Lucknow (, ) is the
capital and the largest city of the
Indian state
India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, with a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and smaller administrative divisions.
History
Pre-indepen ...
of
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
and it is also the
second largest urban agglomeration in
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
.
Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous
district
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...
and
division
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
*Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division
Military
*Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
. Having a population of 2.8 million as per 2011 census, it is the
eleventh most populous city and
the twelfth-most populous urban agglomeration of India. Lucknow has always been a multicultural city that flourished as a North Indian cultural and artistic hub, and the seat of power of
Nawab
Nawab ( Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب;
bn, নবাব/নওয়াব;
hi, नवाब;
Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ;
Persian,
Punjabi ,
Sindhi,
Urdu: ), also spelled Nawaab, Navaab, Navab, Nowab, Nabob, Nawaabshah, Nawabshah or Nobab, ...
s in the 18th and 19th centuries.
It continues to be an important centre of governance, administration, education, commerce, aerospace, finance, pharmaceuticals, technology, design, culture, tourism, music and poetry.
The city stands at an elevation of approximately above sea level. Lucknow city had an area of till December 2019, when 88 villages were added to the municipal limits and the area increased to . Bounded on the east by
Barabanki
Barabanki is a city and a municipal board in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is administrative headquarters of Barabanki district. The city is about 30 km east of Lucknow, the state capital. It has a population of 146,831 with a dens ...
, on the west by
Unnao
Unnao is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Unnao district and a part of Lucknow division, between Kanpur and Lucknow. Unnao is a large industrial city with three industrial suburbs around it ...
, on the south by
Raebareli
Raebareli is a city in Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Raebareli district and a part of Lucknow Division. The city is situated on the banks of the Sai river, southeast of Lucknow. It possesses many arc ...
and in the north by
Sitapur
Sitapur is a city and a municipal board in Sitapur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located 90 kilometres north of state capital, Lucknow. The traditional origin for the name is said to be by the King Vikramāditya from Lord ...
and
Hardoi
Hardoi is a city and municipal board in Hardoi district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Hardoi district.
History
The early history of Hardoi is obscure. The name suggests a Bhar, a Dalit caste ...
, Lucknow sits on the northwestern shore of the
Gomti River
The Gomti, Gumti or Gomati River is a tributary of the Ganges. According to beliefs, the river is the son of Rishi Vashishtha and bathing in the Gomti on Ekadashi (the 11th day of the two lunar phases of the Hindu calendar month) can wash away ...
. , there were 110 wards in the city. Morphologically, three clear demarcations exist: The
Central business district, which is a fully built up area, comprises
Hazratganj
Hazratganj is the downtown and the main shopping centre of Lucknow, the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. In addition to bazaars, it also contains shopping complexes, restaurants, hotels, theaters, cafés and man ...
,
Aminabad and Chowk. A middle zone surrounds the inner zone with cement houses while the outer zone consists of slums.
Historically, Lucknow was the capital of the
Awadh
Awadh (), known in British historical texts as Avadh or Oudh, is a region in the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. It is synonymous with the Kośāla region of ...
region, controlled by the
Delhi Sultanate and later the
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
. It was transferred to the
Nawabs of Awadh
The Nawab of Awadh or the Nawab of Oudh was the title of the rulers who governed the state of Awadh (anglicised as Oudh) in north India during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Nawabs of Awadh belonged to a dynasty of Persian origin from Nishap ...
. In 1856, the
British East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...
abolished local rule and took complete control of the city along with the rest of Awadh and, in 1857, transferred it to the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was him ...
. Along with the rest of
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, Lucknow became independent from Britain on
15 August 1947. It has been listed as the 17th-fastest growing city in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
and 74th in the world.
Lucknow, along with
Agra
Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra i ...
and
Varanasi
Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.
*
*
*
* The city has a syncretic t ...
, is in the
Uttar Pradesh Heritage Arc
The Uttar Pradesh Heritage Arc is a triangulation network stretching from Agra to Lucknow and Varanasi in India, covering an area of approximately 700 km.
History
The idea was conceived by the Government of Uttar Pradesh under the leadershi ...
, a chain of survey triangulations created by the
Government of Uttar Pradesh
The Government of Uttar Pradesh (ISO: Uttar Pradesh Sarkār; often abbreviated as GoUP) is the subnational government of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh with the governor as its appointed constitutional head of the state by the President of I ...
to boost tourism in the state.
Etymology
"Lucknow" is the
anglicised spelling of the local pronunciation "Lakhnau". According to one legend, the city is named after
Lakshmana
Lakshmana ( sa, लक्ष्मण, lit=the fortunate one, translit=Lakṣmaṇa), also spelled as Laxmana, is the younger brother of Rama and his loyalist in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He bears the epithets of Saumitra () and Ramanuja () ...
, a hero of the Hindu epic ''
Ramayana
The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...
''. The legend states that Lakshmana had a palace or an estate in the area, which was called ''Lakshmanapuri'' (
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
: लक्ष्मणपुरी, lit. ''Lakshmana's city''). The settlement came to be known as Lakhanpur (or Lachhmanpur) by the 11th century, and later, Lucknow.
A similar theory states that the city was known as ''Lakshmanavati'' ( sa, लक्ष्मणवती,fortunate) after Lakshmana. The name changed to ''Lakhanavati'', then Lakhnauti and finally Lakhnau.
Yet another theory states that the city's name is connected with
Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
, the Hindu goddess of wealth. Over time, the name changed to Laksmanauti, Laksmnaut, Lakhsnaut, Lakhsnau and, finally, Lakhnau.
History
From 1350 onwards, Lucknow and parts of the Awadh region were ruled by the Delhi Sultanate,
Sharqi Sultanate,
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
,
Nawabs of Awadh
The Nawab of Awadh or the Nawab of Oudh was the title of the rulers who governed the state of Awadh (anglicised as Oudh) in north India during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Nawabs of Awadh belonged to a dynasty of Persian origin from Nishap ...
, the British
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...
and the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was him ...
.
