Lucknow

Lucknow (Hindi: लखनऊ Lakhnaū) is the capital of Uttar Pradesh and one of the most populous cities in northern India. Lucknow, the "City of the Nawabs", thrives along the banks of Gomti river. The city along with the rest of Awadh fell to the British during the colonial era. Today, Lucknow is dotted with remnants of its rich cultural past.

Understand
Lucknow is also known for its elaborate cuisine and chikankaari or exquisite shadow-work embroidery on fine muslin cloth.

Lucknow is a historically important city and for many centuries was at the heart of North Indian culture. In particular, the city was famous for its adab and tehzeeb (manners and etiquette), intricate embroidery, beautiful gardens and dance forms such as kathak. It was also one of the sites of the 1857 Indian Mutiny (or First War of Indian Independence). The city has a population of around 3.4 million.

Lucknow is the heart of the art, cuisine, dance, culture and music of Northern India. It was the cradle of the Hindu-Muslim-symbiosis that was the epitome of India for hundreds of years. it brought in the best of various cultures and accepted Western institutions like La Martiniere College in her womb. It was made famous by the soft-spoken, and sweet tongued, Awadh-Lucknowai culture that was based on civilised behaviour toward fellow human beings. The city is also famous for its sweetmeat, the sweet shops in the old city dates to 1850s. Awadhi and Mughlai food is the delight of the visitors to Lucknow.

Lucknow became known as a centre for Urdu poetry and courtly presence and diction, being the birthplace and city of residence for many poets. The Mushaira, an event of poetry recitation forms the heart of Lucknow's nightlife where Mushairas go on into the wee hours of the night. Lucknow's only rival in Northern India was Delhi, though Lucknowis were always embroiled in a healthy rivalry with Delhi, home of the famous poet Ghalib and others.

Another thing that may surprise visitors are the ubiquitous posters, billboards and signs boasting of great progress and bearing the picture of Mayawati. She is the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state and is quite controversial. Labelled by some as the "Dalit Queen," she has received criticism for misuse of public funds and abuse of power. She has spent millions of rupees on massive public works projects such as the Ambedkar Memorial (see below) which opposition leaders see as a waste. No matter who you speak to in Lucknow, everyone will have an opinion about her, and it's an excellent conversation starter.

Talk
Lucknow is the home of Hindi and Urdu languages, and the Hindi spoken in the city is considered the most beautiful and gentle in the country. Like most cities of northern India, English is widely understood by locals.

By train
Lucknow is on the Delhi–Gorakhpur railway line. Connections can be made from Agra and Prayagraj. There are two major railway stations in Lucknow: and. Both of these form the same complex, but serve different trains.

Some important express trains include:
 * From Anand Vihar Terminal (Delhi): Ayodhya Dham Vande Bharat Express, Darbhanga Amrit Bharat Express
 * From Mumbai: Gorakhpur Express, Pushpak Express
 * From New Delhi: Kashi Vishwanath Express, Lucknow Mail, Rajdhani Express, Swarn Shatabdi Express, Tejas Express, Vaishali Express
 * Other: Avadh Assam Express

By car
Lucknow is connected by road with all the major cities of the country. Some of the major road distances are:
 * Agra 363 km
 * Ayodhya 135 km
 * Kolkata 985 km
 * Delhi 497 km
 * Kanpur 79 km
 * Prayagraj 210 km
 * Varanasi 280 km

By bus
The bus stations are situated at Alambagh, and Kaisar Bagh and Polytechnic.

Buses from Sunauli-Bhairawa on the India/Nepal border stop on their way to Varanasi.

From Lucknow to New Delhi: There is a luxury air-conditioned bus from Quaiser Bagh Bus station. Route for this bus is Lucknow - Sitapur - Bareilly - Muradabad - Ghaziabad - Delhi [Anand Vihar ISBT].

Get around
Places of interest are spread out over a large distance, so using motorised transit is advised.

By metro
The Lucknow Metro consists of a single line that runs north to south, connecting the city centre to several other places, including the airport and Charbagh railway station.

By hired car
There are many car rental companies available. One should hire cars with local drivers as traffic is dangerous for anybody not used to local traffic conditions.

