Lucknow - Uttar Pradesh

Tourism:

Bara Imambara:

This is the famous magnificent   monument recalls the past of Nawabs and their culture. The Bara Imambara is an interesting building. The entrance hall of Imambara is quite huge, spreading in area of 900 sq.mt. It is neither a mosque, nor a mausoleum, but a huge building having interesting elements within it. The construction of the halls and the use of vaults show a strong Islamic influence. It was built in the year 1784 by the fourth Nawab of Awadh. 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 is known for its incredible maze called Bhulbhulaiya. This is located in the upper floor of the monument

Clock Tower:

Clock tower constructed by the British in 1881. It is famous for its height that is 67mt. It is the tallest tower in India on the river Gomti. The artwork of tower is European style. The dial of this clock is shaped like a 12-petalled flower and the pendulum hangs 14 feet. The parts of the clock are built of pure gunmetal. .

Moti Mahal:

The Moti Mahal was constructed by Nawab Saadat Ali Khan. The Nawabs used these buildings to view the birds in flight. The 'Pearl Palace' was erected by Nawab Sadat Ali Khan, but the other two buildings - the Shah Manzil and the Mubarak Manzil, were added to the complex much later, by Ghazi-ud-din Haider. These were constructed for the Nawab and his courtiers to watch animal combats that were held at the other side of the view, from the balconies of these buildings.

Shah Najaf Imambara

The tomb was built on the south bank of Gomti; it is made for Ghasi-ud-Din Haidar and his two wives’s. The building is look like as the tomb of Hazart Ali, the son –in-law of Prophet Muhammad, at Najaf Ashraf in Iraq. Its used to store wood, bamboo and silver paper which is used in the Muharram Festival.

Chota Imambara

The Chota Imambara, or the Husainabad Imambara, was built by Mohammed Ali Shah in 1837, also known as the Palace of Lights. The Chota Imambara, with its golden dome, silver throne and gold-edged mirrors, is the grander of the two Imambaras. The Mughal Emperor, Muhammad Shah began the construction of the Jami Masjid situated towards the west of the Chota Imambara, the Jami Masjid was completed by the emperor’s wife in the mid-1840s. It contains the tombs of Ali Shah and his mother. A small bazaar, known as the Gelo Khana or "Decorated Place", lies inside the imposing entrance of the Imambara. The Chota Imambara is the Dargah (shrine) of the Sufi saint, Hazrat Abbas; the Nadan Mahal with the tomb of Shaikh Abdur Rahi, Governor of Oudh, appointed by Emperor Akbar and the tomb of the Sufi saint Ibrahim Chisti’s son.

Residency

Built in 1800 by Saadat Ali Khan for the British Resident. There is a model room in the main Residency building which is worth visiting and a small museum on the ground floor. The Residency became the stronghold of the British for 87 days during the Revolt of 1857. The Residency has now been converted into government offices and a museum. Within the complex are graves of British soldiers who died fighting the Indian troops.

Chattar Manzil

The two Chattar Manzils near the Begum Hazarat Mahal Park, on the banks of the Gomti were Royal pavilions. The name comes from the gilt chattars or umbrellas atop the two main buildings. The Greater Chattar Manzil was once a king's palace. Under the existing river terrace was the ground floor with the tykhanas (cool underground rooms), cooled by the waters of the Gomti which lapped against its outer walls. Considering their size, surprisingly little is known about the Chattar Manzil Palaces. Today this building houses the Central Medicine Research body. The Lal Baradari was also the part of Chattar Manzil and was built as Coronation Hall and Durbar Hall.

Dudhwa National Park

Dudhwa is 238 km North of Lucknow and was designated a National Park in 1977. Bordering the Sarda River in the Terai, it is very similar to the Corbett National Park. It has sal forest, tall savanna grasslands and large marshy areas watered by the Neora and Sohel rivers. Dudhwa National Park is home to unusual animal species. This national park's star attraction is the Royal Bengal tiger. About 100 tigers are believed to still roam this region. The Indian rhino was also introduced here to save it from extinction. Leopards, elephants, bears, gharial, crocodile, and spotted deer inhabit the thick forests too.

State Museum

The State Museum in Lucknow is a must visit for all the tourists who visit Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow Museum is rather situated in a modern three-storied building at Banarasi Bagh area of Lucknow. It is actually a museum and achieve rolled in one. The museum has separate galleries dedicated to sculptures, bronzes, paintings, natural history and anthropological specimens, coins, textiles and decorative arts.

You will find sculptors of the earliest image of Balrama as well as a Panch-Mukhi Shiv Lingam. The museum also displays a magnificent collection of coins right from the terra- cotta ones from the Indus Valley Civilization era to the coins of the present day. Among others the museum boasts off an Egyptian Mummy and the pistol of Chandrasekhar Azad, famous freedom fighter apart from numerous other works of art that are of historical importance

How to reach Lucknow

Lucknow being the capital of Indian province of Uttar Pradesh is well connected to the rest of India.

By Air: Lucknow is well connected with the other important towns and cities of the country by air. Almost all the private and public service providers have regular scheduled flights to Lucknow. The main airport is Amausi, which is about 15 km away from the main city area.

By Rail: Lucknow falls just off to the Grand Chord line therefore there is no dearth of trains here. With two railway junctions namely Charbagh and Lucknow, one has a variety of choices for traveling to and fro the city.

By Road: Lucknow is very well connected by a network of roads and road transport to all major towns of Uttar Pradesh and surrounding areas. Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation plies several buses to cities like Bhopal, Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Agra, Varanasi and Mathura.