For about eighty-four years (from 1394 to 1478), Awadh was part of the Sharqi Sultanate of Jaunpur. Emperor
Humayun
Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad ( fa, ) (; 6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), better known by his regnal name, Humāyūn; (), was the second emperor of the Mughal Empire, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northe ...
made it a part of the Mughal Empire around 1555. Emperor
Jahangir (1569–1627) granted an estate in Awadh to a favoured nobleman, Sheikh Abdul Rahim, who later built Machchi Bhawan on this estate. It later became the seat of power from where his descendants, the ''Sheikhzadas'', controlled the region.
![Mussulman woman of rank](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Mussulman_woman_of_rank.jpg)
The Nawabs of Lucknow, in reality, the Nawabs of Awadh, acquired the name after the reign of the third Nawab when Lucknow became their capital. The city became North India's
cultural capital
In the field of sociology, cultural capital comprises the social assets of a person (education, intellect, style of speech, style of dress, etc.) that promote social mobility in a stratified society. Cultural capital functions as a social relatio ...
, and its nawabs, best remembered for their refined and extravagant lifestyles, were patrons of the arts. Under their dominion, music and dance flourished, and construction of numerous monuments took place. Of the monuments standing today, the
Bara Imambara
Bara Imambara, also known as Asfi Imambara is an imambara complex in Lucknow, India built by Asaf-ud-Daula, Nawab of Awadh in 1784. ''Bara'' means ''big''. This imambara is the second largest after the Nizamat Imambara.
Building composition
...
, the
Chota Imambara, and the
Rumi Darwaza
The Rumi Darwaza (Hindi: रूमी दरवाज़ा, Urdu: , and sometimes known as the Turkish Gate), in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, is an imposing gateway which was built by Nawab Asaf-Ud-Daula in 1784. It is an example of Awadh ...
are notable examples. One of the Nawab's enduring legacies is the region's syncretic Hindu–Muslim culture that has come to be known as the ''
Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb
''Ganga–Jamuni Tehzeeb'' ( Hindustani for ''Ganges–Yamuna Culture''), also spelled as ''Ganga-Jamni Tehzeeb'' or just Hindustani Tehzeeb, is the high culture that arose in the Yamuna-Gangetic plains of northern India, the Hindustan region ...
''.
![Chota Imambara , Lucknow 654 (11)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Chota_Imambara_%2C_Lucknow_654_%2811%29.jpg)
Until 1719, the
''subah'' of Awadh was a province of the Mughal Empire administered by a governor appointed by the emperor. Persian adventurer
Saadat Khan, also known as Burhan-ul-Mulk, was appointed
''Nizam'' of Awadh in 1722 and established his court in
Faizabad
Faizabad (Hindustani pronunciation: ɛːzaːbaːd is a city situated near the southern banks of Saryu river in Ayodhya district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The area of this Faizabad region is administered by Ayodhya Municipal Corpo ...
, near Lucknow.
Many independent kingdoms, such as Awadh, were established as the Mughal Empire
disintegrated. The third Nawab,
Shuja-ud-Daula
Shuja-ud-Daula (b. – d. ) was the Subedar and Nawab of Oudh and the Vizier of Delhi from 5 October 1754 to 26 January 1775.
Early life
Shuja-ud-Daula was the son of the Mughal Grand Vizier Safdarjung chosen by Ahmad Shah Bahadur. Unlik ...
(r. 1753–1775), fell out with the British after aiding the fugitive
Nawab of Bengal,
Mir Qasim
Mir Qasim ( bn, মীর কাশিম; died 8 May 1777) was the Nawab of Bengal from 1760 to 1763. He was installed as Nawab with the support of the British East India Company, replacing Mir Jafar, his father-in-law, who had himself been su ...
. Roundly defeated at the
Battle of Buxar by the
East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...
, he was forced to pay heavy penalties and surrender parts of his territory. Awadh's capital, Lucknow rose to prominence when
Asaf-ud-Daula, the fourth Nawab, shifted his court to the city from Faizabad in 1775. The British East India Company appointed a resident (ambassador) in 1773 and by early 19th century gained control of more territory and authority in the state. They were, however, disinclined to capture Awadh outright and come face to face with the
Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire, also referred to as the Maratha Confederacy, was an early modern Indian confederation that came to dominate much of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th century. Maratha rule formally began in 1674 with the coronation of Sh ...
and the remnants of the Mughal Empire. In 1798, the fifth Nawab
Wazir Ali Khan
Wazir Ali Khan (19 April 1780 – 15 May 1817)
was the fourth Nawab wazir of Oudh from 21 September 1797 to 21 January 1798, and the adopted son of Asaf-Ud-Daulah.
Life
He was the adopted son of Asaf-Ud-Dowlah, who had no son. He adopted a ...
alienated both his people and the British and was forced to abdicate. The British then helped
Saadat Ali Khan take the throne. He became a
puppet king
A puppet monarch is a majority figurehead who is installed or patronized by an imperial power to provide the appearance of local authority but to allow political and economic control to remain among the dominating nation.
A figurehead monarch ...
, and in a treaty of 1801, yielded large part of Awadh to the East India Company while also agreeing to disband his own troops in favour of a hugely expensive, British-controlled army. This treaty effectively made the state of Awadh a vassal of the East India Company, although it continued to be part of the Mughal Empire in name until 1819. The treaty of 1801 proved a beneficial arrangement for the East India Company as they gained access to Awadh's vast treasuries, repeatedly digging into them for loans at reduced rates. In addition, the revenues from running Awadh's armed forces brought them useful returns while the territory acted as a buffer state. The Nawabs were ceremonial kings, busy with pomp and show. By the mid-nineteenth century, however, the British had grown impatient with the arrangement and demanded direct control over Awadh.
![Residency-Lucknow](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Residency-Lucknow.jpg)
In 1856 the East India Company first moved its troops to the border, then annexed the state for alleged maladministration. Awadh was placed under a chief commissioner – Sir
Henry Lawrence.
Wajid Ali Shah
Mirza Wajid Ali Shah ( ur, ) (30 July 1822 – 1 September 1887) was the eleventh and last King of Awadh, holding the position for 9 years, from 13 February 1847 to 11 February 1856.
