Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state of India. Lucknow is also the administrative headquarters of Lucknow district and Lucknow division. Located in what was historically known as the Awadh region, Lucknow has always been a multicultural city. Courtly manners, beautiful gardens, poetry, music, and fine cuisine patronized by the Persian loving Shia Nawabs of the city are well known amongst Indians and students of South Asian culture and history. Lucknow is popularly known as the city of Nawabs. It is also known as the golden city of the east, Shiraz i hind and the constantinople of India.
Lucknow Quick facts
Lucknow Geography and Climate
Situated in the heart of the great Gangetic plain, Lucknow city is surrounded by its rural towns and villages like the orchard town of Malihabad, historic Kakori, Mohanlal ganj, Gosainganj, Chinhat, Itaunja. On its eastern side lies Barabanki district, on the western side is Unnao district, on the southern side Raebareli district, and on the northern side the Sitapur and Hardoi districts. Lucknow has a warm subtropical climate with cool, dry winters from december to february and dry, hot summers from april to june. The rainy season is from mid-june to mid-september. In winter the maximum temperature is around 21 degrees celsius and the minimum is in the 3 to 4 degrees celsius range. Summers can be quite hot with temperatures rising to the 40 to 45 degree celsius range, the average highs being in the high 30's.
Best time to visit Lucknow
Best time to visit lucknow is from october to march.
Lucknow Orientation
Lucknow, the “Golden city of the east” is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh and is popularly called the city of Nawabs and Kababs. Though it is rapidly modernising, it still has kept its past glory and is known for its cultural refinement. It is also associated with legendary hospitality, leisurely moods of life and world-renowned cuisine. The city offers plenty of places of historical interest
Lucknow Near Getaways
Bareilly: It is located in northwest of Lucknow, was founded by the Barel Deo brothers in 1537. Bareilly is known for its iron industry and zari work. It is connected both by road as well as rail. Being an important railway junction, trains from major cities like Dehra Dun, Delhi and Varanasi stop here.
Faizabad: It is the capital of the Avadh rulers, till it was shifted to Lucknow by Nawab Asaf-ud-daula. Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula built the Fort Calcutta here in 1764. Another interesting building is the tomb of Bahu Begum, the widow of Nawab Shuja-ud-daula. The 42-metre high structure is built in white marble tomb. Faizabad is 124 kms. from Lucknow, and has good road as well as rail connections.
Lucknow Distance(s)
Delhi : 497 km
Agra : 363 km
Allahabad : 238 km
Dehradun : 582 km
Kanpur : 77 km
Varanasi : 300 km.
Lucknow is very well connected by a network of roads and road transport to all major towns of Uttar Pradesh and surrounding areas.
How to reach Lucknow by Rail
Best known passenger trains operating in northern India, including the New Delhi bound superfast shatabdi express. Some other trains passing through Lucknow include – the sadhbhavna express, shramajivi express, neelachal express, awadh Assam express, and shaheed express. There are two major railway juctions in the city, namely the charbagh, and Lucknow junctions, which lie side by side.
Lucknow is well connected with the other important towns and cities of the country by air. Most of the domestic flight operators have regular scheduled flights to the Lucknow airport Amausi, which is about 15 km away from the main city area.
The prominent festivals in Lucknow are Muharram and the Lucknow Mahotsav. Muharram was celebrated from the time of the nawabs especially because the majority of the population belongs to the Shia muslim community. Lucknow Mahotsav is a major event celebrated in the months of november/december. It is a ten-day festival with events like plays, music and dance recitals, kite flying and tonga races, which showcase the rich culture of the city.
Lucknow Culture
The city has been the cradle of the Urdu language. Lucknow has produced famous poets and writers in hindi and urdu, including Khwaja Haidar Ali Atish, Musahafi, Amir Meenai, Daya Shankar Kaul Nasim and Meer Taqi Meer. The city has also been a major center of shiite culture and a genre of poetry called marsia, based on Shiite religion. Famous exponents of music and dance have blossomed here. Kathak, a classical dance form of India, has been patronized by the rulers here, and stalwarts like Birju Maharaj have taken the art to the highest level. Singers like Begum Akhtar belong to lucknow.
Lucknow Religious Places
Jama Masjid: Jama Masjid in Lucknow is supported by 260 pillars that also support the 15 arched domes and at the different altitudes. The beautifully designed and intricately carved out architecture is simply opulent and reflects the very aesthetic touch to the eyes. The pillars are beautifully carved out and that have drawn inspiration from the hindu and jain culture. The courtyard of Lucknow’s Jama Masjid occupies a vast area of 4950 square meters. On the eastern side of the entrance there is a tomb of Sultan Ahmed Shah. There is a great deal of care and concern for these pillars by the concerned authorities who are in-charge of this mosque.
