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Pop:
1,900,000
Phone Code: 0522
Postcode 226001
Lucknow
is the capital of Uttar Pradesh. It used to be the capital city of the
Nawabs of Oudh (Avadh), who were Muslim rulers who controlled a part
of north-central India after the decline of the Mughal Empire, for about
a century from 1724 to 1856. Most of the important monuments are from
that period.
In
1856 the British annexed Oudh, exiling the then Nawab Wajid Ali Shah
with an annual pension of 120,000 pounds. The annexation was one of
the reasons for the Indian Uprising in 1857, in which the British residents
held out in the Residency. After 87 days Sir Henry Havelock broke through
to relieve the besieged British, only to be surrounded again for two
more months. The hole-marked ruins of the Residency and the mausoleums
of the Nawabs, are interesting tourist sites.
Getting Your Bearings
Lucknow Junction railway station is in the southwest part of the city.
In the center of the city is the Hazratganj area, where most of the
hotels and the main shopping area are located. Most of the interesting
monuments are in the northwestern part of the city, near the Gomti River.
Tourist
Office and Tours
The Tourist Office (263-8105), 10/4 Station Rd, is
down an alley, opposite the Hotel Kohinoor (daily except Sun 10 am to
5 pm).
You can get tourist information at the Hotel Gomti from
UP Tours (221-2659), which runs a half-day tour (Rs
75) of the city starting at 9.30 am. They pick up passengers at the
railway station and certain hotels. There is a helpful tourist counter
at the Charbagh railway station.
GMVN
(387-349), 432/4 New Civil Lines, Old Hyderabad, gives information about,
and organizes tours to, the Garhwal mountain area of
UP. KMVN (235-903), 2 Gopal Keral House, Sarojini Naidu Marg, gives
information about, and organizes tours to, the Kumaon mountain area
of UP.
Information
Hollywood
Travels 9220-1362) does Westen Union.
Universal
Bookseller, 82 Hazratganj, and the British Bookshop, opposite
Universal, are decent bookshops. Ram Advani, near the Mayfair Cinema,
is a good book shop.
The
British Council Library (242-144), near the Mayfair
Cinema in Hazratganj, is open Tue to Sat 10.30 am to 6.30 pm.
Foreigners’
Registration Office (280-635), 5th Floor, Jawaharlal Bhavan,
Ashok Marg. They may extend a 3 month visa to 6 months.
Internet
at Cybernet Internet Cafe, off MG Rd for Rs 25 per
hours (10 am to 10 pm). Meeting Point Internet Cafe,
Sapru Marg, near the Ritz Continental offers Internet for Rs 25 per
hour (9 am to 8 pm).
Money
The State Bank of India, Ashok Marg, in Hazratganj,
and also a branch on Moti Mahal Marg, change money. Punjab National
Bank, Ashok Marg, Hazratganj. Bank of Baroda,
MG Rd.
The ICIC
and HDFC banks on Mahatma Gandhi (MG) Rd, Hazratganj,
have ATM machines. The HDFC banks takes Visa, MasterCard, Cirrus and
American Express.
Canara
Bank exchanges AMEX travellers checks. Mayfair Airtravel
Services (226-534), MG Raod changes most currencies and travellers
checks..
The
Residency
The Residency, built for the British residents in 1800, is where some
of the most dramatic events of the “Indian Uprising of 1857”
took place. It is a group of ruined buildings in a secluded park.
In
June of 1857 Indian soldiers in the East India Company’s army
revolted and besieged the Lucknow British community and some loyal Indians.
The Residency, which was the stone mansion of the East Indian Company’s
agent in Avadh was where about 3,000 men, women and children were trapped.
After 87 days Sir Henry Havelock came to rescue the people trapped in
the Residency, but he and his troops also got trapped inside. A month
and a half later, Sir Colin Campbell came and broke the siege on November
17, 1857. Only about 980 of the original people trapped in the Residency
survived. The Residency has been kept the same as when the final relief
came. Cannon shots scar the walls.
You
enter the park where the Residency is located through Baillie Gate.
You then pass some buildings that were used as hospitals and armories
during the siege. After a few minutes walk you come to the Residency
building. In front of it is a monument to Sir Henry Lawrence, who got
all the British together in the Residency. He was killed four days later.