Wajid Ali Shah's first wife was Alam Ara who was better k ...
, the then Nawab, was imprisoned, then exiled by the East India Company to
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
. In the subsequent
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...
, his 14-year-old son
Birjis Qadra, whose mother was
Begum Hazrat Mahal
Begum Hazrat Mahal (c. 18207 April 1879), also known as the Begum of Awadh, was the second wife of Nawab of Awadh Wajid Ali Shah, and the regent of Awadh in 1857–1858. She is known for the leading role she had in the rebellion against the ...
, was crowned ruler. Following the rebellion's defeat, Begum Hazrat Mahal and other rebel leaders sought asylum in
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
.
![7th Hussars, charging a body of the Mutineer's Cavalry](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/7th_Hussars%2C_charging_a_body_of_the_Mutineer%27s_Cavalry.jpg)
Lucknow was one of the major centres of the
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...
and actively participated in
India's independence movement, emerging as a strategically important North Indian city. During the Rebellion (also known as the First War of Indian Independence and the Indian Mutiny), the majority of the East India Company's troops were recruited from both the people and nobility of Awadh. The rebels seized control of the state, and it took the British 18 months to reconquer the region. During that period, the garrison based at the
Residency
Residency may refer to:
* Domicile (law), the act of establishing or maintaining a residence in a given place
** Permanent residency, indefinite residence within a country despite not having citizenship
* Residency (medicine), a stage of postgra ...
in Lucknow was besieged by rebel forces during the
Siege of Lucknow. The siege was relieved first by forces under the command of Sir
Henry Havelock
Major-General Sir Henry Havelock (5 April 1795 – 24 November 1857) was a British general who is particularly associated with India and his recapture of Cawnpore during the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (First War of Independence, Sepoy Mutiny).
...
and Sir
James Outram, followed by a stronger force under Sir
Colin Campbell Colin may refer to:
* Colin (given name)
* Colin (surname)
* ''Colin'' (film), a 2008 Cannes film festival zombie movie
* Colin (horse) (1905–1932), thoroughbred racehorse
* Colin (humpback whale), a humpback whale calf abandoned north of Sydney, ...
. Today, the ruins of the Residency and the ''Shaheed Smarak'' offer an insight into Lucknow's role in the events of 1857.
With the rebellion over,
Oudh
The Oudh State (, also Kingdom of Awadh, Kingdom of Oudh, or Awadh State) was a princely state in the Awadh region of North India until its annexation by the British in 1856. The name Oudh, now obsolete, was once the anglicized name of ...
returned to British governance under a chief commissioner. In 1877 the offices of lieutenant-governor of the North-Western Provinces and chief commissioner of Oudh were combined; then in 1902, the title of chief commissioner was dropped with the formation of the
United Provinces of Agra and Oudh
The United Provinces of Agra and Oudh was a province of India under the British Raj, which existed from 1902 to 1921; the official name was shortened by the Government of India Act 1935 to United Provinces (UP), by which the province had been ...
, although Oudh still retained some marks of its former independence.
![Lucknow (Baedeker, 1914)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Lucknow_%28Baedeker%2C_1914%29.jpg)
The
Khilafat Movement had an active base of support in Lucknow, creating united opposition to British rule. In 1901, after remaining the capital of Oudh since 1775, Lucknow, with a population of 264,049, was merged into the newly formed United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. In 1920 the
provincial seat of government moved from
Allahabad to Lucknow. Upon
Indian independence in 1947, the United Provinces were reorganised into the state of Uttar Pradesh, and Lucknow remained its capital.
Lucknow witnessed some of the pivotal moments in the history of India. One is the first meeting of the stalwarts
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
, Jawaharlal Nehru and
Mohd Ali Jinnah during the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...
session of 1916 (the
Lucknow pact was signed and moderates and extremists came together through the efforts of
Annie Besant during this session only).
The Congress President for that session,
Ambica Charan Majumdar in his address said that "If the
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
was buried at Surat, it is reborn in Lucknow in the garden of Wajid Ali Shah".
The
Kakori conspiracy
The Kakori Train robbery (''prapt'' of Kakori Conspiracy) was a train robbery that took place at Kakori, a village near Lucknow, on 9 August 1925, during the Indian Independence Movement against the British Raj. It was organised by Hindustan R ...
involving
Ram Prasad Bismil
Ram Prasad Bismil ( Hindi: राम प्रसाद "बिस्मिल") (11 June 1897 — 19 December 1927) was an Indian poet, writer, revolutionary and an Indian freedom fighter who participated in the Mainpuri Conspiracy of 1918, a ...
,
Ashfaq Ullah Khan,
Rajendra Nath Lahiri
Rajendra Nath Lahiri (29 June 1901 — 17 December 1927), known simply as Rajendra Lahiri, was an Indian revolutionary, who was a mastermind behind the Kakori conspiracy and Dakshineshwar bombing. He was active member of Hindustan Republican A ...
,
Roshan Singh
Thakur Roshan Singh (22 January 1892 — 19 December 1927) was an Indian revolutionary, born in the village of Nabada in Shahjahanpur district, Uttar Pradesh in A kshatriya Rajput family, who was sentenced in the Bareilly shooting case during ...
and others followed by the Kakori trial which captured the imagination of the country also took place in Lucknow.
Culturally, Lucknow has also had a tradition of courtesans, with popular culture distilling it in the avatar of the fictional
Umrao Jaan.
Geography
![LucknowMap](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/LucknowMap.PNG)
The
Gomti River
The Gomti, Gumti or Gomati River is a tributary of the Ganges. According to beliefs, the river is the son of Rishi Vashishtha and bathing in the Gomti on Ekadashi (the 11th day of the two lunar phases of the Hindu calendar month) can wash away ...
, Lucknow's chief geographical feature, meanders through the city and divides it into the Trans-Gomti and Cis-Gomti regions. Situated in the middle of the
Indus-Gangetic Plain, the city is surrounded by rural towns and villages: the orchard town of
Malihabad
Malihabad is a town and nagar panchayat in the Lucknow district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is also the seat of a tehsil and a community development block of the same name. As of 2011, its population was 17,818, in 3,032 households. Malihabad is ...
