Lucknow Mahotsav - It Exhibits The Art And Culture Of Uttar Pradesh

LUCKNOW MAHOTSAV

Lucknow Mahotsav is an extravagant festival that is organized annually in Lucknow to exhibit the Art and Culture of Uttar Pradesh and in particular Lakhnavi ‘Tehzeeb’ for promoting tourism.

In the year 1975-76 The South Asian Tourism Year was observed and organized where the decision was taken to organize Lucknow Mahotsav as an annual fair for the sole purpose of promoting Lucknow’s Art, Culture and Tourism for national and international tourists.

From that time onwards, with certain exceptions only; Lucknow Mahotsav has been organized every year with unique theme and grand arrangements and is a special attraction spot for tourist at local, national as well as international level.

Evidently, every year Crafts Fair is organized in Lucknow Mahotsav which allows Craftsmen to put up stalls for showcasing and selling their crafts work. Along with crafts showcasing, various food and general need item stalls are also set up in Lucknow Mahotsav that makes it a perfect place for getting all things related to Lucknow and its culture.

Moreover, to enhance the grandeur of the festival, various cultural programs and celebrities’ performances are organized in the festival. Furthermore, for amusement of the tourists, Lucknow Mahotsav also has arrangement of fun filled rides ranging from big rides like merry-go-round for adults to small level rides for children.

So, if you want to experience the extravagant Nawabi culture of Lucknow, Lucknow Mahotsav is the best place for you.

Lucknow Mahotsav held from November 25, 2016 to December 5, 2016

Bara Imambara – It Has A Unique Fashion Architecture Of The 18th Century Significance

BARA IMAMBARA

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LUCKNOW

The Bara Imambara was built in the year 1784 by the fourth Nawab of Awadh known as Asaf-ud-Daula. It was built as a part of a relief project for a major famine that took place in the year 1784. The Bara Imambara of Lucknow is one of the most famous monuments of this place.

It is also called Asfi Imambara after the name of the Nawab of Lucknow who got it constructed. It is an important place of worship for the Muslims who come here every year to celebrate the religious festival of Muharram.

The Bara Imambara has a unique style of construction. The central hall of Bara Imambara is said to be the largest arched hall in the world. Except for the galleries in the interior, there is no woodwork in the entire structure.

The hall measures 50 meters long and goes upto a height of 15 meters. What makes the construction unique is the fact that the blocks have been put together with interlocking system of bricks and there has been absolutely no use of girders and beams. The roof stands steady till date without any pillars to support it. 

It has large underground passages which have been blocked up. A staircase from outside leads to a series of labyrinths known as Bhool-Bhulaiyan, which is a complicated entanglement of zig-zag passages. Visitors are advised to visit only with authorised guides. Within the compound of the Imambara is the grand Asafi Mosque. Shahi Baoli is another attraction here.

Timing: Sunrise to Sunset.

Entry fee : Rs. 25.00 (Indian). Rs. 500.00 (Foreigner) (inclusive of Bara Imambara, Chhota Imambara, Picture Gallery, Shahi Hamam).

By Air

Lucknow can be easily reached by air as the place has its own independent airport. The airport at Lucknow is located at a distance of around 14 kilometers from the city center at a place called Amausi. Flights operate from Amausi to nearby places like Delhi, Patna, Ranchi and also other cities like Mumbai. 

By Train

There are two main railway junctions at Lucknow. One is at Lucknow city center itself and the other is at Charbagh, which is located at a distance of around 3 kilometers from the city center. Trains from all major places near and around Lucknow ply daily to this place. 

By Bus

Lucknow can be easily reached from Delhi, Kanpur, Agra, Allahbad and Dehradun. Highways from all these places connect them with Lucknow. The major highways passing through Lucknow are N.H. - 25, N.H. - 28 and N.H. - 56.

Gravity Defying Palace – Twenty Two Thousand Employees Worked To Finish The Construction Of Palace

GRAVITY DEFYING PALACE

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LUCKNOW

Gravity Defying Palace is located at lucknow the capital city of Uttar Pradesh state of India. The Palace is the Bara Imambara – bar meaning big and imambara meaning a shrine.  It was built by the fourth Nawab, Barak Imambara Asaf-ud-Daula, in the year 1784 and is a blend of Arabic and European architecture.

This structural miracle goes back to the eighteenth CE. Nawab Asaf Ud Daulah made this wonder, mixing European and Arabic design in flawless amicability.

The focal curved corridor is 50 meters in length and around three stories high, hanging without the backing of any columns or bars! The principle lobby is known for the engineering of the maze or bhul-bhulaiya, with more than 1000 restricted staircase entries.

