Lucknow a city that is famous for its great historical past like the role of it in the independence struggle. All the monuments of Lucknow played a pivotal role in the first war of Independence in 1857.
The Baoli of Bada Imambada helped the soldiers to hide as the infrastructure of the baoli is made in such a way that the one standing outside cannot see the things and people inside, but the one inside the area can see everything outside.
Lucknow’s historical monuments also carry interesting stories like Imambada was built by Nawab of Awadh Asaf-ud- Daula in the year 1784. The story behind the construction of Imambada is that once Lucknow was hit by floods and famines, so to provide work and not let people have food for free, the construction of bhulbhulaiya or bada imambada started. In the day, walls of the building were constructed and at night they were demolished, so more and more people could get the work and earn their livelihood.
A similar story is related to Satkhanda monument of Lucknow. It was built by Nawab Mohammad Ali. It was supposed to be a 7-story building, but its construction was discontinued because Nawab Mohammad Ali died during its construction and it was believed by the people that the building was cursed and whoever planned to continue the construct was to die during its construction.
Lucknow’s “Pehle Aap Tehzeeb”
The city of Nawabs is famous for its “Pehle Aap Tehzeeb” which reflects the city’s courteous nature and kind heartededness of the people in keeping the others before them.
So this was about its culture, now comes Lucknow’s food
The Lucknowi food or the Mughlai food is famous across the world, for its peculiar tastes ranging from mildly spicy to very spicy. One of distinctive feature of Mughlai Cuisine is the use of its rich and aromatic spices which gives the food a very pungent smell and taste. One of the signature dishes of Mughlai cuisine is the Biryani, made up of rice and layered with meat and spices. The mughlai biryani is famous all across the globe. The second most famous dish of the cuisine is Kebabs, especially the seekh kebabs and galouti kebabs known for its melt in mouth texture.
Fourth comes the Lucknow’s Chickankari work
Chickenkari work of Lucknow is renowned for its intricate and extra ordinary craftsmanship which makes it famous nationally as well as internationally. The chickenkari embroidery needs skilled artisans who are expert in their field to make the piece of cloth come to life. As this art continues to evolve, it remains the integral part of Lucknow’s heritage and identity.
Chickenkari originated around the 16th century by Begum Noor Jahan, wife of Mughal Emperor Jahangir, this art form gained much popularity under the Mughal rule but faced decline during the British rule, as machine made fabric gained more popularity because of its being cheaper as compared to chickenkari work. But it again revived after the British rule got over in India.
There are many such wonders which make Lucknow a city of wonders where a tale of history, food, craftsmanship and culture combines to create a mesmerizing experience, from grand historical monuments to intricate chikankari work, from food to the pehle aap tehzeeb, Lucknow creates its charm on whoever visits here in the first go only.