,
Kakori
Kakori is a town and a nagar panchayat in Lucknow district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, 14 km north of Lucknow. Kakori was a centre Urdu poetry, literature and the Qadiriya Qalandari Sufi order. On 9 August 1925 Indian revolution ...
, Mohanlalganj,
Gosainganj, Chinhat and
Itaunja. To the east lies
Barabanki
Barabanki is a city and a municipal board in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is administrative headquarters of Barabanki district. The city is about 30 km east of Lucknow, the state capital. It has a population of 146,831 with a dens ...
, to the west
Unnao
Unnao is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Unnao district and a part of Lucknow division, between Kanpur and Lucknow. Unnao is a large industrial city with three industrial suburbs around it ...
, to the south
Raebareli
Raebareli is a city in Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Raebareli district and a part of Lucknow Division. The city is situated on the banks of the Sai river, southeast of Lucknow. It possesses many arc ...
, while to the north lie the
Sitapur
Sitapur is a city and a municipal board in Sitapur district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located 90 kilometres north of state capital, Lucknow. The traditional origin for the name is said to be by the King Vikramāditya from Lord ...
and
Hardoi
Hardoi is a city and municipal board in Hardoi district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Hardoi district.
History
The early history of Hardoi is obscure. The name suggests a Bhar, a Dalit caste ...
. Lucknow city is located in a
seismic zone III.
Climate
Lucknow has a
humid subtropical climate (
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''Cwa'') with cool, dry winters from mid-November to February and dry, hot summers with sunshine from March to mid-May. More than nine-tenths of the annual rainfall occurs from June to October when the city receives an average of from the southwest
monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal osci ...
winds, although occasionally frontal rainfall from the northeast monsoon will occur in January. In winter the maximum temperature is around and the minimum is in the range. Fog is quite common from mid-December to late January. Occasionally, Lucknow experiences colder winter spells than places like
Shimla
Shimla (; ; also known as Simla, the official name until 1972) is the capital and the largest city of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared as the summer capital of British India. After independence, the ...
and
Mussoorie
Mussoorie is a hill station and a municipal board, near Dehradun city in the Dehradun district of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is about from the state capital of Dehradun and north of the national capital of New Delhi. The hill s ...
which are situated way high up in the
Himalayas
The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...
. In the extraordinary winter cold spell of 2012–2013, Lucknow recorded temperatures below freezing point on two consecutive days and the minimum temperature hovered around freezing point for over a week. Summers are very hot with temperatures rising into the range, the average maxima being in the high 30s Celsius.
Flora and fauna
Lucknow has a total of 5.66 percent of forest cover. The state average is around 7 percent.
''Shisham'',
''Dhak'',
''Mahuamm'',
''Babul'',
''Neem'',
''Peepal'',
''Ashok'',
''Khajur'', ''
Mango'' and ''Gular'' trees are all grown here.
Several varieties of mangoes, especially
Dasheri
The Dasheri mango is a mango cultivar which originated in a village near Kakori in Lucknow district in 18th century. It is a sweet and fragrant variety of mango grown in North India, the southern state Andhra Pradesh, Nepal and Pakistan. Ma ...
, are grown in the
Malihabad
Malihabad is a town and nagar panchayat in the Lucknow district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is also the seat of a tehsil and a community development block of the same name. As of 2011, its population was 17,818, in 3,032 households. Malihabad is ...
adjacent to the city and a block of the
Lucknow district for export. The main crops are wheat,
paddy,
sugarcane, mustard, potatoes, and vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, tomato and
''brinjals''. Similarly, sunflowers, roses, and marigolds are cultivated over a fairly extensive area. Many medicinal and herbal plants are also grown here while common Indian monkeys are found in patches in and around city forests such as
Musa Bagh
Musa Bagh ( hi, मूसा बाग़, ur, , translation: ''Garden of Moses''), also known as Monsieur Bagh, is an extensive garden complex in the city of Lucknow of the Awadh region of India
India, officially the Republic of Indi ...
.
The
Lucknow Zoo, one of the oldest in the country, was established in 1921. It houses a rich collection of animals from
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
, and other continents. The zoo also has enjoyable toy train rides for the visitors. The city also has a botanical garden, which is a zone of wide botanical diversity. It also houses the
Uttar Pradesh State Museum. It has sculptural masterpieces dating back to the 3rd century AD, including intricately carved Mathura sculptures ranging from dancing girls to scenes from the life of Buddha.
File:Dosehri.JPG, Lucknow is known for its dasheri
The Dasheri mango is a mango cultivar which originated in a village near Kakori in Lucknow district in 18th century. It is a sweet and fragrant variety of mango grown in North India, the southern state Andhra Pradesh, Nepal and Pakistan. Ma ...
mangoes, which are exported to many countries
File:Babyelephant lko zoo2.JPG, Baby elephant at Lucknow Zoo
Economy
![Tcs lucknow campus](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Tcs_lucknow_campus.jpg)
The major industries in the Lucknow urban agglomeration include aeronautics, automotive, machine tools, distillery chemicals, furniture and
Chikan embroidery. Lucknow is among the top cities of
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
by GDP. It is a centre for research and development as home to the R&D centres of the National Milk Grid of the National Dairy Development Board, the Central Institute of Medical and Aromatic Plants, the National Handloom Development Corporation and U.P. Export Corporation.
Lucknow is ranked sixth in a list of the ten fastest growing job-creating cities in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
according to a study conducted by Assocham Placement Pattern, Lucknow's economy was formerly based on the tertiary sector and the majority of the workforce were employed as government servants. Large-scale industrial establishments are few compared to other northern Indian state capitals like
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Ho ...
. The economy is growing with contributions from the fields of IT, manufacturing and processing and medical/biotechnology. Business-promoting institutions such as the
CII have set up their service centres in the city. Major export items are marbled products, handicrafts, art pieces, gems, jewellery, textiles, electronics, software products, computers, hardware products, apparel, brass products, silk, leather goods, glass items and chemicals. Lucknow has promoted public-private partnerships in sectors such as electricity supply, roads, expressways, and educational ventures.
