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Lucknow
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{{infobox Lucknow}}
'''Lucknow''' (
Hindi: लखनऊ;
Urdu: لکھنو ''Lakhnau'') is the capital city of the state of
Uttar Pradesh,
India. It had a population of 2,207,340 in
2001. Lucknow is also the administrative headquarters of
Lucknow District and
Lucknow Division. Former Prime Minister
Atal Bihari Vajpayee is the MP for the Lucknow constituency.
Geography and climate
Situated at the heart of
Uttar Pradesh, 500 km south-east of
New Delhi, Lucknow has tropical climate even though it is situated very close to
Nepal. The temperature varies from 45 degrees Celsius(113 degrees Fahrenheit) in the summer to 3 degrees Celsius(37.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in the winter. It is surrounded on the eastern side by
Barabanki District, on the western side by
Unnao District, on the southern side by
Raebareli District and on the northern side by
Sitapur District Sitapur and
Hardoi District Hardoi districts. The
Gomti River flows through the city, dividing it in trans-gomti and cis-gomti regions. Some of the tributaries of this river are the
Kukrai River Kukrail,
Loni River Loni, and
Beta River Beta. The
Sai River flows from the south of the city and in the east enters Raebareli District. Lucknow is accessible from every part of
India through air, rail and road. It is directly connected with
New Delhi,
Patna,
Calcutta,
Mumbai,
Varanasi and other major cities by
Amausi airport.
Language
Image:La Martiniere3-Lucknow.jpg thumb|240px|La Matiniere college
Both
Hindi and
Urdu are spoken in Lucknow but Urdu has been the
lingua franca here for centuries. Under the rule of Nawabs, Urdu flourished and turned into one of the most refined languages. Hindu and Muslim poets like Aatish, Nasikh, Daya Shankar Naseem, Musahafi, Insha , Safi Lakhnavi and the great Meer Taqi Meer took Urdu poetry to dizzying heights.
The two great poets,
Mir Anis and Mir Dabeer, became legendary exponents of a unique genre of elegiacal poetry called 'Marsia' centred on
Husayn bin Ali's supreme sacrifice in the battle of Karbala which is commemorated during the annual observance of
Muharram.
The revolutionary Ram Prasad Bismil, who was hung by the British at Kakori near Lucknow, was largely influenced by poetry and wrote verses under the pseudonym of "Bismil". The towns like Kakori, Daryabad, Rudauli and Malhibad produced innumerable poets and literateurs of Urdu like Mohsin Kakorvi, Majaz Lucknowi, Josh Malihabadi, and Maulana Abdul Majid Daryabadi.
History
Image:Indian Monument at Lucknow.jpg thumb|left|250px|The intricate carving on a monument in Lucknow, India
In ancient times, Lucknow was part of Kosala kingdom (modern
Ayodhya) ruled by Ikshvaku dynasty to which Lord
Rama belongs. It is believed that he gave the territory comprising of modern Lucknow to his devoted brother Lakshman. Therefore, the original name of Lucknow was Lakshmanpur, popularly known as Lakhanpur or Lachmanpur.
Lucknow's medieval history begins with its elevation to a capital city under the
Nawabs of
Awadh. The architectural contributions of the Awadh rulers, many paintings of whom are maintained at the Art Gallery today, include numerous
mosques and
palaces. Of the monuments standing today, the ''
Bara Imambara'', the ''
Chota Imambara'', and the ''Roomi Darwaza'' are notable examples, although neglect by the authorities has put them in danger of turning into ruins.
Image:La Martinière 01.jpg thumb|right|Claude Martin's palace, "Constantia" now houses one of five schools founded under his will. Photograph by John Edward Sache, working in India 1865 - 1882
The province of
Awadh (anglicized to ''Oudh'') was annexed by the
British Empire British rulers of India in
1856. In the
Indian Mutiny of
1857, the
garrison based at the Residency in Lucknow was
siege besieged by rebel forces. The famous
Siege of Lucknow was relieved first by forces under the command of Sir
Henry Havelock and Sir
James Outram, followed by a stronger force under Sir
Colin_Campbell,_1st_Baron_Clyde Colin Campbell. Today the ruins of the Residency, and the picturesque ''Shaheed Smarak'' offer reminiscences of Lucknow's role in the Mutiny.
During the uprising and the siege of the Residency in 1857, it was the students of
La Martiniere College that went ahead to defend the Residency. For the valour that they displayed, La Martiniere College at Lucknow is the only college in the world that has received battle honours of the British Empire.
Other architectural delights in Lucknow include the ''Vidhan Sabha'' (State Parliament) and the main
rail transport in India railway station at ''Charbagh'' with its yellow domes and pillars. One of the oldest schools in the world is also situated in Lucknow: La Martiniere, founded by the bequest of the immensely successful colonial entrepreneur
Claude Martin (
1735 -
1800).
