The best things to do in the City of Nawabs, a spinning wheel of heritage cuisine, textiles, and soul-stirring history

Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh popularly known as the city of Nawabs, is a charming city that is often overlooked on the tourist circuit even though it is only three hours away from the Taj Mahal and a few hours away from Delhi. A city with a culture defined by its leisurely attitude, Mughlai cuisine, chikankari work, and literature, Lucknow is a sufi poet's dream. In the heart of Lucknow lies Hazratganj and from here, if we were to take a walk to Rumi Gate, we would be eclipsed by the beauty of Old Lucknow. From basket chaats, galouti kebabs, and biryani to chikankari suit shops and tonga rides, every nook and cranny of Lucknow is immersed in art and poetry, making it one of the world's hidden historical and culinary gems. Here are the best places to visit in Lucknow.

Best places to visit in Lucknow

Residency is a collection of compounds that hold an essential piece of Indian Independence history: the uprising of 1857. Found amidst a beautiful green landscape, the ruins of the residency serve as a reminder of the country's first step to free itself from a colonial past. It was an erstwhile home for British officers that still includes a banqueting hall, Treasury House, Begum Kothi, church and cemetery, but then it became a battleground where the people of Awadh fought the first battle for independence. Inside, a museum with sound effects pierces reality and harks back to the past. You can watch the 15-minute documentary on the residency or join a heritage walk on national holidays.

Don’t be surprised to see many couples sprawled across the residency, the walls bearing the names of many past lovers, love is a revolution in its own right.

Timings: Museum (10am-5pm, closed Friday) Residency (7am-6pm, closed Monday)

Tickets: Rs15 per person.

Bada Imambara

An imambara is a court, where people come together to worship. Bada Imambara was constructed in 1784 by Nawab Asad Ud Daula, the fourth Nawab of the Awadh region. Lucknow’s imambaras are particularly known for they provide a place for Shia worshippers to mourn the martyrdom of Imam Hussain during Muharram. Adorned with domes shaped like garlic and minarets shaped like cloves, this sophisticated monument was built to employ the people of Awadh, following a catastrophic famine. The construction lasted 11 years because every day it was built, and every night the work was destroyed to keep people employed for as long as possible. The Bada Imambara is one of the most iconic monuments in Lucknow, divided into four parts: the central hall, the bhool bhulaiya or maze, the mosque and the bawli quan or the step well. The bawli especially showcases how surveillance was designed—the architecture of the well allows for outsiders to see just water, but for insiders to see the reflection of the outsiders.

Timings: 9am-6pm, closed Friday

Tickets: Rs50 for Indian adults and Rs25 for kids.

Chota Imambara

Chota Imambara was called the Palace of Lights by Europeans as it houses many lamps, venetian lights, and magnificent chandeliers. The monument took half a century to be built by Lucknow’s erstwhile ruler Mohammad Ali Shah and houses a clock tower, a garden, a pond, and the tomb of members of the Nawab family. On the outside, you can find the walls scripted with Quranic verses and intricate calligraphy all over the monument. What sets it apart is the palatial design, heavily influenced by Persian and Mughal schools, a gentler and more glowing companion to the Bada Imambara. One of the hallmarks of this imambara is different tazias inside (the tazia is a replica of the mausoleum of Prophet Muhammad’s grandson). Among other fascinating artefacts are Tipu Sultan’s sword and the robe of Napoleon Bonaparte.

Timings: 9am-6pm, closed Fridays

Tickets: Rs50 per person for Indian adults and Rs25 for kids

Rumi Darwaza

Much like Delhi’s India Gate or Arc de Triomphe in Paris, Rumi Darwaza is a massive arch on Lucknow’s Hussainabad Road. The inspiration for the road came from Sublime Porte, Bab-i-Hümayün in Turkey, and Nawab Asad-ud-Daula wanted to rival it. Rumi Darwaza, 60 feet tall with a lofty grandeur and deeply influenced by a fusion of Turkish, Mughal, and Persian architecture, became the prototype for Awadhi design. While built as a gateway to Lucknow, it now signifies entry into Old Lucknow.

Pro tip:

This gateway especially looks beautiful after 7pm. Take a tonga ride from here to explore the rest of Chowk.

La Martiniere College

La Martiniere College is one of India’s most famous institutions for school, but what sets it apart is its marvellous campus. Located next to a forest and with a lake on campus, this is a castle turned into a school. This colonial-era building has been so well preserved that it is often used for movie shoots and is an iconic landmark that the public can visit. Enter from gate no.4, encountering Mews, the stable for horses, after which you come across the restored grave of Boulone Lise (the daughter of Nawab Fazal Khan Bahadur and British major general Claude Martin’s companion), with its picturesque garden, and Constantia that is an amalgamation of Italian, French, Persian and Mughal architecture. Don’t miss the vaulted ceiling in the blue room (with baroque designs) the lobby and the gothic chapel. If Hogwarts was in India, this is what it would look like.

Timings: 9 am to 12.30 pm.

Safed Baradari

Originally built as a space for mourning, Safed Baradari now hosts weddings and events like literary festivals. Movies like Umrao Jaan have been shot at this monument. The fenestration shapes the way light comes in, with beautifully designed pillars, and arched gateways covered in stucco work, chandeliers that intersect with city lights, casting spotlights in different parts of the room. The congregation hall is a favourite for a traditional Awadhi wedding.