Multiple software and IT companies are present in the city.
Tata Consultancy Services
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is an Indian multinational information technology (IT) services and consulting company with its headquarters in Mumbai. It is a part of the Tata Group and operates in 150 locations across 46 countries. In July ...
,
HCL Technologies
HCLTech (formerly Hindustan Computers Limited or HCL Technologies) is an Indian multinational information technology (IT) services and consulting company headquartered in Noida.It emerged as an independent company in 1991 when HCL entered into ...
are present in the city. IT companies are located in
Gomtinagar. There are many local
open source technology companies. The city is also home to a number of important national and state level headquarters for companies including Sony Corporation and Reliance Retail. The handicrafts sector accounts for 60 percent of total exports from the state.
Companies such as
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is an Indian state-owned aerospace and defence company, headquartered in Bangalore, India. Established on 23 December 1940, HAL is one of the oldest and largest aerospace and defence manufacturers in the worl ...
,
KARAM,
Tata Marcopolo
Tata Marcopolo (officially Tata Marcopolo Motors Ltd.) is a bus and coach manufacturing company headquartered in Karnataka, India and a joint venture between Tata Motors and Marcopolo S.A.
Tata Motors will buy the 49 percent stake held by its ...
,
Exide Industries,
Tata Motors
Tata Motors Limited is an Indian multinational automotive manufacturing company, headquartered in Mumbai, India, which is part of the Tata Group. The company produces passenger cars, trucks, vans, coaches, buses.
Formerly known as Tata Eng ...
set up their plants in Lucknow. Lucknow is an emerging automobile hub. Tata Motors have a plant primarily for light commercial vehicles. It was set up in 1992 and has a production capacity of 640 vehicles per day. Additionally there is a plant of
Tata Marcopolo
Tata Marcopolo (officially Tata Marcopolo Motors Ltd.) is a bus and coach manufacturing company headquartered in Karnataka, India and a joint venture between Tata Motors and Marcopolo S.A.
Tata Motors will buy the 49 percent stake held by its ...
in the city.
To promote the textile industry in the city, the
Indian government
The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...
has allocated Rs. 2 billion (2000 million rupees) to set up a textile
business cluster
A business cluster is a geographic concentration of interconnected businesses, suppliers, and associated institutions in a particular field. Clusters are considered to increase the productivity with which companies can compete, nationally and gl ...
in the city. A sprawling IT city costing 15 billion Rupees is planned by the state government at the Chak Ganjaria farms site on the road to
Sultanpur and they have already approved
special economic zone
A special economic zone (SEZ) is an area in which the business and trade laws are different from the rest of the country. SEZs are located within a country's national borders, and their aims include increasing trade balance, employment, increas ...
status for the project, which is expected to create thousands of job opportunities in the state. A defense industrial corridor is also coming in the city.
Administration
Administration
General administration
Lucknow division which consists of six districts, and is headed by the
Divisional Commissioner of Lucknow, who is an
IAS officer
The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India. Considered the premier civil service of India, the IAS is one of the three arms of the All India Services along with the Indian ...
of high seniority, the
Commissioner is the head of local government institutions (including municipal corporations) in the division, is in charge of infrastructure development in his division, and is also responsible for maintaining law and order in the division.
The
District Magistrate
A District Collector-cum-District Magistrate (also known as Deputy Commissioner in some states) is an All India Service officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) cadre who is responsible for ''land revenue collection'', ''canal reve ...
of Lucknow reports to the divisional commissioner. The current commissioner is Mukesh Meshram.
Lucknow district administration is headed by the District Magistrate of Lucknow, who is an
IAS officer
The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India. Considered the premier civil service of India, the IAS is one of the three arms of the All India Services along with the Indian ...
.
The DM is in charge of property records and revenue collection for the central government and oversees the
elections
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office.
Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative ...
held in the city. The district has five
tehsil
A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administ ...
s, viz. Sadar, Mohanlalganj, Bakshi ka Talab, Malihabad and Sarojini Nagar, each headed by a
Sub-Divisional Magistrate.
The current
DM is Abhishek Prakash.
The district magistrate is assisted by a Chief Development Officer (CDO), eight Additional District Magistrates (ADM) (Finance/Revenue, East, West Trans-Gomti, Executive, Land Acquisition-I, Land Acquisition-II, Civil Supply), one City Magistrate (CM) and seven Additional City Magistrates (ACM).
Civic administration
The
Lucknow Municipal Corporation
Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) is a local government for Lucknow, the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is responsible for the civic infrastructure and administration in the city of Lucknow, in short it ...
oversees civic activities in the city. The city's first municipal body dates from 1862 when the municipal board was established. The first Indian mayor,
Syed Nabiullah, was elected in 1917 after the enforcement of the UP Municipalities Act, 1916. In 1948, the Uttar Pradesh government changed the system from an electoral one to an administrator-run one and Bhairav Datt Sanwal became the administrator. In 1959, the UP Municipalities Act, 1916 was replaced with Uttar Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1959 and Lucknow Municipal Corporation was established in 1960 with Raj Kumar Shrivastava becoming the mayor.
The head of the corporation is the mayor, but the executive and administration of the corporation are the responsibility of the municipal commissioner, who is an
Uttar Pradesh government
The Government of Uttar Pradesh (ISO: Uttar Pradesh Sarkār; often abbreviated as GoUP) is the subnational government of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh with the governor as its appointed constitutional head of the state by the President of I ...
-appointed
Indian Administrative Services
The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India. Considered the premier civil service of India, the IAS is one of the three arms of the All India Services along with the Indian ...
(IAS) officer of high seniority. The last municipal election took place in 2017 when
Sanyukta Bhatia
Sanyukta Bhatia (born 19 October 1947) is an Indian politician who is the current and the first woman to be elected as the Mayor of Lucknow Municipal Corporation
Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) is a local government for Lucknow, the c ...
from Bharatiya Janata Party became the first female mayor of Lucknow.
