Dastan-e-LucknowArticle
Poetic Echoes of LucknowArticle
Lucknowi ZabaanArticle
Hidden Gems Around LucknowArticle
Uttar Pradesh
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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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Lucknow, a city of monumental cultural legacy, owes much of its vibrant heritage to the Nawabs of Awadh or Oudh. While the Mughals laid its foundations, the Nawabs elevated Lucknow to unmatched grandeur. The Nawabi era began in 1722 with Saadat Khan, who established Awadh as a semi-autonomous…
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Lucknow’s built heritage reflects a confluence of Indo-Islamic, Persian and colonial influences. Each structure in the city narrates a story—of power, patronage, cultural exchange and artistic evolution.
Painting of Nadan Mahal, 1814. (Picture Credits: British Library/Wikimedia Commons)
The early…
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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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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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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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If Lucknow is known for one thing beyond its rich history and refined culture, it is its legendary kebabs, with the Tunday Kebabi outlet being the most iconic. However, Haji Murad Ali, or Tunday Mian, was not the first to create galawat ke kebab. Before these melt-in-the-mouth delicacies emerged…
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By mid-morning, Lucknow’s streets are already teeming with life. Shopkeepers call out to customers, hawkers set up their stalls, and pheriwalas (travelling salesmen) offer bags and sunglasses to passersby. In one corner, large shops are stacked with freshly made snacks, while pushcarts overflow…
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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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While Lucknow is often associated with nawabs, kebabs and chikankari, the city’s identity runs much deeper for Lucknowis. It is essentially the city of poets, artists, karigars (artisans) and qadrdaans (connoisseurs) of literature, art and craftmanship. The crafts of mukaish and zardozi are as…
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