Lucknow, the “Golden city of the east” is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh and is popularly called the city of Nawabs and Kababs. Though it is rapidly modernising, it still has kept its past glory and is known for its cultural refinement. It is also associated with legendary hospitality, leisurely moods of life and world-renowned cuisine. The city offers plenty of places of historical interest to tourists. The popular Parsi theatre originated from the Urdu theatre, and the Tabla and Sitar were first heard on the streets of Lucknow.

the temperature in summer and winter range between 29 degree C- 44 degree C and 5.1 degree C - 30 degree C respectively. Languages spoken here include Hindi, Urdu and English. Cotton and tropical clothes in the summer and woolens during the winter are required.
 

Attractions In & Around

Bara Imambara:
 This huge and elegant buildingis also called the Asafai Imambara. It is said that this hall is the world’s largest arched room without any pillars and the Nawabs used to hold their public hearings. The building was built in a famine relief program in 1784 by Nabab Asaf-ud-Daulla.


Chhattar Manzil
It was the most imposing building erected by the Nawabs. It can still be seen in its former glory from all the corners of Lucknow. Its gilded dome "chattar", giving its name, is the prominent landmark.

Clock Tower
This 221 feet tall structure, the tallest Clock Tower in India, is one of the finest examples of British Architecture in India.

Jama Masjid
The splendid mosque built by Muhammad Ali Shah in the typical Mughal style with two minarets and three domes, lies to the west of the Hussainabad Imambara and is entirely free from pseudo Italian art, then in vogue in Lucknow.


Moti Mahal
Among the three beautiful buildings on the fringes of the River Gomti, is the Moti Mahal or the Palace of Pearls constructed by Nawab Saadat Ali Khan. The Nawabs used these buildings to view the birds in flight.


Rumi Darwaza
Just beyond Bara Imambara is an impressive gateway, Rumi Darwaza, built by Nawab Asafuddaula in 1784. It is also known as the Turkish Gateway. The heart and soul of the Avadh architecture is well expressed here.


Shaheed Smarak
The tower was built to mark the first centenary of the Mutiny of 1857 and is a mark of respect for the thousands of unknown warriors who laid down their lives for the freedom and glory of their nation.


State Museum
The State Museum is open on all days except Monday, from 10.30 am to 4.30 pm. It is located in a modern three-storeyed building at Banarasibagh in Lucknow and is a multipurpose museum with sculptures, bronzes, paintings, natural history and anthropological specimens, coins, textiles and decorative arts. We can also find sculptors of the earliest image of Balarama and a Panchmukhi Shivalinga.
 

Food

The food from the royal kitchens was the result of creative experimentation, exquisite and delicate in taste. Many of the royal residences are now crumbling, but the best known of Lucknow's architectural representatives are the Imambaras, and the bhulbhulaiyan, a labyrinth where getting lost is the simplest thing to do. Lucknow also continues to be home to the fine chikan embroidery executed with fine skill on fabrics, saris and kurtas. The British occupation of Lucknow was another chapter in the history of the city and the Residency was built by the British to house their troops and officials. Most of it was unfortunately destroyed during the 1857 mutiny which saw heavy troop-movement in Lucknow. The credit for the construction of the La Martiniere School in Lucknow too goes to the British. The city today, spread on both sides of the river Gomti, a Tributary of the Ganga, is undergoing tremendous changes with new shopping and housing complexes, hotels coming up fast. Offices of major national as well as international companies are located here, giving it a status of only a place of tourist interest, but also as a major convention and conference venue.

Getting in, Around & Away

AIR :
Lucknowps Amausi airport is 14 kms. away from the centre of town, with regular flights to Delhi, Patna, Calcutta and Mumbai.

RAIL :
The Northern and North-Eastern railway networks connect Lucknow with the important cities within the country.