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Mod ...
won 57 councillor seats,
Samajwadi Party won 31 seats, independent candidates won 14 seats, and
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British E ...
won 8 seats. Ajay Kumar Dwivedi, an
IAS IAS may refer to:
Science
* Institute for Advanced Study, in Princeton, New Jersey, United States
* Image Analysis & Stereology, the official journal of the International Society for Stereology & Image Analysis.
* Iowa Archeological Society, Uni ...
officer, is the present municipal commissioner since 17 August 2020. The Uttar Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1959 gives provisions for the establishment of ward committees, but they have not been formed yet.
The sources for revenue generation for Lucknow Municipal Corporation include property tax, user charges for SWM, penalties, rent from municipal properties, income from water storage, water transmission, drainage and sanitation, grants, and charges for services such as birth and death certificates. The municipal corporation has the following administrative departments: Health Department, House Tax Department, Engineering Department, Park Department, Advertisement Department, Accounting Department, Property Department. There is also an executive committee (कार्यकारिणी समिति) made up of 12 elected councillors from different political parties, who decide on policy matters of the corporation.
Police administration
The Police Commissionerate System was introduced in Lucknow on 14 January 2020. The district police is headed by a Commissioner of Police (CP), who is an
IPS
IPS, ips, or iPS may refer to:
Science and technology Biology and medicine
* ''Ips'' (genus), a genus of bark beetle
* Induced pluripotent stem cell or iPS cells
* Intermittent photic stimulation, a neuroimaging technique
* Intraparietal sulcus, ...
officer of ADGP rank and is assisted by two Joint Commissioners of Police (IG rank), and five Deputy Commissioners of Police (SP rank). Lucknow is divided into five zones, each headed by a Deputy Commissioner of Police. Of the two Joint Commissioners, one looks after law and order, the other crime. The current police commissioner of Lucknow City is
IPS
IPS, ips, or iPS may refer to:
Science and technology Biology and medicine
* ''Ips'' (genus), a genus of bark beetle
* Induced pluripotent stem cell or iPS cells
* Intermittent photic stimulation, a neuroimaging technique
* Intraparietal sulcus, ...
SB Shirodkar.
The district police observes the citizenry through high-technology control rooms and all important streets and intersections are under surveillance with the help of CCTVs and
drone cameras. Crowd-control is carried out with the help of pepper-spraying drones.
There are more than 10,000 CCTV cameras deployed by the
Lucknow Police Department across the city roads and trijunctions, making Lucknow the first city in the country to do so.
The Lucknow Modern Police Control Room (abbreviated as MCR) is India's biggest
'Dial 112' service centre with 300 communication officers to receive distress calls from all over the state and 200 dispatch officers to rush for police help. It is billed as the India's most hi-tech police control room. Lucknow is also the center for
1090 Women Power line, a call center based service directed at dealing with eve-teasing. An Integrated 'Dial 112' Control Room building is also there which is having the world's biggest modern Police Emergency Response System (PERS).
The Lucknow Fire Brigade department is headed by the chief fire officer, who is subordinate to the district magistrate and is assisted by a deputy chief fire officer and divisional officers.
Judicial institutions
There is a bench of the
Allahabad High Court in Lucknow. Aside from this, Lucknow has a District & Sessions Court, five CBI Courts, one family court and two railway courts. The High Court Bench as well as the District & Sessions Court and the CBI courts are located in Qaiser Bagh, and the railway courts are in Charbagh.
Central government offices
![Vidhan Sabha Lucknow](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Vidhan_Sabha_Lucknow.jpg)
Since 1 May 1963, Lucknow has been the headquarters of the
Central Command of the
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...
, before which it was the headquarters of
Eastern Command.
Lucknow also houses a branch office of
National Investigation Agency
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is the primary counter-terrorist task force of India. The agency is empowered to deal with the investigation of terror related crimes across states without special permission from the states under written ...
which is responsible for combating terrorist activities in India. It oversees five states of
Bihar
Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...
,
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...
,
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...
,
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . I ...
and
Chhattisgarh for Naxal and terrorist activities.
The Commission of Railway Safety of India, under the
Ministry of Civil Aviation, has its head office in the Northeast Railway Compound in Lucknow.
Infrastructure
The development of infrastructure in the city is overseen by Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), which comes under the Housing Department of
Uttar Pradesh government
The Government of Uttar Pradesh (ISO: Uttar Pradesh Sarkār; often abbreviated as GoUP) is the subnational government of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh with the governor as its appointed constitutional head of the state by the President of I ...
. The
Divisional Commissioner of Lucknow acts as the ''ex-officio'' chairman of LDA, whereas a vice-chairman, a government-appointed
IAS officer
The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India. Considered the premier civil service of India, the IAS is one of the three arms of the All India Services along with the Indian ...
, looks after the daily matters of the authority. The current vice-chairman of the Lucknow Development Authority is IAS Akshay Tripathi.
LDA prepared the Lucknow master plan 2031.
Politics
As the seat of the
government of Uttar Pradesh
The Government of Uttar Pradesh (ISO: Uttar Pradesh Sarkār; often abbreviated as GoUP) is the subnational government of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh with the governor as its appointed constitutional head of the state by the President of I ...
, Lucknow is the site of the
Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha
The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Hindi: ''Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha'') is the lower house of the bicameral legislature of Uttar Pradesh. There are 403 seats in the house filled by direct election using a single-member first-past-the-p ...
, a bench of the
Allahabad High Court and numerous government departments and agencies.
Rajnath Singh
Rajnath Singh (; born 10 July 1951) is an Indian politician serving as the Defence Minister of India. He is currently the Deputy Leader of the House Lok Sabha. He is the former President of Bharatiya Janata Party. He has previously served as ...
, the
Union Defense Minister, from Bharatiya Janata Party is the
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...
from
Lucknow Lok Sabha Constituency
Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 80 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. It is one of the two lok sabha constituencies that lies in the largest and capital city of the state, Lucknow.
Si ...
.
Kaushal Kishore is the Member of Parliament from
Mohanlalganj (Lok Sabha constituency)
Mohanlalganj is a Lok Sabha parliamentary constituency in Lucknow district, Uttar Pradesh. It is from Lucknow city.
