Lucknow

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 122.161.44.255 (talk) at 05:19, 27 June 2007 (→‎An Inspiration for Films). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For the village in Canada, see Lucknow, Ontario.
Lucknow
Lucknow
capital
Government
 • MayorDinesh Sharma
Population
 (2006)
 • Total2,541,101
Websitelucknow.nic.in

Lucknow (pronunciationⓘ, Hindi: लखनऊ, Urdu: لکھنؤ, Lakhnaū) is the capital city of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It had a population of 2,541,101 in 2006.[1] Lucknow is also the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division.

Located in what was historically known as Awadh, Lucknow has always been a multicultural city. Courtly manners, beautiful gardens, poetry, music, and fine cuisine patronized by the Nawabs are well known among Indians and students of South Asian culture and history. For historical reasons, Lucknow is also called The City of Nawabs, the Golden City of the East, the city of Gardens and Parks and The Constantinople of India.

Origin of name

In ancient times, Lucknow was part of the Kosala Kingdom (modern Ayodhya) ruled by the Suryavanshi Dynasty. It is believed that the city was named after Lakshmana, the younger brother of Shri Rama.

Other stories mention that Lucknow was named after a person called Lakhana Ahir who was the chief artisan of the fort Qila Lakhan. The name Qila Lakhan later became Lucknow.[2]

History

Lucknow's medieval history begins with its elevation to a capital city under the Nawabs of Awadh. The architectural contributions of these Awadh rulers include several imposing monuments. Of the monuments standing today, the Bara Imambara, the Chhota Imambara, and the Roomi Darwaza are notable examples. One of the more lasting contributions by the Nawabs is the syncretic composite culture that has come to be known as the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb.

The province of Awadh (anglicized to Oudh) was annexed by the British East India Company in 1856 and placed under the control of a chief commissioner. In the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (also known as First War of Indian Independence and the Indian Mutiny), the garrison based at the Residency in Lucknow was 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. Today, the ruins of the Residency, and the picturesque Shaheed Smarak offer reminiscences of Lucknow's role in the stirring events of 1857.

During the siege of the Residency, the students of La Martiniere College also participated in the defense of the Residency. For this bravery, the La Martiniere College in Lucknow was awarded the Battle honours of the British Empire, thus making it the only school to receive such honors.

In 1902, Lucknow was included in the territory of the new United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. However, it became the provincial capital in 1920 when the seat of government was moved from Allahabad. Upon Indian independence in 1947, Lucknow became the capital of the new Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Geography

Situated in the heart of the gangetic plain, 500 km south-east of New Delhi, it is close to Kanpur which is the industrial and financial capital of the state. Lucknow 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 the Sitapur and Hardoi districts.

The Gomti River flows through the city, dividing it into the Trans-Gomti and Cis-Gomti regions.

Lucknow has a warm subtropical climate with a cool dry winter from December to February and a dry hot summer from April to June. The temperature extremes vary from about 48 °C (118.4 °F) in the summer to 2 °C (35.6 °F) in the winter. Fog is common in winter while hot dry winds called Loo blow during the summer. It receives about 101 cm of annual rainfall mostly from the south-west monsoon winds between July and September. The mean monthly temperatures[3] are 14.7 °C in January and 32.9 °C in June.

Lucknow city is located in the seismic zone III with majority of the city construction not being earthquake resistant.[4]

Economy and Business

Lucknow is not only a major market in Northern India but is also an emerging hub for producers of goods and services with very promising potential. It serves as an educational and cultural centre and a major transportation hub.

All the major banks and financial institutions have a presence in the city. It also houses the headquarters of Small Industries Development Banks of India SIDBI. Currently, Biotechnology and IT are the two focus areas to promote economic development in and around the city. The Ministry of Science and Technology (India) is setting up a Biotech park[5] in the city. Lucknow is also one of the selected cities for the Smart City project of STPI, under which IT is being used to promote economic development.

Traditionally, Lucknow has been associated with Chikan, a unique embroidery handicraft which has caught the fancy of the fashion designers in Bollywood and abroad. Lakhnawi Zardozi is another embroidery form that has emerged as a major business. IT is being introduced to the Chikan industry to increase productivity with the help of World Bank[6] funded projects. Chikan and Zardozi industry are the major small scale industries in the city. During the period of the nawabs, kite making reached a high level of artistry,[7] and is still a major small-scale industry. Lucknow has also been an industrial producer of tobacco products and perfume, and handicrafts such as pottery, earthen toys, silver work, and bone carving. The city also had a big paper mill, one of the oldest in the country.