By taxi and rickshaw
Taxi and rickshaw drivers in Lucknow are of the more insistent type, although few of them speak enough English to go to locations that are out of the way. Trilok Battery Rickshaw has launched a battery-operated tricycle. Now the plan is to introduce solar tricycles also. CNG buses and rickshaws are available to get you around the whole city. Metro Project was approved by the government in 2013 and was scheduled to be available 3-4 years later. The rickshaws in Lucknow are both manpower and motor-powered. The rickshaw pullers are available everywhere from Gomti Nagar to Hazratganj.Cycle rickshaws contribute less pollution to this historic city than their motorised cousins, and provide work to some who need it most.

See

 * Deva Shariff, around 30 km from the city, is a place of worship and faith where people from all the religions gather, a symbol of unity and love.
 * Deva Shariff, around 30 km from the city, is a place of worship and faith where people from all the religions gather, a symbol of unity and love.
 * Deva Shariff, around 30 km from the city, is a place of worship and faith where people from all the religions gather, a symbol of unity and love.
 * Deva Shariff, around 30 km from the city, is a place of worship and faith where people from all the religions gather, a symbol of unity and love.





Do

 * Cricket:

Buy
Chikan dress &mdash; a cotton dress with hand-made embroidery, is a must-buy in Lucknow. These garments are both for men and women. The cost is anywhere between ₹250-5000 depending on the chikan work (hand embroidery work on cloth is of various types, "Murri" is the traditional handwork and is therefore a little more expensive). In old Chowk and Aminabad it is a small scale industry so it is cheapest to buy from there. There are a lot of shops next to each other, and for the obvious reason of close competition, you'll get the best bargain. In Hazratganj ("Ganj") the same piece will cost some ₹200 more. Beware of the touts who will take you to shops near the Civil Hospital and Hussain Ganj where the prices are 500% higher!



Eat
Everyone in Lucknow knows about the famous tikkas and kebabs. They are Mughal delicacies. Lalbagh, many roadside hotels near Aminabad and old Chowk offer cheap and unique types of dishes. Also, try out the street next to Tulsi thatre in Hazratganj for some exotic non-vegetarian delicacies.

The Food Court at Sahara Ganj, near Hazrat Ganj is the recent hot favourite with a number of fast food joints. If coffee and tea is something you like, you will find a huge variety at Cappuccino Blast at Mall Avenue. At Akbari Gate, during winters one can also enjoy Kashmiri Tea (a red coloured hot tea) with cream and Makhan Malai (a local variant of ice cream, saffron flavoured, made by hanging unsalted butter overnight in dew and then aerating it by beating it).

Drink
Finding alcohol is not a problem, but most bars are seedy and are to be avoided, except for those in five-star restaurants.


 * A safer drink alternative is the famous local lassi yogurt drink.
 * Not all retail shops of wine/liquor are authorised to serve so it's always suggested to drink in a bar or at your home or hotel.

Sleep
Please be wary of any hotels listed here that give details like 'close to x y and z' and 'air-conditioned rooms'. Most of these might be self-promotion attempts and not based on real tourist feedback.

Mid-range

 * Hotel Gomati near Hazratgunj and Sharagunj mall is run by Uttar Pradesh Tourism and offers decent rooms at moderate cost.
 * Hotel Gomati near Hazratgunj and Sharagunj mall is run by Uttar Pradesh Tourism and offers decent rooms at moderate cost.
 * Hotel Gomati near Hazratgunj and Sharagunj mall is run by Uttar Pradesh Tourism and offers decent rooms at moderate cost.
 * Hotel Gomati near Hazratgunj and Sharagunj mall is run by Uttar Pradesh Tourism and offers decent rooms at moderate cost.
 * Hotel Gomati near Hazratgunj and Sharagunj mall is run by Uttar Pradesh Tourism and offers decent rooms at moderate cost.

Connect
Mobile phone coverage in the city is excellent. There are many service providers offering a wide variety of plans, including Airtel, Jio, Vodafone, Reliance and BSNL.

Phone numbers in Lucknow begin with 0522, typically followed by seven digits. To call Lucknow from outside India you will need to dial the international prefix for your country, followed by India’s country code 91. If you want to dial a landline no. from a mobile, then you have to add 0522 before the number.

Go next

 * Agra
 * Prayagraj
 * Varanasi
 * Sunauli - Nepal can be reached via Bhairawa