Assembly segments
Presently, Mohanlalganj Lok Sabha constituency comprises five Vidhan Sabha (legislative assembly) segments. T ...
, the second Lok Sabha constituency in Lucknow. Apart from the Lok Sabha Constituency, there are nine Vidhan Sabha Constituencies within Lucknow city:
Public utilities
Madhyanchal Power Distribution Corporation Limited, also known as Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam is responsible for supplying electricity in Lucknow. It is under the
Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd. Fire safety services are provided by the Uttar Pradesh Fire Service, which is under the
state government. Jal Nigam is responsible for developing and maintaining the infrastructure for water supply, sewer lines, and storm water drains. Jal Sansthan is responsible for supplying water and providing water and sewer connections. Lucknow Municipal Corporation is responsible for the solid waste management of Lucknow.
Transport
Roads
![FEtQacVVEAM12qK](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/FEtQacVVEAM12qK.jpg)
Two major Indian National Highways have their intersection at Lucknow's
Hazratganj
Hazratganj is the downtown and the main shopping centre of Lucknow, the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. In addition to bazaars, it also contains shopping complexes, restaurants, hotels, theaters, cafés and man ...
intersection:
NH-24
National Highway 9 (NH 9) is a National Highway in India in east-west direction. It starts at Malout in Punjab and ends at Pithoragarh in Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand. It passes through the states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pra ...
to Delhi,
NH-30 to
Allahabad via
Raebareli
Raebareli is a city in Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Raebareli district and a part of Lucknow Division. The city is situated on the banks of the Sai river, southeast of Lucknow. It possesses many arc ...
,
NH-27 to
Kanpur and
Porbandar via
Jhansi
Jhansi (; Hindi: झांसी, Urdu: ) is a historic city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It lies in the region of Bundelkhand on the banks of the Pahuj River, in the extreme south of Uttar Pradesh. Jhansi is the administrative head ...
and
Silchar
Silchar is a city and the headquarters of the Cachar district of the state of Assam, India. It is located south east of Guwahati. It was founded by Captain Thomas Fisher in 1832 when he shifted the headquarters of Cachar to Janiganj in Silchar. ...
via
Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, along the banks of the Rapti river in the Purvanchal region. It is situated 272 kilometers east of the state capital Lucknow. It is the administrative headquarters of Gorakhpur dis ...
. Multiple modes of public transport are available such as metro rail, taxis, city buses,
cycle rickshaw
The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport. It is a type of hatchback tricycle designed to carry passengers on a for-hire basis. It is also known by a variety of other names such as bike taxi, velotaxi, pedicab, bikecab, ...
s,
auto rickshaw
An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. They are known by many terms in various countries including auto, auto rickshaw, baby taxi, mototaxi, pigeon, jonnybee, bajaj ...
s and
compressed natural gas (CNG) low-floor buses with and without air-conditioning. CNG was introduced as an auto fuel to keep air pollution under control. Radio Taxis are operated by several major companies like Ola and Uber.
Bus
City buses
![Inside Bus W](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Inside_Bus_W.jpg)
Lucknow city's bus service is operated by
Lucknow City Transport Services Limited (LCTSL), a public sector passenger road transport corporation headquartered in Triloki Nath Margh. It has 260 buses operating in the city. There are around 35 routes in the city. Terminals for city buses are located in Gudamba, Viraj Khand,
Alambagh
Alambagh (Hindi: आलमबाग़, ) is a settlement located in Lucknow near Kanpur road in India. It is one of the most important residential and commercial areas of Lucknow and also one of the densely populated areas of the city. Alamba ...
, Scooter India,
Institute of Engineering and Technology
The Institute of Engineering and Technology, Lucknow (IET, Lucknow) is a state government-funded technical institute in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is a constituent college of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University (erstwhile Uttar ...
,
Babu Banarasi Das University
Babu Banarasi Das University (also known as BBD University) is a private university having its Main Campus in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India established by Akhilesh Das
Akhilesh Das Gupta (31 March 1961 – 12 April 2017) was an educatio ...
, Safedabad, Pasi qila,
Charbagh
''Charbagh'' or ''Chahar Bagh'' ( ''chahār bāgh'', ''chārbāgh'', ''chār bāgh'', meaning "four gardens") is a Persian and Indo-Persian quadrilateral garden layout based on the four gardens of Paradise mentioned in the Quran. The quad ...
, Andhe Ki Chowki, Jankipuram, Gomti Nagar Railway Station, Budheshwar Intersection, Faizabad Road and
Qaiserbagh. There are four bus depots in
Gomti Nagar
Gomti Nagar is an area in the Indian city of Lucknow consisting of both residential and business settlements. It is one of the largest and fast growing areas of Lucknow. It is also considered as Asia's largest Colony. It is home to high-end res ...
,
Charbagh
''Charbagh'' or ''Chahar Bagh'' ( ''chahār bāgh'', ''chārbāgh'', ''chār bāgh'', meaning "four gardens") is a Persian and Indo-Persian quadrilateral garden layout based on the four gardens of Paradise mentioned in the Quran. The quad ...
, Amausi, and Dubagga.
Inter-state buses
The major
Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Inter-state Bus Terminal (ISBT) in
Alambagh
Alambagh (Hindi: आलमबाग़, ) is a settlement located in Lucknow near Kanpur road in India. It is one of the most important residential and commercial areas of Lucknow and also one of the densely populated areas of the city. Alamba ...
provides the main inter and intrastate bus lines in Lucknow. Located on
National Highway 25, it provides adequate services to ongoing and incoming customers. There is a smaller bus station at
Qaiserbagh. The bus terminal formally operated at
Charbagh
''Charbagh'' or ''Chahar Bagh'' ( ''chahār bāgh'', ''chārbāgh'', ''chār bāgh'', meaning "four gardens") is a Persian and Indo-Persian quadrilateral garden layout based on the four gardens of Paradise mentioned in the Quran. The quad ...
, in front of the
main railway station
Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...
, has now been re-established as a city bus depot. This decision was taken by the state government and UPSRTC to decongest traffic in the railway station area.
