Dr Stuti Mishra
The story of Lucknow is equally rooted in myth and legends as it is shaped by centuries of political shifts and cultural evolution. Nestled on the banks of the Gomti River, the city’s origins, and its name, is often linked with the epic Ramayana, where it is recorded to have been founded by…
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Nishant Upadhyay
The cultural history of Lucknow is deeply intertwined with the artistic and aesthetic pursuits of its rulers, especially the eleventh and the last ruling Nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah (1822–87). Renowned for his profound passion for the arts, poetry, music and dance Wajid Ali Shah differed…
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Nimra Rizvi
Lucknow’s historical legacy remains imprinted on its present, with its homes offering a perfect window into the many lives that the city has lived, continues to live and will live. Lucknow’s houses and reha’ish (lifestyle) is the most tangible evidence of how Lucknow has grown and shrunk over the…
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Meenakshi Vashisth
To speak of Lucknow is to invoke a world of exquisite tehzeeb (etiquette), refined speech and fine poetry. Here, poetry does not belong solely to the poet; it permeates the air of the chowks, flows with the scent of keora in the kothas (courtesan houses), and echoes through the corridors of once-…
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Mehmood M Abdi
In most historical cities, heritage is tied to grand buildings, where walls, halls and minarets silently narrate tales of the past. However, Lucknow stands an exception. Here, history is not merely confined to architectural marvels but continues to thrive in everyday life, carried forward through…
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Qais Mujeeb
Awadh’s grandeur was never just confined to its capital cities. It spilled onto its historic qasbahs—semi-urban centres that thrived under aristocratic patronage—each reflecting the status, opulence and mehmaan-nawazi (hospitality) of its rulers. These townships, granted as jagirs to noble families…
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Dr Suman Mishra
Lucknow’s blend of Nawabi grandeur and Awadhi elegance, its stunning monuments and bustling bazaars have long fascinated Indian cinema, continuing to inspire filmmakers today. Who would not remember watching Meena Kumari in Pakeezah (1972) and Rekha in Umrao Jaan (1981) performing the marvellous…
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Deepti Priya Mehrotra
Until the 1930s, nautanki had no women actors; men took on all female roles. Once women joined, however, they quickly achieved popularity and stature as star attractions, often overshadowing the men. The rise of heroines in nautanki paralleled the rise of heroines in Bollywood: leading ladies were…
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Deepti Priya Mehrotra
She worked with several companies during the 1960s and started her own group, the Krishna Kala Kendra, in the early 1970s. The group performed thousands of shows across North India, especially helping raise funds for schools, colleges and other public institutions. Krishna Kumari Mathur…
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Deepti Priya Mehrotra
Nautanki is an operatic theatre form combining music, dance, story, dialogue, humour, pathos, melodrama and wit in a magical whole. Nautanki, earlier known as svang, originated in the late nineteenth century in Uttar Pradesh (then United Provinces of Agra and Oudh) and…
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