In the cellars you can see where many of the women and children lived.
In
the Model Gallery is a miniature version of the complex.
There are also weapons and old prints. The Indian Martyrs’ Memorial,
directly opposite the Residency, honors the Indian soldiers who died
in the siege.
There
is a cemetery where 2,000 men, women, and children
were buried during the siege. It is located down near the river.
The
museum is open daily from 9 am to 5.30 pm; admission
Rs 2 except on Friday when it is free. Single women should be careful
while walking around the park.
Entry fee is Rs
300 for foreigners and free for Indians.
Bara (Big) Imambara Area
Construction of the Bara
Imambara was started as a famine relief project during the great famine
by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula in 1784. An imambara is a replica of a tomb of
one of the imams, descendants of Muhammad, who are revered by Shi’ite
Muslims. Bara means “big.” This place is noted for its huge
size. The central hall is 50m long, 15m wide and 15m high and has domes
and arches in it. It is one of the largest vaulted chambers (without
supporting pillars) in the world.
The
upper floors are known as the Bhulbhulaiya, which is
a maze-like labyrinth that covers several floors. There is a rule that
couples must take the services of a guide. It has formal gardens. It
is open daily except during Muharram 8 am to 6.30 pm. There is a Rs
10 fee to enter the Bhulbhulaiya, which also gets you into the Picture
Gallery, Rumi Darwaza, the bauli and Shahihammam.
To
the right of the entrance gate of the Imambara is the large Asaf-ud-Daula’s
Mosque built by Asaf-ud-Daula. It is closed to non-Muslims.
Across from the mosque is the bauli, which is an old step-well, which
is surrounded by a five-storey tower. The ticket to the Bhulbhulaiya
allows you to enter.
On
the street next to the entrance to the Bara Imambara is Rumi
Darwaza, which is a large gate built by Asaf-ud-Daula. There
is a good view of the Gomti River from on top of it. It is supposed
to be a replica of the Sublime Porte gate in Istanbul. The Bhulbhulaiya
ticket allows you to enter and climb to the top of it.
If
you go through the Rumi Darwaza Gate, you then come to the Husainabad
Clock Tower, which at 67m is the tallest clock tower in India.
Next to the clock tower is the Husainabad Tank. Next to the tank is
the summer house (baradari) built by Ali Shah. Inside is a Picture
Gallery, which has portraits of the Nawabs of Avadh. Open Mon
to Sat 7 am to 7 pm. The Bara Imambara ticket gets you in. Entry fee
is Rs 10.
Chota (Small) Imambara
It is also known as the Husainabad Imambara. It was built by Nawab Muhammad
Ali Shah in 1837 as a famine relief project as his mausoleum. Muhammad
Ali Shah and his mother are buried inside the main building. It has
a big gold dome and inside there are many glass chandeliers, mirrored
walls, and a silver throne, which was used to read the Koran. Open 6
am to 5 pm.
In
the large courtyard are attempted copies of the Taj Mahal on either
side of the Imambara. One is the tomb of Muhammad Ali Shah’s daughter
and the other is her husband’s. Each year during the Muharram
festival the Chota Imambara is lit up.
The Satkhanda (Seven-Storey Tower) is a watchtower,
across from the Chota Imambara. It is actually only four-storeys, because
it wasn’t finished after Ali Shah died in 1840.
Jama
Masjid and Area
Jama Masjid is the biggest mosque in Lucknow, but is closed to non-Muslims.
You can come to the doorway and see its painted ceiling of fruits and
leaf patterns. The construction of this mosque was begun by Muhammad
Ali Shah and was finished after his death. This place is around the
corner, west of the Chota Imambara.
Satsang
Bhavan
This is a satsang hall (381-189; fax 388-578) maintained by some of
his Western students of HWL Poonja (1910–1997), also known as
Papaji. Poonjaji was a follower of Ramana Maharshi, who lived in Tiruvannamalai.
Videotapes of Poonjaji’s satsangs are shown daily in the morning
and evening. It is possible to visit Poonjaji’s house, which is
located about 2km away.
