Lucknow Travel – Uttar Pradesh India
The `City of Nawabs’ as it was once known as, Lucknow the capital of Uttar Pradesh, has great historical and cultural significance. It was the seat of royalty both – Hindu and Mughal, characterized by an aristocratic lifestyle, architectural heritage, and famous awadhi cuisine. Having spent a considerable part of my earlier years in this part of the country, I have seen it grow over the years into a highly developed metro. Believed to be the city of fine behavior and etiquette (tehzeeb in urdu), Lucknow is the best combination of the ancient and modern. So, there is Old Lucknow with it’s ancient monuments and famous streets for shopping and eating (mostly in Aminadab and Chowk) and new Lucknow which has come up well in recent years.
Among the most popular heritage sites in the city is the Imam Bara – the Bara and Chota Imam Bara
Bara Imam bara
Built by Nawab Asaf-ud-daula in 1784, the architecture of the impressive structure is in the Mughal style. There’s also has a mosque, numerous courtyards and gateways within its precincts. The main hall of the Bara Imambara is supposed to be the largest arched halls in the world. Standing steady for centuries without any ceiling support of beams or pillars. Another fascinating thing to be seen here is the `Bhulbhulaiya’ . Once inside this maze of countless labyrinthine passages connected by identical doorways, it is impossible to come out without getting lost! There are more than a thousand entry points though only one exit. Hence, it is advisable to take the services of a guide with you.
Chota Imambara – the finely sculpted exteriors and the beautiful interiors adorned with chandeliers and lights in various hues is just as impressive. It is situated to the west of the Bara Imambara.
Rumi Darwaza – another iconic landmark of Lucknow is the Rumi Darwaza. This exquisitely carved archway lying close to the Bara Imambara, rises to a height of 60 feet and has a similar Mughal design.
Jama Masjid
The unique feature of this mosque is it’s architecture which is a blend of Hindu and Muslim style. That’s what attracts tourists. Built by the third Nawab of Awadh (old name of Lucknow) Mohammad Ali Shah in 1845, the mosque is made of bricks and plastered with lime. It has extraordinary carvings, motifs and arches!
Lucknow Zoo – for animal lovers, Lucknow Zoo is quite popular, having a great variety of animals.
Lucknow Travel – Uttar Pradesh India
Must included on our visits were jaunts to Hazratganj , the posh marketplace of Lucknow. Famous for its shopping and culinary experience! From high-end boutique stores, restaurants, movie theatres to street markets selling fashionable clothes, jewelry, footwear, and accessories.
Recently, counted as the fastest growing city in India, new additions to the tourist spots of Lucknow are the Ambedkar park and Gomti river marine drive. These are worth visiting. Of course, there are numerous malls and parks where you can spend time in.
Food of Lucknow
The highlight of a trip to Lucknow entails savoring its specialty Mughlai cuisine – the lip smacking authentic kebabs and biriyani. The line up of old time eateries in the more congested Chowk area are quite famous. These have been there since many decades. Here you’ll find the best sweet shops for `kulfi’ and `malai paan’ as well. Not just for the meat lovers, Lucknow chats and savories’ are also a must have. Royal Café in Hazratganj is a prominent restaurant, try their `basket chat’.
A lesser known fact about Lucknow is that it’s a treasure house of talent. Whether it be in the skills of cooking, or the fine embroidery work chikankari to poetry, music and dance forms like kathak.
Climate & Best Time to Go
Summers are from April to June, when temperatures can soar up to 43 degrees .
Winters are from November to February – temperatures can dip to 5 or 6 degrees.
The best time to plan a trip to Uttar Pradesh is between July to October where the temperatures are moderate. July, August is the rainy season.
Languages spoken – Hindi, English and Urdu
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