India Travel and Holiday Guide

Overview:

Welcome to a world of charm - a place that clings effortlessly to times gone by. Where appreciation of food and art is only surpassed by the importance of being polite and maintaining the strictest etiquette. Lucknow - a land where the modern exists with the ancient in a flow undisrupted by time.

Lucknow has much to offer the interested visitor. From the traditional 'chikan' wear that the city is famous for, to cuisine that teases the taste buds to the people whose hospitality and charm is warmth incarnate, Lucknow is all this and more.

There are monuments, which could take your breath away and this city has many a tale to tell. But lest you think that this is a city only for aficionados of history, Lucknow is also a modern city with its share of industrial belts and progress. But what will strike you as you walk the streets of this city is the ease with which you walk in from one era to now.


Population: About 3,681,416

Climate: Lucknow is quite pleasant through the year with temperatures staying rather even and moderate. Summers peak at 36.6°C and winters get as low as 11.1°C.



Main Language(s): Hindi and English

Time Zone: GMT + 05:30

Phone Area Code: 0522

Best Time To Visit: Even tempered, plan a trip to Lucknow any time of the year, though October to April are considered the best time to visit.

Airport Distance from City Center: 18 kms

Taxi Rates from Airport to City: Pre-paid taxi service available at Rs. 300 to city centre.


Places To Visit:

Bara Imambara
The Bara Imambara is a tomb built by Asaf-ud-Daula in 1784. It is quite an architectural wonder with beautiful and intricate niches and tall minarets. The famous Bhulbhulaiya (maze) is contained in this monument and myth has it that there are passages from here, which go as far as Jaipur, Delhi and Mumbai! The central hall of the Imambara is 50 m long and 15 m high and has one of the largest vaulted galleries in the world. There is also the beautiful Rumi Darwaza, adjacent to the Imambara - an example of Muslim architecture with shades of the Byzantine.

Residency
If you are one of those people who looks at monuments and can appreciate what life must have been like then, you must visit the British Residency. Built in 1800, the red brick structure with picturesque lawns is well maintained and has a model room, which helps you gain an understanding of the life lived here. Walk done to the cellars where women and children took refuge during the siege, as also the cemetery.

Sikander Bagh
While Lucknow has much to offer one, it is true that this abundance includes dust and heavy pollution. Which is what makes a trip to the Sikander Bagh even better. Scene of the historical battle of 1857, the Bagh is now a fortified garden with a gateway stamped with the royal insignia of the Nawabs. The lush Botanical Gardens are adjacent and make for a literal breather.

Shopping
The one thing that you will be doing a lot of is shopping. Lucknow is full of shops and bazaars crammed with interesting buys ranging from clothes and jewellery to attars and birds! The chikankari work whether in fabric or clothes is a must buy, Aminabad and Hazratganj are well-populated areas with lots of shopping options.