Lyon to Lucknow: A Golden Journey

Known as the City of Nawabs, the Golden City of India, Constantinople of the East, and Shiraz-e-Hind, Lucknow has inspired many a name. Poets have waxed eloquently about its pleasant evenings, its refined language, its syncretic culture, its Awadhi cuisine, and the incredible warmth of its people.

Though now struggling to accept aspects of the modern world, such as metro trains, shopping arcades, and an ever increasing population, the city still manages to retain its character. The architectural legacy of the city forms small, anachronistic islands in the rush and tumble of chaotic everyday traffic and life. These havens of peace and solitude take you back to a different era when the Nawabs ruled over this city, when its culture was at its peak, and all forms of dance, music, and art enjoyed their royal patronage. Historically, the capital of Awadh was controlled by the Delhi Sultanate, which then came under the Mughal rule. It was later transferred to the Nawabs of Awadh. In 1856, the British East India Company abolished local rule, and took complete control of the city along with the rest of Awadh, and in 1857, transferred it to the British Raj.

Alley in the Bhool-Bhulaiyya (Labyrinth) of Asafi Imambara, Lucknow, India

The Nawabs and the British have long since disappeared, but the architectural heritage is still very much a part of this beautiful city. Though you will find fabulous arches, gateways, and gazebos in plenty, there are also a few historical buildings that enjoy immense popularity amongst locals and tourists alike.

The Bara Imambara is one such historical landmark. It is also known as the Asafi Imambara and was built by Asaf-ud-Daula, the Nawab of Awadh, in 1784. An imambara is used for azadari, mourning in commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain by Shia muslims. Since the Nawabs were Shia, the Bara Imambara was a reflection of the grandeur and magnificence of their rule. The Bara Imambara is amongst the grandest buildings of Lucknow, and includes a mosque, and a large step-well or ‘bowli’ . In the late 18th century, Avadh was reeling under a severe drought. To provide relief and employment to his people, Nawab Asaf-ud-Dauladecided to build the structures. He invited bids, which were won by Hafiz Kifayat Ullah, an architect from Shahjahanabad (present day Old Delhi). Work on the building started in 1784, and finished fourteen years later. The architect was faced with the challenge of building a 170ft x 55ft central hall for prayer, but without any columns supporting its ceiling and mammoth dome. Building it by conventional means would have required columns to bear the load of the ceiling, so the ingenious architect decided to work on reducing the weight of the ceiling by making it hollow. Great effort was taken in designing this part of the building as beautifully as any other part of the Imambara. The result is the Bhool Bhulaiya, a labyrinth of interconnected passageways and doors. There are nearly a thousand such passageways, and most of them lead you nowhere but to another passage. If you enter the labyrinth, it is quite easy to get lost. Some open into windows that give you amazing views, and others take you up to the very ceiling.

Rumi Darwaza seen from Imambara, Lucknow, India

The Rumi Darwaza (sometimes called the Turkish Gate), in the city of Lucknow, is an imposing gateway built under the patronage of Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula in 1784. It is an example of exquisite Awadhi architecture, and is now synonymous with Lucknow, appearing on all print material as the recognized symbolic entrance to the city. It is said that a New York Times reporter who accompanied the victorious British army that entered Lucknow in 1858, after India’s First War of Independence, had called the stretch of road from Rumi Darwaza to Chattar Manzil, the most beautiful and spectacular cityscape that he had ever seen, better than Rome, Paris, London, and Constantinople. The Rumi Darwaza stands 60 feet tall, and is modelled after the Sublime Porte (Bab-i Hümayun) in Istanbul, formally known as Constantinople, which was the capital of the Byzantine Empire. It is said that the gate provides different perspectives from each view, appearing open and welcoming from one side, and slightly closed and narrow from the other.

The most unique thing about the Chattar Manzil of Lucknow is the strikingly different architecture, specially the umbrella-shaped dome from which it derives its name. The construction also has some unique elements of European architecture, showing the influence of French design.

La Martinière College in Lucknow, established in 1845, was founded in accordance with the will of Major General Claude Martin. As per his wishes, certain funds were allotted for the establishment of schools in Lyon, France (his birth place), Calcutta, and Lucknow. The La Martinière Boys College occupies a campus of almost 200 acres, part of which is now used by the Lucknow Golf Club, and also includes a village called Martin Purwa (named after Claude Martin), as well as part of the Lucknow Zoo. The main college building is an architectural marvel of unique design. The terrace at Constantia is guarded on two sides by massive lion statues that have glowing lamps placed in their eyes, which are visible from afar. Exquisite statues stand amidst column remnants of a lost era. Its ceilings are adorned with beautiful stucco and fresco work, and a stained glass window is a prominent feature in the chapel.

The school has also been mentioned in several fictional works, including Qurratulain Hyder’s Aag ka Darya (River of Fire), and Valerie Fitzgerald’s 1981 historical novel, Zemindar.

These monuments form the heritage that the city lovingly embraces, as it struggles to balance the old and the new. It still manages to retain its glorious legacy as the demands of an increasingly modernized world threatens to engulf it.

Photos By Mohammad Qais Mujeeb

La Martinière College, Lucknow, India

Baoli Stepwell at Bada-imambara,Lucknow, India

Constantia, La Martinière College, Lucknow, India

By Tazeen Husain

Tazeen Husain, freelancer for The Times of India, is a true-blue Lucknow girl at heart. She studied at the La Martinière Girls College, and loves both the city, and her alma mater, equally. She likes to call herself an “armchair activist”, and an “out of work writer”, because she is as prolific on Facebook, writing about sociopolitical issues, as she is when she writes and contributes to newspapers. She feels strongly about preserving the heritage and the syncretic culture of her hometown, and uses her writing to promote both.