Interesting Facts about Lucknow: Yogi Adityanath will take oath for the second consecutive term as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh at 4 PM today at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.
Reportedly, the mega event will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with top party leaders and industrialists. In the recently concluded UP assembly election, the BJP won for a second consecutive term, which is a record in nearly 40 years. Yogi Adityanath said, "The party believed in me in 2017. I was just a normal MP and I had no administrative experience, yet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the home minister were like guardians to me and told me how to bring good governance to UP".
Today, we are presenting some interesting and mesmerising facts about Lucknow, which is also known as Nawabo Ki Nagri, and also the place where the oath-taking-ceremony of Yogi Adityanath as Chief Minister of UP will take place today.
Where is Lucknow located?
It is the capital of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. It is located in the centre of the state, on the Gomati River, around 72 km northeast of Kanpur. Lucknow stands at an elevation of approximately 123 metres above sea level. It covers an area of around 2,528 sq. km. On the east, it is bounded by Barabanki, on the west by Unnao, on the south by Raebareli, and in the north by Sitapur and Hardoi. It has always been a multicultural city that flourished as a North Indian cultural and artistic hub. It was also the seat of power of the Nawabs in the 18th and 19th centuries.
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Interesting Facts about Nawabo Ki Nagri, Lucknow
1. Lucknow's history can be traced back to ancient times. As per a popular legend, the hero of the Ramayana, Ramchandra of Ayodhya, gifted the territory of Lucknow to his brother Lakshmana after he had completed his term of exile in the jungle and conquered Sri Lanka. And so it is believed that the original name of Lucknow was Lakshmanpur, famously known as Lakhanpur or Lachmanpur.
2. The name was acquired as the Nawabs of Lucknow, in reality, the Nawab of Awadh, after the reign of the third Nawab when Lucknow became their capital. It became the cultural capital of North India and its nawabs were best remembered for their refined and extravagant lifestyles. They were patrons of the arts. Under their rule, music and dance flourished. Various monuments were also constructed, including today's, the Bada Imambara, the Chota Imambara, and the Rumi Darwaza.
3. The city became important in 1528 when it was captured by Babur, who was the first Mughal ruler of India. Under his grandson, Akbar, the city became part of Oudh province. In 1775, Asaf al-Dawlah became the nawab of Oudh (now Ayodhya) and transferred his capital from Faizabad to Lucknow.
4. In 1857, the Indian Mutiny broke out, Sir Henry Lawrence, the British commissioner, and the European inhabitants of Lucknow were besieged for various months until rescued by British troops. On August 15, 1947, Lucknow became independent from Britain, along with the rest of India. It has been listed as the 17th fastest growing city in India and the 74th in the world.
5. Nawabo ki Nagri is situated at the junction of various roads and rail lines, and Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport is also located around 10 km southwest of the central city.
6. Till 1867, Lucknow's Charbagh Railway Station was a large orchard. In 1926, the present building of the station was constructed with domes and minars of Saracan design. The building was constructed in red brick and has a frontage of long verandahs adorned with Mughal arches. It provides an ideal, traditional warm welcome to every visitor. Another thing about this station that attracts is that, viewed from above, it resembles a chessboard with pieces that are engaged in a game.
7. Another attraction of Nawabo Ki Nagri is Ghanta Ghar, which is Husainabad Clock Tower. It was built by Nawab Nasir-ud-din Haider in 1881 for the arrival of Sir George Cooper, who was the first lieutenant governor of the United Provinces of Oudh. It is considered the tallest of all the clock towers in India. It is located adjacent to the Rumi Darwaza.
The design of this structure was done by Roskell Payne. It is 67 metre high and reflects Victorian and Gothic structural designs. The parts of the clock are made up of gunmetal material. Its gigantic pendulum has a length of 14 feet, and the dial of the clock is designed in the shape of a 12-petalled flower with bells around it.
8. Now comes another architectural famous structure the Bhool-Bhulaiyan of Lucknow which is Bada Imam Bara. It is said that its central hall is the largest vaulted chamber in the world. And there is no woodwork in the entire structure except for the galleries in the interior. It is believed that in 1785, the construction of the building started when a devastating famine hit Oudh. At that time, the purpose of the nawab's was to provide employment for the people of the reign for almost a decade while the famine lasted.
It consists of large underground passages that have been blocked up. And the staircase from outside leads to a series of labyrinths known as Bhool-Bhulaiyan. It is a complicated entanglement of zig-zag passages. Inside the compound of Imambara, which consists of the grand Asafi Mosque, Another attraction here is Shahi Baoli.
9. Now comes Lucknow's Race Course (LRC). It was established in 1880 and spread over an area of about 70.22 acres. The racing track is around 3200 metres. It was once the longest course in the country and was also the only track where races were run anticlockwise. Isn't it amazing? In February 1883, the first recorded race was held here, which was the Civil Service Cup Race.
10. Apart from architecture, culture, and sports, the Lucknow-based City Montessori School (CMS) won the Guinness World Record for becoming the "world's largest school" in terms of students. City Montessori School has won the global award for having the largest number of students in 2019–20.
11. How can we forget the lavish and delicious cuisine and embroidery work of Nawabo Ki Nagri, Lucknow. Some of the famous foods and cuisines of the city are gulnaar kebabs, laknavi biryani, nargisi kofta, pasanda kebabs, patili kebabs, shami kebabs, kormas, etc. On the other hand, some of the popular art and cultural works of Lucknow include chikankari work, jewellery, enamel work, metalware, rock painting, perfumes, etc. Chikankari is one of the important crafts of UP, which entails delicate and traditional hand embroidery. It is mainly practiced in Lucknow.
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