The Imambara complex additionally houses lavish greenhouses, a stupendous mosque and a baoli.The surrounding of the palace also includes a mosque and a step-well – bowli. The palace, housing the tombs of Asaf-ud-Daula and his family, is also believed to hold riches.  This is one of the most significant monuments in Uttar Pradesh.

What is special about this palace is the central hall, which as described above, is about 50 metres long and 15 metres wide, and is suspended without any pillars or beams supporting it.

The hall has been constructed only through interlocking brickwork.  There are eight chambers of different roof-heights surrounding the hall. What makes it even more interesting is the whispering sounds that one encounters in the balcony across the hall. This is one of the largest arched constructions in the world.

History has it that the Nawab had conceived the construction of this monument to generate employment to counter a devastating famine that had hit the region. The construction employed about 22,000 people.

It is rumoured that while ordinary people worked during the day at the construction site, noble men and courtiers, to make ends meet, worked in the nights so that they would not be identified.  Approximately about a million rupees is supposed to have been spent in the construction of this palace, and its annual maintenance amounted to about five hundred thousand rupees.

By Air

Lucknow travel can be made easier when traveling through the air. That dismisses the question of how to reach Lucknow faster. Lucknow airport is located 14km away from the city centre. Flights to Lucknow are regularly available all major metros. Regular flights are available from cities like Delhi and Mumbai. Booking of tickets for flights to Lucknow should be done at the earliest to enjoy the best rates.

By Train

The Lucknow City centre and Charbagh are the two main railway stations in this city. Travellers can board a train to Lucknow from almost any part of the country. There are a number of Lucknow trains connecting even the farthest place in India. So travellers need not worry about how to go to Lucknow because of its excellent connectivity to other cities in India.

By Bus

The major highways passing through Lucknow are NH 2 and NH56. When you are looking for a Lucknow trip by bus, check out the latest timings and fares before you make a decision. Go on a Lucknow trip by bus to understand the culture and heritage of this place. If you are a backpacker, Lucknow visits by bus can be an amazing experience.

Chattar Manzil - It Is Very Inimitable And Unusual Combination Style Of Architecture

CHATTAR MANZIL

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LUCKNOW

It is located on the right bank of river Gomti is a lofty building that is quite popular for its Chatar or Umbrella, which glitters at the top of the building when sun rays fall on it. This structure is also popular by the name of Umbrella Palace.

This is how the building got its name from its enormous parachute. The structural design of the building is a combination of Italian and French architectural style. It is a five storeyed building which has two storeys below ground level while the rest are above it.

 The construction of Chattar Manzil was commenced by Nawab Saadat Ali Khan (1798-1814) and it was Ghazi-ud-din-Haider who later modified it. It served as a royal palace for the kings of Awadh till Wajid Ali Shah shifted his residence to Qaiserbagh.

There were two octagonal towers to which the basement was connected for proper air ventilation. Two telescopes from England were placed at the roof top of the building for astronomical purposes.

The palace had a state-of-the-art garden which according to the British tourists was way far better than the garden of Khalifa Harun Rasheed. It is also said that when the palace was being constructed, it was attacked by Raja Chet Singh of Benaras.

 The imposing building has large underground rooms and a dome surmounted by a gilt umbrella.The Palace has gone through many owners including the Nawabs of Awadh Saadat Ali Khan and Wajid Ali Shah, and the British and changes since its construction was started in the 1780s.

It served as a palace for the rulers of Awadh and their wives. Later during the Revolt of 1857 the building became a stronghold of the Indian revolutionaries.

A portion of it was destroyed by Britishers during the war of 1857. After the war of 1857 the government had allotted the building to an American NGO which used it as a club for recreation purposes, till 1947, the Chhatar Manzil was used as the United Services Club.

Post Independence, this building was allotted to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research which used it as Central Drug Research Institute since 1950, but now it has been vacated by CDRI.

Government of Uttar Pradesh plans to set up two museums and a library at the Palace after its renovation and conservation by the State Archaeological Department.

By Air

Lucknow airport is 14 km away from the city. Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Jaipur and Mumbai are connected to Lucknow by daily flights. Delhi is the closest international airport, 497 km away.

By Train

Most major cities in India are connected to Lucknow by rail. Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai, Kolkata and others are directly connected to Lucknow.

By Bus

Wide network of roads connect Lucknow to most major cities in the country. Major highways like NH 24, NH 28 and NH 56 pass through Lucknow. Private buses ply regularly from major cities like Agra, Kanpur, Allahabad, Delhi and Dehradun.

From lucknow 4.3km distance to reach chattar palace