Lucknow has been a mandi town of mangoes, melons, and grains grown in the surrounding areas. Sugarcane plantations and sugar industries are major agriculture industries in Uttar Pradesh. This attracted Mohan Meakins Group to set up a brewery based on molasses in the city. It was incorporated in 1855 and is Asia's first commercial brewery.[citation needed] Among the modern manufacturing units, Lucknow has Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Tata Motors, and Scooters India Limited. Service Industries that are now emerging are construction, computer software, consultancy, and T & D.

See also: List of companies in Lucknow

Government and Politics

Lucknow is the political and administrative capital of Uttar Pradesh. The UP Governor is T.V.Rajeshwar and Mayawati is the present Chief Minister. Dinesh Sharma is the Mayor of Lucknow. Moreover, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is the sitting MP for the Lucknow Parliamentary constituency.

Transport

Local

The available modes of public transport in the cty are Taxis, City Buses, Cycle rickshaws, Auto rickshaws, and Vikram-Tempos. The fares are affordable. CNGCompressed Natural Gas has been introduced recently as an auto fuel to keep the air pollution in control. Buses in the city are run by Lucknow Mahanagar Parivahan Sewa[8] a division of Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC).

Inter city /Inter state Travel

Lucknow has good road, rail and air links with the rest of the country.

Road

There are three bus stations. The inter-state terminal is opposite the Charbagh Railway Station while the intra-state terminal is at Qaiserbagh. One more inter state bus terminal has become operational in Alambagh on Lucknow-Kanpur road to reduce the burden on the busy Charbagh bus terminal.

Rail

The main railway station is Charbagh Railway Station at Charbagh.It is an imposing structure. The main terminal belongs to Northern Railway ( NR ) division of Indian Railways and the second terminal is run by the North Eastern Railway(NER}. Lucknow is a major Junction with links to all major cities of the state and country. Lucknow has 9 more railway stations viz. Dilkhusha, Gomatinagar, Badshahnagar, Aishbagh, Lucknow City, Daliganj,Manak Nagar,Amausi and Mohibullapur. The first 3 stations caters to broad gauge only whereas the others have meter gauge as well. All the stations are withing city limits and are well connected with each other via road networks and public road transport. The Lucknow-Kanpur track (72 Kms.) is electrified. Its electrification was done when Lucknow was Prime Minister's Constituency (Shri. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Prime Minister).

Air

Lucknow is directly connected by air with New Delhi, Calcutta, and Mumbai and other major Indian cities . The Amausi airport, is located around 20 kms from the city centre. It is an international airport and is the 13th online station for Air India. International destinations include Dubai, Jeddah and Sharjah. Flights to London and Bangkok are Hong Kong may also start soon.

Language & Poetry

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 Brij Narayan Chakbast, Khwaja Haidar Ali Atish, Mirza Hadi Ruswa, Nasikh, Daya Shankar Naseem, Musahafi, Insha, Safi Lakhnavi, and the great Meer Taqi Meer took Urdu poetry to dizzying heights[9].

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. However, in recent years the use of Urdu has become significantly reduced -- many of the residents of Lucknow are no longer able to read the rich literary tradition or historical artifacts found in the museums and archives.[10] Day-to-day transactions in the city are typically performed in Hindi or English.

The revolutionary Ram Prasad Bismil, who was hanged 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 Malihabad produced innumerable poets and literateurs of Urdu like Mohsin Kakorvi, Majaz , Josh Malihabadi, and Maulana Abdul Majid Daryabadi.

In and around the city

Places to visit

Ambedkar Memorial

The significant architectural sights in Lucknow include the Vidhan Sabha (State Legislative Assembly ) and the Charbagh Railway Station, with its distinctive domes , arches and pillars.

