A Day in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, India, is a lovely city situated on the banks of the River Gomti. This city is popular for its culture, rich history with its important historical structures, its cuisine, art and crafts and is a hub of economic activities.
During our 4-Day Holiday, in which we visited Varanasi, Ayodhya, Lucknow and Agra, Lucknow was our third destination after Ayodhya.
In this article, I have shared our experience in Lucknow. You can use this information to plan your visit to this lovely city.
Arrival in Lucknow
You can arrive at Lucknow either by road, train (Lucknow Charbagh railway station) or air (Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport). The road and train connectivity are pretty good.
Since Lucknow was the third leg of our holiday and we were arriving from Ayodhya, we booked a taxi and reached Lucknow by road. This distance between Ayodhya and Lucknow is about 155 km, and the drive took us about two and a half hours.
Accommodation in Lucknow
There are plenty of accommodation options in Lucknow, suiting all budgets.
Here is the link to the hotel where we stayed. My review of the hotel is posted here.
Our Itinerary in Lucknow
We reached Lucknow in the evening. That evening, we visited Ambedkar Memorial Park, Gomti River Front Park and Hazratganj.
The following day, we visited Bada Imambara, Rumi Darwaza, Ghanta Ghar, Satkhanda and some shopping.
Further in the article, I shall take you through more information about each of these places.
Experiences in Lucknow
1. Ambedkar Memorial Park
This is a memorial dedicated to Dr. B.R.Ambedkar, the first law minister of India and also the father of the Indian Constitution. It also honours the lives and memories of some more prominent Indian leaders, like Jotirao Phule, Narayana Guru, Birsa Munda, Shahuji Maharaj and Kanshi Ram. The memorial is built from red sandstone. The most prominent feature is the large bronze statue of Dr. Ambedkar seated in a chair, facing towards the two domes. It was modelled on the sculpture of Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, USA. Dr Ambedkar Memorial Park is a sprawling public park in Lucknow, spanning over 107 acres.
Tickets can be bought at the entrance.
We spent about 2 hours in the park, exploring all the structures and admiring its beauty.
After visiting the memorial, we headed to Gomti Riverfront Park.
2. Gomti Riverfront Park
Gomti Riverfront Park is a landscaped waterside promenade with lawns, sculptures & a musical fountain. Â Stretching over an area of 2 km, the park’s major attraction is a huge musical fountain visible from both sides of the river. Other facilities include a vast amphitheatre, cycling and jogging tracks, boating, a play area for children, etc. The place allows visitors to experience the beauty of the River Gomti in a peaceful environment. It is illuminated at night, so one can even visit it in late evening hours.
After spending about an hour in the park, we headed to Hazratganj.
3. Hazratganj
Hazratganj is the central business district of Lucknow. In addition to bazaars, it also contains shopping complexes, restaurants, hotels, theatres, cafés and many offices.
It is well lit and full of people even at night, and is the perfect place to stop by for shopping or a meal.
After exploring Hazratganj, we headed to a restaurant for lunch. My review of the restaurant is posted here.
With this, we called it a day.
The following day, after breakfast at the hotel, we headed to the Bada Imambara.
4. Bada Imambara
Bada Imambara ( a place specially designed for the gatherings of Shia Muslims, especially for the mourning during Muharram) is an 18th-century Imambara and Mosque complex in the old city area of Lucknow.
The construction of Bara Imambara started in the year 1780, a year of devastating famine. One of Asaf-ud-Daula’s (the then Nawab ) objectives in embarking on the grandiose project was to employ people in the region for almost a decade while the famine lasted. It is said that ordinary people worked during the day, building up the edifice, while the elite worked at night to dismantle anything raised that day.
The building complex also includes a mosque, the Bhul-bhulaiya (the labyrinth), and Bowli, a step well with running water.Â
One can visit it by paying the entry ticket or by taking a guided tour, in which, within an hour, the guide takes you through all the places mentioned above and also explains the importance of the place.
We took a tour guide at the entrance and completed the visit in about 1.5 hours.
Right outside the Bada Imambara, there are plenty of autos, horse-driven carts and rickshaws that offer a quick round of the old city, covering places like Rumi Darwaza, Ghanta Ghar and Satkhada. We took a Rickshaw and explored all three locations in about 30 minutes.
5. Rumi Darwaza
Rumi Darwaza, also known as the Turkish Gate, was, like the Bada Imambara, built by Asaf-ud-Daula in the 18th century. This gate’s design was inspired by the Sublime Porte in Istanbul. This 60-feet-tall gate, made of burnt clay bricks, is a prominent landmark in Lucknow and is located less than 200 mt from the Bada Imambara.
6. Ghanta Ghar
Ghanta Ghar or the Hussainabad Clock Tower is a 19th-century structure made to honour George Couper, the lieutenant governor of North-West Province. It is designed in Victorian and Gothic styles.
The tower complex and the adjoining lake are a popular location for recreation for locals and tourists. This tower is just 500 mt from Rumi Darwaza.
7. Satkhada
Satkhada translates to seven-storeyed. This 19th-century structure was constructed under Nawab Mohammad Ali Shah as a watch-tower to have a bird’s-eye view of the old city area of Lucknow along with its royal buildings.. Initially, the plan was to build a 30-meter-high, seven-storey tower, but the construction work was abandoned after the untimely death of the Nawab. By then, only four storeys of the planned structure were constructed. Though incomplete, this structure integrates the rich features of Mughal, Greek, and French architecture into one.
Satkhada is less than 200 mt from the Clock Tower.
After visiting all these places, we headed to check out the various shops in the old city area which sell garments with the famous Lucknow Chikankari work.
My Tip: Do your homework on real handmade Chikankari work before visiting the shops and making a purchase. Many shops claim to do handwork, but sell cheap machine-made stuff at expensive prices.
After shopping, we headed to our hotel, checked out and left for our next destination, Agra.
To read about other holiday destinations, click here.
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