Clock Tower (Hussainabad)

The clock tower, located in Hussainabad alongside Bara and Chota Imambara, towers over the old Lucknow and is also known as Ghanta Ghar. This tower was built to replicate Big Ben, and it is one of the tallest in India, with a height of 221ft. Designed by Roskell Payne, you can see the influence of British architecture and Gothic styles. One should visit if they are in the city during Eid, Diwali or Independence Day.

There is no entry fee, and, as it is located in the middle of a park, can be visited anytime

Lucknowi Eats.

The heart of Lucknow lies in its food. The city has been a trailblazer in creating, or recreating, some of the most iconic dishes of the Mughlai world, with influences from Persia, Iran, Iraq, the Middle East, and the flavourful spices of North India itself. To begin with, have breakfast at Sharma Ji Ki Chai in Lalbagh with their fresh bun makkhan chai, which feels so addictive, and crisp fried samosa. From there head to Netram for some delicious chole pudi, or to the historic Moti Mahal in Hazratganj for some kulfi, batashey or, if you are visiting in winter, tantalising makhan malai. Move to Ram Asrey for some decadent gillouri sweet and stop for the fanciful basket chaat at Royal Cafe, where the chaat is made inside a basket and is the city’s favourite.

Iconic Restaurants

Some of Lucknow’s iconic restaurants, on the higher end, include Falaknuma Rooftop Restaurant, Clarks Avadh where you can spend an evening looking at the gorgeous view of old Lucknow, listening to sufi music and tasting some authentic Mughlai food, the legacy of Chef Imitiaz Qureshi. Saraca is a heritage hotel and restaurant that serves delicious meals, embraced by Awadhi architecture. For the best butter chicken in town, head to Dastarkhwan. For a more relaxed vibe, you can also visit Hazelnut Cafe, or Cherry tree Cafe in Habibullah Estate.

A trip to Lucknow is, of course, incomplete without a visit to its most iconic food institution, Tunday Kebabi. The restaurant has a branch in every big location, so this place has to be first on your list. The restaurant also prepares ready-to-cook kebabs, which you can take back with you.

Must-do experiences

Ganjing in Hazratganj:

This is a popular concept centred around walking, eating and shopping with loved ones in Hazratganj, which is filled with all kinds of shops, restaurants, street food, cafes, theatres, bookstores, and many other delightful distractions. You can head to one of the popular boutiques for chikankari or other textiles such as Sindh, Ada, Chhangamal, Calcutta Silk house, indulge in street food walk, or just sit on one of the benches and take in the city.

Dining, Nawabi-style:

 Dine at the Palace of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah in Qaiserbagh Palace Complex: For an Awadhi dining experience in Lucknow inside a royal property, you can book, preferably a week in advance, a dining experience in Mahmudabad House located in Qaiserbagh area, right next to Safed Baradari. 

See zardozi artisans at work:

This is not a factory visit created for tourists, this is authentic chikankari and zardozi work being done by local artisans in Sheesh Mahal, the former house of Nawab Masood Ali Abdullah. (Timings: 9:30am-1pm, 2:30pm-8pm. Closed Sunday)

Winter festivals:

If you plan to visit the city during winter, head over to UP Darshan Park as there is always a crafts exhibition, showcasing different crafts of the state. Attend the Sanatkhada Festival, held towards the end of January, at Salempur House and Baradari, where Urdu poetry, delightful food and intellectuals waxing lyrical on ishq come together for a wonderful time.

Shopping

Janpath Market:

If you want to escape the clustered old Lucknow markets and visit a chikankari and handicraft marketplace that is more accessible, visit Janpath Market, alongside Hazratganj. You can find exquisite and detailed chikankari work of all ranges. Nazrana has a really good collection of kurtis. For some traditional batuas, shop at Batua How to tell machine chikankari from handmade? The latter is always messier.. (Timings: 10am-11pm; Closed Sundays)

Chowk Market:

Did you think chikankari was all Lucknow had to offer? Think again because in Chowk you will find authentic attar and attar makers. Some of the most circulated artisanal attars in the world have their origins here, with the fragrance of rose, jasmine, or sandalwood, and a thousand others, carefully crafted to delight your senses. (Timings: 11am-10:30-pm; Closed Thursdays)

Aminabad Market:

Aminabad is clustered, with hundreds of shops everywhere, barely any space on the road for cars, but inside it, there is a place called Gadbad Jhaala, where you will find opulent costume jewellery, bangles of all colours, anything that you could ever need for a party. Pick up zardozi items, or stroll through shops like Dada pote ki dukaan (Shop 173) or Novelty Cloth House to find malmal suits, sarees, dress materials or even traditional gararas. (Timings: 10:30am-10:30pm; Closed Thursday)

Parks

With more than nine hundred parks, and development projects that have led to the establishment of some gorgeous landscapes, Lucknow is home to stunning green spaces. Janeshwar Mishra Park (5am-9pm; entry free) is a 376-acre landscape, one of the largest in Asia and rich in flora and fauna. Modelled after Hyde Park in London, it was designed by renowned American Artist, Edward Breathitt. Find a picnic spot, cycle or walk alongside its beautiful lakesides. The Ambedkar Memorial Park (11am-9pm; entry Rs20 per person), on the other hand, is designed to honour the history and contribution of the Dalit community in India, especially that of Dr. BR Ambedkar. Designed in the shape of a flower bearing four petals, it features a bronze statue of Ambedkar inside the Ambedkar Stupa, much like the statue of Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. If you want a quieter experience, head to the lush green Ram Manohar Lohia Park (6am-10pm; entry Rs5 per person) or the garden inside National Botanical Research Institute.

Source;Cntraveller.in 

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