The Asafi Imambara (popularly known as Bada Imambara), the Chhota Imambara, Residency, and Shah Najaf are monuments of historical importance at Lucknow. The famous 'Bhul Bhulaiyan' (Labyrinth) is part of Asafi Imambara complex. Some other places of interest are the Clock Tower, Picture Gallery, Chattar Manzil, State Museum/Lucknow Zoo, Shaheed Smarak, Dilkusha, Ambedkar Memorial, Planetarium, and Ram Krishna Math.

Two of the oldest schools in the world are also situated in Lucknow: La Martiniere and the Colvin Taluqdar's College. Both of these schools have produced many eminent individuals who have served the country in various ways.

Lucknow has several well kept parks that attract the citizenry in large numbers on evenings, holidays and weekends. The bigger parks are Ambedkar Memorial and Lohia park in Gomtinagar, Swarn Jayanti park in Indiranagar, Dilkusha Park, Begum Hazrat Mahal Park, Globe Park, Mukherjee Phuhaar, Haathi Park, Buddha park, and Neebu Park. The sprawling National Botanical Garden at Sikandarbagh on the banks of Gomti river is also worth visiting.

The city also has the Kukrail Reserve Forest(a picnic spot and Gharial rehablitaion centre)[1]. Another accessible picnic spot is Nawabganj on Lucknow-Kanpur Road and a bird sanctuary in Rae Bareli.

Shopping

Sahara Ganj: The new look of Sham-E-Avadh

Aminabad, a quaint bazaar like Delhi's Chandni Chowk, is situated in the heart of the city. It is a large shopping centre that caters to a wide variety of consumers.

The Hazratganj area also has an upscale shopping market with colonial style buildings. Interestingly, a popular pastime among the locals is window-shopping in the Hazratganj market. It is popularly referred in Hinglish as Ganjing. The Janpath market, Rovers, Lovers Lane, Mayfair building, Kwality, and Universal book store are some popular landmarks of the market.

Lucknow is experiencing the new waves of shopping malls and multiplex culture in India. The first shopping mall-cum-multiplex to open in Lucknow was the East End Mall (Wave Cinemas) in Gomti Nagar. Soon came the much anticipated Sahara Ganj mall, which also houses a PVR multiplex. Sahara Ganj is a project of Sahara India Pariwar, one of India's biggest business conglomerates. The most recent addition to Lucknow's growing list of big shopping malls is Fun Republic.

Chowk and Nakhhas are the older markets present in the old Lucknow area where you can get a feel of traditional Lucknow. Some other important shopping centres are Alambagh, Kapoorthala, Indiranagar, Mahanagar, and Nishatganj.

Cuisine

When it comes to eating, Lucknow is a culinary delight. Lucknow has a range of fine restaurants catering to all tastes and budgets. From Makkhan Malai of Chowk (flavoured whipped cream), to the famous Tundey Kebabs, named after the one-armed chef Haji Murad Ali,[11] and Kakori Kababs. A number of street-side restaurants and eating joints are also present near Tulsi theatre serving affordable Avadhi-Mughlai cuisine. The Chaat in Lucknow is at par with the best you will get anywhere in the country. There are quite a few places serving outstanding chaat, like Shukla Chaat, Moti Mahal, and Chhappan Bhog. One can pretty much have chaat in any corner of Lucknow and never be disappointed.

After a delicious dinner, one can have Paan from the shops near K.D. Singh Babu Stadium and State Bank of India.

Localities and Municipality

Lucknow City is governed by Lucknow Municipal Corporation.

The urban sprawl is spread equally on both sides of the Gomti River. The colonies and residential settlements in the Cis-Gomti area are Hazratganj, Aminaabad, Husainganj, Lal Bagh, Golaganj, Wazirganj, Rajendra Nagar, Malviya Nagar, Sarojini Nagar, Aishbagh, Rajajipuram, Chowk, and Saadatganj.

The residential settlements in the Trans-Gomti area are Nirala Nagar, Aliganj, Daliganj, Mahanagar, Old and New Hyderabad, Nishatganj, Indira Nagar, Gomti Nagar, Vikas Nagar, Janakipuram, and Rajajipuram.

Culture

Lucknow, the Golden City of the East, is bravely struggling to retain the old world charm while at the same time acquiring a modern lifestyle. 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 (after you) culture, popularised as a tagline for the society of Lucknow, is waning. But a small part of Lucknow's society still possesses such etiquettes. This sublime cultural richness famous as Lakhnawi tehzeeb blends the cultures of two communities living side by side for centuries, sharing similar interests and speaking a common language.