There
are several places to stay in the area and there is a good vegetarian
restaurant on the roof of Satsang Bhavan. Satsang Bhavan is located
in the Indira Nagar area, Sector A. If you takes a tempo here you go
to Shalimar Crossing, from where Satsang Bhavan is a few minutes walk.
Holidays
During the Lucknow Festival (Nov 25 to Dec 5) there
are parades, dance performances, classical music concerts, kathak dancing
and ghazal.
Shi’ite Muharram is a major holiday here because
Lucknow is a major Shi’ite city. Bara Imambara is the center for
activities.
Where to Stay—Lower
Most of the hotels have 24 hour checkout. Many of the hotels near the
railway station can be very noisy.
The
railway Retiring Rooms are the best value in the station
area. Dorm beds are Rs 75 and double rooms range from Rs 350 to Rs 550.
Mohan Hotel (263-5642), near the railway station, has
a range of cheaper rooms priced from Rs 650/800 and dorm beds for Rs
150 and an A/C dorm bed is Rs 175. 24-hour checkout.
Hotel Mayur (245-1824), opposite the station, has rooms
for Rs 400/450 and Rs 800 with A/C.
Hardik Guest House (272-817), 16 Rana Pratap Marg,
has clean comfortable rooms for Rs 350/450. It is a good place.
On the way to the Hazratganj area from the station is the Deep
Hotel (223-6521), which has rooms for Rs 300/350 and Rs 500/600
with A/C.
The nearby Hotel Raj is about the same.
Many of the cheaper hotels are in the Hazratganj area.
Chowdhury Lodge (224-1911), 3 Vidhan Sabha Marg, down
an alley by the GPO, has clean rooms with bath for Rs 250/275, and a
room with an air-cooler for Rs 325/400. It is a popular place, is quiet,
and has good-valued, nice rooms. Some rooms don’t have windows.
24-hour checkout.
Hotel Ram-Krishna (223-8363), 17/2 Ashok Marg, has
relatively clean, air-cooled rooms with hot water for Rs 400/450 and
A/C rooms for Rs 800. 24-hour checkout.
Baba Tourist Lodge, by the Charbagh Railway Station,
is a nice clean place with a range of cheaper rooms.
Capoor’s (222-3958; fax 222-0727; Email: capoors@yahoo.com),
52 MG Rd, in Hazratganj, has good rooms with bath for Rs 750/850, Rs
700 with air-cooling, and A/C rooms with TV for Rs 1200/1400. It is
a suggested, older place with 24-hour checkout.
Ram-Krishna Guest House (223-8663), Park Rd, has air-cooled
rooms for Rs 450 and with A/C for Rs 800.
Avadh Lodge (228-2861), 1 Ram Mohan Rai Marg, is an
old place with a lot of atmosphere, but it is showing its age. It is
in a quiet area of town. The rooms are Rs 400/500 and an A/C room is
Rs 650/750.
The popular Hotel Elora (221-1307), in the center of
town at 3 Lalbagh, has rooms for Rs 255/300 and Rs 400/500. It is a
good value.
Where to Stay—Middle
and High
UP Tourism Hotel Gomti (222-0624), 6 TB Sapru Marg,
has large, clean, air-cooled rooms with hot water for Rs 950/1100 and
A/C rooms for Rs 1000/1100.
Hotel Kohinoor (217-693), 6 Station Rd, a km from the
railway station, has modern, pleasant, clean rooms for Rs 650/850 with
A/C.
Charans Hotel (224-7212), 16 Vidhan Sabha Marg, is
a mid-range place with a selection of rooms for Rs 600/700 and A/C rooms
for Rs 800/900. Some rooms can be noisy.
Deep Avadh (268-4381; Email: deep@lw1.vsnl.net.in),
Aminabad Rd, close to the station, is a new, modern place with
rooms for Rs 300/350 and A/C rooms for Rs 500/550. It has a good restaurant.
Carlton Hotel (222-4021; fax 222-9793; Email: carltonlko@rediffmail.com)
Shah Najaf Rd, in the Hazratganj area, was once a palace and has a large
relaxing garden. It is popular with foreigners and is often full. Rooms
are Rs 1000/1100 and Rs 1600/1800 with A/C. It is a pleasant place to
stay.
