Tourist Places in Lucknow

Bara Imambara & Bhul Bhulaiyya

If I tag this place #1 in our list of top 15 places to visit in Lucknow, this shouldn’t come as bewilderment. Right?

Built by Nawab Asaf-Ud-Daula in 1784, Bara Imambara is a mourning place for Muslims and an epic piece of architecture. Its hall is enormous, made in a china-plate shape, standing without any pillars and beams. Amazing, no?

Above Imambara, a labyrinth (Bhul Bhulaiyya in Hindi) is made. It’s a maze and was mainly created to block the entrance for unwanted people back in the time of Nawabs.

Bhul Bhulaiyya has over one thousand doors, and out of every four-door, only one is correct. So it becomes a difficult task for a new person to find out the right way on their own.

Chota Imambara

Also known as Imambara Hussainabad Mubarak, this is a small (therefore ‘Chota’) Imambara perched at around 400 meters from the Bara Imambara.

Nawab Muhammad Ali Shah built it in the year 1838 and was to serve as a mausoleum for himself and his mother.

On one side of the Chota Imambara, there is a tomb of Princess Zinat Asiya and on another side is the ‘reply’ building.

The Imambara and tomb are quite picturesque, and a decent amount of time could be spent here!

Rumi Gate

Rumi Gate is perhaps the most iconic building in the city. It serves as a gate to enter the city and is standing on the busy road of Bara Imambara.

It’s next to the Bara Imambara complex.

After that, one is advised to take a halt at this gate’s front side and gaze at its intricate architecture. Lucknowites are crazy when it comes to taking photographs in front of this picturesque gate. Become a local with them.

Hussainabad Clock Tower & Picture Gallery

Hussainabad Clock Tower is also entitled the tallest clock tower of India. It’s a true replica of Big Ben in London.

People locally refer to this as ‘Ghanta Ghar.’ It’s worth visiting if you’re someone who loves symmetrical architecture.

The picture gallery, next to the clock tower, consists of mystical paintings of Nawabs of Awadh. Mystical? Because few paintings appear to be looking at you no matter where you go!

British Residency Buildings

British Residency is perhaps the most visited attraction in Lucknow city by foreigners as well as Indian travelers. This place beholds a grand historical event during the mutiny of 1857 by freedom fighters.

Every building inside Residency is destroyed and lays without any roof except one mosque, which is in good condition still.

he walls of those buildings still have deep marks of firing that must have happened during the mutiny.

If history is your thing, this place should not be missed by you. The 1857 Memorial Museum inside the Residency complex conducts regular shows (at an interval of 30-60 minutes) in English and Hindi, showing this place’s history.

Dilkusha Palace or Kothi

Dilkusha Palace, or more locally Dilkusha Kothi, is a monument perched in the offbeats of Lucknow. Although Lucknow Charbagh railway station lies just at a distance of few kilometers, this place is quite amazingly one of the peaceful places of Lucknow.

Gore Ouseley built this building as a hunting lodge for Nawab Saadat Ali Khan. But Nawab gradually started it using as a summer place.

One exciting story behind this is that when British actress Mary Linley Taylor visited Dilkusha Kothi, she was so amazed that she decided to name her house’ Dilkusha.’ The actress then called her home ‘Dilkusha,’ in the Jongno district of Seoul, South Korea.

It might not be the most recommended place from a photographer’s eye, but hey, creativity has no limits.

Saadat Ali Khan Tomb

Saadat Ali Khan was the 6th Nawab of Awadh, and this tomb was erected by his son Ghazi-Ud-Din Haider.

As you enter, you’ll find two tombs inside — one of Saadat Ali Khan and the other, of his wife, Khurshid Zadi. Both of these buildings are made of Lakhauri bricks, lime mortar, and plaster to give the fine edge.

Also, the place is full of lush greenery and fine gardening, which concludes that this place is photogenic. Photographers, this is your bait!

In addition, I admire its beauty, and in my conscious opinion, it is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city.

Shahnajaf Imambara

The city of Imambaras holds many Imambaras of which people know only a few. Imambaras are the holy places built for the avatars of Allah and used for mourning by Muslims.

Shahnajaf Imambara, built by the first ‘king’ and last Nawab of Awadh Ghazi-Ud-Din Haider, is a replica of Hazrat Ali’s burial at Najaf in Iraq.

Chattar Manzil & Farhat Baksh Kothi

Farhat Baksh Kothi was built in 1781 by Frenchman Claude Martin as his place of residence. But later, as he died in 1800, Nawabs bought the site and started living in it unless Nawab Wajid Ali Shah built Qaiserbagh Palace (a destroyed building).

However, Chattar Manzil is just an addition (and a little bit of modification) to Farhat Baksh Kothi. The construction was started by Ghazi-Ud-Din Haider and completed by his son Naseer-Ud-Din Haider.

Also, Chattar Manzil was used as a place of residence for the wives of Nawabs. Chattar means umbrella, which the building posses at the top. And therefore, it is also known as Umbrella Palace.

Most noteworthy, both buildings suffered greatly during the 1857 siege of India. Furthermore, both the state and the central government are continuously working on restoring its maximum possible glow as of now.

Again, history lovers should have a quick visit here!

Begum Hazrat Mahal Park

Begum Hazrat Mahal was the wife of the last Nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah, and handed her support during the mutiny of 1857 in India from the Awadh region.

Therefore, this park is dedicated to her. Furthermore, a marble memorial is made inside the park by the Indian government for honoring her contribution.