometers from the district headquarter of Barabanki. This pilgrimage site has a special place in the history of Awadh because of its efforts towards secularism in an otherwise communally volatile province. The place is renowned as the birthplace of Hajji Waris Ali Shah who was to influence the lives of many generations of people with his message of universal love for humanity. |
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| Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary |
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Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary is not only the best available Bird Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh but also one of the most prominent in whole of India. Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary is a great excursion destination around Lucknow. Although Nawabganj Sanctuary is a small bird Sanctuary that is spread across 4 square kilometers, it attracts lots of migratory birds during winters. The sanctuary is precisely confined to an area that encloses the lake. This is a natural lake and has a very beautiful environ around it thus it attracts a lot of avian population. |
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| Dudhwa National Park |
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Dudhwa National Park is stretched in an area across 810 square kilometers. The core area of the park itself is spanned around 650 square Kilometers. Although Dudhwa National Park has a range of animal as well as avian population, the park is famous as a perfect habitat for Swamp deer and Tigers. Dudhwa National Park was declared a national park in the year 1958. In the due course, keeping in mind its importance, it was first converted to a wildlife sanctuary in the year 1977 and was later declared a Project Tiger reserve in the year 1988. |
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| Kukrail Reserve Forest |
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The Kukrail Reserve Forest is located at a distance of around 15 kilometers from Lucknow. The main attractions of this reserve are a deer farm and crocodile nursery. It has been developed by the Forest Department of Lucknow and is a nice picnic spot. The reserve forest also has a Children's Park, rest house and cafeteria. The animals that are found here in their natural habitat are a variety of deer like Sambhar, Black Bucks and Spotted Deer. The forest reserve also has a good collection of birds. |
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RELIGIOUS PLACES IN LUCKNOW |
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| Ramakrishna Math Temple |
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A visitor enters the Ramakrishna Marg, Niralagar, an oeuvre in marble amidst a green garden with the sky as its backdrop catches the attention and he is mesmerized. Right from the road he gets a glimpse of the Deities (Thakur, Ma and Swamiji). And if he treads the way in the evening, the sound of evening Aratrikam filters through the gross commotion of daily life filling up his senses with an unknown calm. The temple was constructed adjacent to the old shrine and is almost two years old now.
The temple is built in marble, a favourite of the Mughal architect king Shah Jahan. The marble has been especially obtained from the mines of Bundi and Makrana. To add an element of contrast, a style innovated by the Mughals, (using red sandstone along with marble) has been adopted in this temple. The mythological structures such as the Shankha (conch shell), Chakra (disc), Padma (lotus), Trishul (Trident), Damaru (drum) , Vajra (Thunderbolt) and hansas (swans) have all been painted with red cement. These have been placed right from the gateway to the temple door. |
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| Hanuman Mandir |
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Located on Hanuman Setu in University Road, this temple performs a major service in distributing Maharaj-ji's prasad in Lucknow, and seems to be one of the most visited temple in the city. Wall murals depict: Ram and Sita, and Ram and Laxshman with Hanuman and the army of monkeys and bears building the bridge to Lanka. |
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Bam-bhole,bam-bam-bhole resounding with the devotees moving in groups is famous for Lord Shiva's Kripashankar Mahadev temple where hundreds of devotees come here to pray. |
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