Arif Castles (221-1313; fax: 221-1360: Email: arifind@avadh.net),
4 Rana Pratap Marg, has comfortable rooms for Rs 1500/1700
Hotel Clarks Avadh (221-6500; fax 221-6507; email:
clarks_lko@satyam.net.in), 8 Mahatma Gandhi Marg, is one of the best
hotels in Lucknow. The rooms are Rs 4200/4500 and suites are Rs 9000.
It does not have a pool. It has a very good restaurant
Taj Residency Hotel (239-3939; fax 239-2282; Web Site:
http://www.tajhotels.com;
Email: residency.lucknow@tajhotels.com, in Gomti Nagar, east of the
downtown, has comfortable rooms for Rs 5300/6300. It is a newly built
place with a pool and a nice garden. It has a restaurant serving very
good Lucknow cuisine.
Gemini Continental (221-2155; Web Site: http://www.geminicontinental.com),
10 Rani Laximbai Mark, is a four-star place with comfortable modern
rooms.
Great views.
Where to Eat
Ritz Continental, by the Hotel Ram-Krishna, is a good
vegetarian place that serves Indian food, Chinese, and pizza.
On the same road, right next to each other, at Vinay Palace, 11 Ashok
Marg, are two high-class vegetarian restaurants, the Viranjan
and Ruchika. Both of these places are very
good.
Muman’s Royal Cafe, MG Rd, next to Capoor’s,
has good Indian and Chinese food. The service is good. It is one of
the best restaurants in the area.
Capoor’s Hotel, 52 MG Rd, in Hazratganj, has
a good restaurant.
Indian Coffee House, MG Rd, is a friendly place serving
snacks.
The rooftop Falaknuma, at the Hotel Clarks Avadh, has
good Lucknow cuisine. There are good views from this restaurant.
Cheadi Lal Ramprasad Vaish, MG Rd, has good juices
and ice cream
Spicy Bite, Tulsi Theatre Building, has pizzas and
sandwiches.
Hong Kong, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Hazratganj, is a popular
place with good Chinese food.
The Carlton Hotel has a good restaurant on the lawn.
Local
Travel and Travel Agencies
A rickshaw from the railway station to Hazratganj should be about Rs
45. Tempos travel between fixed destinations for around Rs 5.
Some travel agencies are UP Tours (232-659), Hotel
Gomti, 6 Sapru Marg; and Travel Corporation of India (227-773),
3 Shah Najaf Marg. You can rent a taxi for the day from UP Tours
at the Hotel Gomti, and the Hotel Clarks Avadh. Tornos
(380-610), C-2016 Indira Nagar, is an established travel agent.
Travel
Air The airport (225-6130) is 15km south of the downtown. A
taxi to the airport cost Rs 200. The Indian Airlines office
(224-0927, information 142; Airport: 436-327) is at the Hotel Clarks
Avadh. Jet Airways (220-2026); Sahara (237-762).
There
are flights to Delhi (4 daily, $125), Varanasi (1 daily, $70), Kolkata
(Calcutta) (2 daily, $180), Patna (2 daily, $130) and Mumbai (2 daily,
$275).
Train
There are two main stations next to each other in the Charbagh area—Lucknow
(259932) and Lucknow Junction. The Shatabdi Exp goes to Delhi (6½
hr) via Kanpur (1½ hr). There are regular trains to Delhi (7
to 9 hr). There are trains to Agra (8 hr), Gorakhpur (6 hr), Mumbai
(30 hr), Calcutta (23 hr), Faizabad (3 hr), Allahabad (4½ hr),
and Varanasi (7 hr). There are overnight trains xe "Lucknow"
to Haridwar (13 hr) and Agra (7 hr).
Bus There are two bus stations—Kaiserbagh, which
is in the center of town and Charbagh, which is near the railway stations.
From
Kaiserbagh there are buses to Faizabad (for Ayodhya, 3 hr), Delhi (12
hr), Gorakhpur (7 hr), and Sunauli (11 hr). To get to Naimisaranya,
you take a three-hour local bus from Kaiserbagh Bus Stand.
From
the Charbagh station there are early morning and evening buses to Varanasi
(9 hr) and Agra (10 hr). Buses also go to Allahabad (6 hr), and Kanpur
(2 hr).
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