Many of the cultural traits and customs peculiar to Lucknow have become living legends today. The credit for this goes to the secular and syncretic traditions of the Nawabs of Awadh, who took keen interest in every walk of life, and encouraged the traditions to attain a rare degree of sophistication.

Dance & Music

Kathak, the classical Indian dance form took shape here. Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh was a great patron and a passionate champion of Kathak. Lucknow is also the city of eminent Ghazal singer Begum Akhtar . She was a pioneer in Ghazal singing and took this aspect of music to amazing heights. "Ae Mohabbat Tere anjaam pe rona aaya" is one of her best musical renditions of all times.

A music university was named after the great musician Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande.

Lucknow has given music legends like Naushad Ali, Talat Mehmood, Anup Jalota and Baba Sehgal to the entertainment industry. It is also the birthplace of British pop legend Sir Cliff Richard.

An Inspiration for Films

Lucknow has been a great influence on the Hindi film industry of India and it would be true to say that without the Lakhnavi touch, Bollywood would not have been what it is today. Many script writers and lyricists hailing from Awadh like Majrooh Sultanpuri, Kaifi Azmi, Javed Akhtar Ali Raza, Bhagwati Charan Verma, Wajahat Mirza (writer of Mother India and Ganga-Jamuna, Amritlal Nagar , Ali Sardar Jafri and Khumar Barabankvi KP.Saxena have enriched Indian Cinema. Actors Anupam Kher and Sunil Dutt have also had association with Lucknow.

Moreover, several famous movies have used Lucknow as their backdrop, such as Shashi Kapoor's Junoon, Muzaffar Ali's Umrao Jaan and Gaman, Satyajit Ray's Shatranj Ke Khiladi. Ismail Merchant's Shakespearewallah was also partly shot in Lucknow.

Bahu Begum,,Mehboob ki Mehndi,Mere Huzur, Mere Mehboob, Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Pakeezah, Pati Patni Aur Woh, Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, Saher, and many more films have either been shot in Lucknow or have Lakhnavi backdrops.

Education and Research

La Martinière Boys School
St. Fidelis College
Emma Thompson School

Lucknow is a hub of education and research with many premier institutions.

Primary and Secondary education is of a high quality with most schools affiliated to ICSE or the UP Board though a few offerCBSE programme as well.Some of the major high-schools in Lucknow are:

  1. La Martiniere College - Boys' School
  2. La Martiniere College - Girls' School
  3. Loreto Convent [2]
  4. Emma Thompson School - Girls' School
  5. St. Francis College
  6. City Montessori School [3]
  7. Seth M.R. Jaipuria College
  8. Delhi Public School
  9. Colvin Taluqdar's College
  10. Study Hall
  11. Mahanagar Boys Inter College
  12. Rani Laxmi Bai Memorial Senior Secondary School
  13. Modern School
  14. St. Agnes Girls School
  15. St. Fidelis College
  16. The Army Public School
  17. Maharishi Vidya Mandir
  18. Bal Vidya Mandir
  19. The Cathedral
  20. Mount Carmel
  21. U.P. Sainik School
  22. Lucknow Public School
  23. St. Teresa's Day School & College
  24. D.A.V College
  25. St. Paul's College
  26. Saint John Bosco College

Apart from high-schools, many new generation pre-schools like Eurokids and Play House are also coming up in Lucknow catering to the burgeoning demand.

Some of the major colleges and universities offering higher studies in Lucknow are:

  1. University of Lucknow [4]
  2. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Central University [5]
  3. Amity University, Uttar Pradesh [6]
  4. Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow [7]
  5. Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS)
  6. King George Medical University, also known as KGMU (Recently UP Assembley has passed a motion to rename KGMU as Chhatrapati Shahu ji Maharaj Medical University [8]
  7. King George Dental University (KGDU)
  8. Integral University
  9. UP Technical University

University of Lucknow, also known as Lucknow University, was founded in 1921. It is one of the oldest educational institutions in India. The motto of the university is "Light and Learning". It has produced many luminaries in all walks of national life. Some of its most well known departments are Sociology, Business Administration, Botany, Geology, Chemistry, and Economics. The university has a beautiful campus in an area called Badshah Bagh. The famous Tagore Library of the university overlooks a green park and an artificial canal, which gives the university a very grand ambience.