Lucknow Monuments
Bara Imambara: Lucknow’s Bara Imambara is said to the venue where the Nawabs held their public hearings. The construction of Bara Imambara can be traced back to 1784 and is credited to Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulla. Lucknow’s Bara Imambara has a grand central hall that has already won many appreciations as one of the largest vaulted galleries in the world. The great hall of the Imambara can be approached through dual triple-arched gateways that are brilliant exemplifications of superior architecture.
Shah Najaf Imambara: Located near the chariton hotel, Shah Najaf Imambara in Lucknow is one of the best and the most splendid monuments in Lucknow. This particular Imambara is in the shape of a dome and on the bank of the river Gomti on the right side. Najaf Imambara in Lucknow was built by Nawab Ghazi-ud-Din Haider to serve as his mausoleum.
Kaiserbagh Palace: The Kaiserbagh Palace in Lucknow was envisaged by Wajid Ali Shah. he Kaiserbagh palace, Lucknow is remarkable for its architectural brilliance. Some portions of the palace have suffered damages following the attack of the British in the year 1858. The palace incorporates ionic columns, banisters, Moorish minarets, Hindu umbrellas, lanterns and pediments. At the center of the palace is the white stone structure named Baradari.
Clock Tower: Lucknow Clock Tower is located very near to the Rumi Darwaza. Built in 1881 by the British, this 67 m-high clock tower on the river Gomti is said to the tallest clock tower in India. The tower features European style artwork. This is one of the most towering monuments in Lucknow.
Ambedkar Park and the Lohia Park are two popular hangout places where kids can just enjoy themselves. The Ambedkar Park has a lot of activities for kids including boating and specific play areas.
Lucknow Shopping
This city is on the one hand is growing fast as a commercial and industrial hub. Aminabad, a quaint bazaar like Delhi's chandni chowk, is situated in the heart of the city. Some other important shopping centres are alambagh, kapoorthala, indiranagar, mahanagar and nishatganj. Can get excellent clothing accessories in the finest works of chikan that include the works in saris, kurtas and dupattas.
Famous To Eat at Lucknow
Famous food for Lucknow tikkas and kebabs. They are Mughlai delicacies. During winters one can also enjoy Kashmiri Tea (a red coloured hot tea), with cream and Makhan Malai (a local variant of ice cream - saffron flavoured, made by hanging unsalted butter overnight in dew and then aerating it by beating it.)
Lucknow Museum and Hill Stations
State Museum: Located in the modern three storied building in the Prince of wales zoological gardens, held collections on Avadh arts and objects related to customs, habits and mythology of India. Eventually its collection grew in number and size to include even the excavated antiquities from Piparahawa, Kapilavastu, where the Lord Buddha was brought up. At present this museum is characterized as a multipurpose museum for showcasing sculpture, bronzes, paintings, natural history and anthropological specimens, coins, textiles and decorative arts.
Memorial Museum, Residency: The commendable collection of old photographs, paintings, lithographs, documents will generate curiosity among the visitors only to satisfy it in an interesting way. Among the other articles of interest are included the antique objects like guns, swords, musketing canons, rank badges and medals.The museum is divided into the two distinct segments, the ground floor and the basement. The ground floor incorporates four galleries while the basement comprise of seven galleries. There has been a new addition that has been made to 1857 Memorial Museum, Residency, Lucknow.
Gardens and Parks at Lucknow
Botanical Garden: The Botanical Gardens in Lucknow is one of the must visit sites in Lucknow. It enjoys a very rich historical association. The best part of this site is public garden where lush green plants, shrubs and herbs compose the stunning surrounding. It serves as an ideal base to escape the effects of sultry summers.
Sikandar Bagh: The Lucknow Sikandar Bagh, which is also supposed to have been the venue for the relentless battle during the revolt of 1857 in which 2000 freedom fighters were blocked and eventually killed in a vicious British attack, is famous for reminding travelers of that historic event. From here cannon balls, swords and shields, pieces of muskets and rifles were excavated. These articles are showcased in the NBRI Exposition. On a visit to this garden you will also chance upon the marks of the cannon balls impressed on the old walls of the garden.
Banarasi Bagh: The bagh has the Zoological park and the State museum that house a lot of interesting artifacts and documents. In the zoological garden there is a vast collection of snakes in the serpentarium. The state museum located in the Lucknow’s Banarasi Bagh has the honor of being the oldest one in the state of Uttar Pradesh and is one of the most spectacular ones in the country.
Lucknow Seasonals
Lucknow experiences summer from april to june. The temperature in the summer months rises to about 48 °C (118.4 °F) and the climate becomes very hot and scorching. Monsoon sets in the month of july with the arrival of south-westerly monsoon winds and lasts till september. Lucknow receives 101 cm of rainfall annually during these months. The winters start from october and lasts till february. The winter season is comparatively pleasant with the average temperature revolving around 11°C.
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