In and around the city
Lucknow airport is located around 20 km outside the city at Amausi. Locations of interest in and around Lucknow include Kukrail (a picnic spot and
crocodile sanctuary), Malihabad (home of the famed ''Dashahri''
mangoes),
Kanpur,
Allahabad,
Varanasi and
Mirzapur. Lucknow is also home to the Central Drug Research Institute, the King George's Medical College (now King George's Medical University), Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, National Botanical Research Institute and
Industrial Toxicology Research Centre which is the biggest institute of its kind (in toxicology) in Southeast Asia .
Aminabad, a quaint bazaar quite like
Delhi's Chandni Chowk, is situated in the heart of the city and is a large shopping centre, catering to a wide variety of consumers. The Hazratganj area is the upmarket shopping area with colonial style buildings that also has a number of government and administrative buildings. A popular past-time among the locals is roaming around the market, known as 'Ganjing'. A huge mall, Saharaganj has opened nearby with around 70000 visitors daily.
Kakori, 14 km from Lucknow is a unique place. It is known for train dacoity during the independence movement and the memorial of the revolutionaries is located here. The town has a predominantly Muslim population and in 19th century had the highest percentage of civil servants in the country compared to any other place in British India.
This town that is located in the Mango belt has three dozen mosques and numerous huge havelis besides being the seat of the Qadiria Qalandaria Sufi order. The Alavis of Kakori are renowned for preserving the most refined and uncorrupted Urdu. The Kakori kebabs are a delicacy famous across the world.
The Asafi Imambara ( populary called Bada Imambara ), the Husainabad Imambara ( populary called the Chhota Imambara )Dilkusha Garden, The Residency , Shah Najaf , La Martiniere are some famous monuments at Lucknow. The famous "Bhul Bhulaiya "(meaning labyrinth) is part of the famous Asafi Imambara.
Lucknow is also famous for culinary delights, including "makkhan malai" (flavoured whipped cream) and "Tundey Kababs" and "kakori kebabs ".
Culture
Lucknow, the golden city of the east' is struggling to retain the old world charm that still exists in the old quarters of the city close to the
Chowk area. Regarded as one of the finest cities of India, Lucknow represents a culture that combines emotional warmth, a high degree of sophistication, courtesy and a love for gracious living. The (pehle-aap)'You-First' culture so popularised as a tagline for the society of Lucknow is waning but there still remain people who possess those beautiful qualities. This sublime cultural richness famous as 'Lakhnawi
Tehzeeb' blends the cultures of two communities living side by side for centuries, sharing similar interests, speaking a common language -
Urdu.
Many of the cultural traits and customs peculiar to Lucknow have become living legends today. The credit for this goes to the Nawabs of Awadh, who took keen interest in every walk of life and encouraged them to attain a rare degree of perfection. It is an extremely laidback city in some respects. Anyone visiting the city via the ugly and distant airport will form a very negative first impression of the city. However, the beautiful architecture and the yellow facade of the railway station, along with its milling crowds of travellers, hawkers and the general public can put a smile on anyone's face.
Arts and crafts
Chikan (embroidery) Chikan, sometimes anglicised to 'chicken' despite having no poultry affiliation - an embroidered handicraft which has traditionally been associated with Lucknow, and 'Lakhnawi
Zardozi' are important small-scale industries around Lucknow. Old Lucknow's Chowk area is the location where the maximum number of Chikan factories and shops can be found. Apart from clothing, the Chowk area is also famous for its mouth watering sweets like 'Malai Gilauri', 'Badam Halwa' and 'Ras-Malai', as well as the famed 'Chatpati chaat'.
Kathak, the classical dance form took shape here. Additionally it is also famous for its perfumes and silver-work.
Educational institutions
*
Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow (IIM-L), one of the six premier
business schools of India.
*
King George Medical University, Lucknow
*
Institute of Engineering and Technology,Lucknow
*
St. Francis' College, Lucknow
*
La Martiniere Lucknow
*
City Montessori School, the world's largest school
*
St. Dominic Savio College
*
Colvin Taukadars College
External links
{{commonscat|Lucknow}}
* News articles by
Frederick Engels, detailing the [http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1858/01/30.htm siege of Lucknow] and its subsequent [http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1858/02/01.htm relief].
* Hundreds of [http://www.flickr.com/photos/search/text:lucknow] Pictures taken around the city (from Flickr).
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Lucknow Gallery
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Local Classified Directory
{{India state and UT capitals}}
Category:Cities and towns in Uttar Pradesh
Category:Indian state-capitals
Category:Major Cities in India
de:Lucknow
es:Lucknow
eo:Lakno
fr:Lucknow
hi:लखनऊ
id:Lucknow
nl:Lucknow
ja:ラクナウ
pl:Lakhnau
pt:Lucknow
fi:Lucknow
sv:Lucknow
ta:லக�னௌ
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