Several national-level research institutes are also headquartered in Lucknow. Some of the primary research institutes are:

  1. National Botanical Reasearch Institute (NBRI)
  2. Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI)
  3. Industial Toxicology Research Centre (ITRC)
  4. Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research (IISR)
  5. National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR)
  6. Central Institute for Sub-Tropical Horticulture (CISH) (Popularly known as Mango Research)
  7. Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP)
  8. Birbal Sahni Institute of Paleobotany
  9. Institute of Judicial Training and Research
  10. Railway Design & Standards Organization

Moreover, Lucknow is home to many popular private coaching institutions like Rubic's Rostrum, TriVaAg, New Standard and Institute of Career Studies. These institutes train students for college entrance examinations like IIT-JEE and AIIMS and Common Admission Test for the IIMs. Thousands of students from nearby towns and cities flock to Lucknow in search of proper guidance for such competitive examinations.

See also: List of educational institutes in Lucknow

Media

Press

Several daily newspapers in Hindi, Urdu, and English are published in the city. Among the Hindi papers are Dainik Jagran, Amar Ujala, Dainik Hindustan, Rashtriya Sahara, Jansatta, and Swatantra Bharat. The main Urdu papers are Rashtriya Sahara, Sahafat, Qaumi Khabrein, and Aag. The prominent English Dailies are The Times of India, The Hindustan Times, The Pioneer, and Indian Express.

Press Trust of India has a Lucknow office and all major newspapers of the country have their correspondents/ stringers in Lucknow.

Radio

One of the earliest stations of All India Radio has been operational in Lucknow.

FM radio transmission started in Lucknow in 2003, and the city has 4 radio stations.[12] - 90.4 MHz CMS, 100.7 MHz AIR, 91.1 MHz Radio City (India radio station)|Radio City]], 105.6 MHz Gyan Vani.

Electronic

Television Doordarshan came to the city in 1975.[13] In 1982 colour transmission was started during the Asiad.

All major Television channels are available in the city through private cable operators as well as individual dish receivers.

News channels have their correspondents and crew posted in the city.

Sports

Traditionally the city has been sports loving. In the past pehlwani, kabbadi, chess, kite flying, pigeon flying, and cock fighting have been popular pastimes.

The city has a good record in modern sports producing many national and world class sporting personalities.

Hockey, football, badminton, and cricket have been quite popular in the city.

For decades Lucknow hosted the prestigious Sheesh Mahal Cricket Tournament

The main sports hub is the K. D. Singh Babu Stadium which also has a world class Swimming and Indoor Games Complex.

The other stadiums are at Charbagh , Mahanagar ,Gomtinagar, Chowk and Sports College.

The Lucknow Golf Club on the sprawling greens of La Martiniere is also one of the famous golf courses in India. Lucknow sports hostel has produced a lot of national level cricketers recently that include Suresh Raina and R. P. Singh.

References

  1. ^ "World Gazette". Retrieved 2006-09-29.
  2. ^ Misra, Amaresh (2004). Lucknow: Fire of Grace. Rupa & Co. ISBN 81-291-0485-7.
  3. ^ "India Meteorological Department". Retrieved 2006-09-19.
  4. ^ "UNDP report" (PDF). Retrieved 2006-09-29.
  5. ^ "Biotech city Lucknow". Retrieved 2006-10-23.
  6. ^ "World Bank Report". Retrieved 2006-10-02.
  7. ^ "Lucknow crafts". Retrieved 2006-10-23.
  8. ^ "Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation". Retrieved 2006-09-20.
  9. ^ "National Council of Promotion of Urdu Language". Retrieved 2006-09-29.
  10. ^ "Urdu is fast losing ground in its homeland". The Times of India. Retrieved 2007-06-26.
  11. ^ "Lucknow Kebabs continue to be gourmets` delight beyond time". Retrieved 2007-04-21.
  12. ^ "FM Radio Stations". Retrieved 2006-10-27.
  13. ^ "Lucknow Doordarshan". Retrieved 2006-09-25.

External links

Template:IndicText


Template:India state and UT capitals Template:Million Plus Cities in India

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lucknow&oldid=140891575"