Kanpur Lucknow Roadways Service
The Kanpur Lucknow Roadways Service is a bus service operated by Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, connecting its legislative capital Lucknow with the industrial capital at Kanpur.
About
A ...
is a key service for daily commuters who travel back and forth to the city for business and educational purposes. Air conditioned "Royal Cruiser" buses manufactured by Volvo are operated by UPSRTC for inter state bus services. Main cities served by the UPSRTC intrastate bus service are
Allahabad,
Varanasi
Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.
*
*
*
* The city has a syncretic t ...
,
Jaipur
Jaipur (; Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had a population of 3.1 million, making it the tenth most populous city in the country. Jaipur is also known ...
,
Jhansi
Jhansi (; Hindi: झांसी, Urdu: ) is a historic city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It lies in the region of Bundelkhand on the banks of the Pahuj River, in the extreme south of Uttar Pradesh. Jhansi is the administrative head ...
,
Agra
Agra (, ) is a city on the banks of the Yamuna river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, about south-east of the national capital New Delhi and 330 km west of the state capital Lucknow. With a population of roughly 1.6 million, Agra i ...
,
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...
,
Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, along the banks of the Rapti river in the Purvanchal region. It is situated 272 kilometers east of the state capital Lucknow. It is the administrative headquarters of Gorakhpur dis ...
. The cities outside Uttar Pradesh that are covered by inter-state bus services are
Jaipur
Jaipur (; Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had a population of 3.1 million, making it the tenth most populous city in the country. Jaipur is also known ...
,
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Ho ...
,
Kota,
Singrauli
Singrauli is a city in Singrauli district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and Commissionaire of Rewa. It lies about from the district headquarters of Waidhan. It was also the capital of erstwhile princely state of Singrauli.
Demographics ...
,
Faridabad
Faridabad is the most populous city in the Indian state of Haryana and a part of Delhi National Capital Region. It is one of the major satellite cities around Delhi and is located 284 kilometres south of the state capital Chandigarh. The ri ...
,
Gurgaon,
Dausa
Dausa is a city and administrative headquarters of Dausa district in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is 55 km from Jaipur, 240 km from Delhi and located on Jaipur-Agra National Highway (NH-21).Current population is around 1.25 lak ...
,
Ajmer
Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan. It is also known as heart of Rajasthan. The city was established as "' ...
,
Dehradun, and
Haridwar
Haridwar (; ) is a city and municipal corporation in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India. With a population of 228,832 in 2011, it is the second-largest city in the state and the largest in the district.
The city is situated on the ri ...
.
Railways
![Lucknow Junction](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Lucknow_Junction.jpg)
Lucknow is served by several railway stations in different parts of the city. The main long-distance railway station is
Lucknow Railway Station located at Charbagh. It has an imposing structure built in 1923 and acts as the divisional headquarters of the
Northern Railway division. Its neighbouring and second major long-distance railway station is
Lucknow Junction railway station
Lucknow Junction (officially Lucknow NER, station code: LJN) is one of the two main railway stations of Lucknow city for broad gauge trains. It is situated right next to Lucknow Charbagh railway station.
See also
*Lucknow Charbagh railway ...
operated by the
North Eastern Railway. The city is an important junction with links to all major cities of the state and country such as
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Ho ...
,
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
,
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...
,
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
,
Chandigarh
Chandigarh () is a planned city in India. Chandigarh is bordered by the state of Punjab to the west and the south, and by the state of Haryana to the east. It constitutes the bulk of the Chandigarh Capital Region or Greater Chandigarh, which a ...
,
Nashik
Nashik (, Marathi: aːʃik, also called as Nasik ) is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated on the banks of river Godavari, Nashik is the third largest city in Maharashtra, after Mumbai and Pune. Nashi ...
,
Amritsar,
Jammu
Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi, the city of Jammu, with an area of ...
,
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
,
Bangalore
Bangalore (), List of renamed places in India, officially Bengaluru (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan area, metropolitan population of a ...
,
Ahmedabad,
Pune
Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...
,
Indore
Indore () is the largest and most populous city in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It serves as the headquarters of both Indore District and Indore Division. It is also considered as an education hub of the state and is the only city to ...
,
Bhopal
Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It i ...
,
Jhansi
Jhansi (; Hindi: झांसी, Urdu: ) is a historic city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It lies in the region of Bundelkhand on the banks of the Pahuj River, in the extreme south of Uttar Pradesh. Jhansi is the administrative head ...
,
Jabalpur
Jabalpur is a city situated on the banks of Narmada River in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. According to the 2011 census, it is the third-largest urban agglomeration in Madhya Pradesh and the country's 38th-largest urban agglomeration. J ...
,
Jaipur
Jaipur (; Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had a population of 3.1 million, making it the tenth most populous city in the country. Jaipur is also known ...
,
Raipur
Raipur ( ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Raipur is also the administrative headquarters of Raipur district and Raipur division, and the largest city of the state. It was a part of Madhya Pradesh before the state of Ch ...
and
Siwan. The city has a total of fourteen railway stations. Earlier the meter-gauge services originated at Aishbagh and connected to Lucknow city, Daliganj and Mohibullapur. Now all the stations have been converted to broad gauge. All stations lie within the city limits and are well interconnected by bus services and other public road transport. Suburban stations include Bakshi Ka Talab and Kakori. The
Lucknow–Kanpur Suburban Railway
Lucknow–Kanpur Suburban Railway System is a commuter rail service operated by Northern Railways, North Central Railway and North Eastern Railway to connect administrative capital Lucknow with the economic and industrial capital Kanpur of ...
was started in 1867 to cater for the needs of commuters travelling between Lucknow and Kanpur. Trains running on this service also stop at numerous stations at different locations in the city forming a suburban rail network.
Air transport
![Lucknow International Airport Terminal-2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/Lucknow_International_Airport_Terminal-2.jpg)
Direct air connections are available in Lucknow to
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Ho ...
,
Patna
Patna (
), historically known as Pataliputra, is the capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Patna had a population of 2.35 million, making it the 19th largest city in India. ...
,
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
,
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
,
Bangalore
Bangalore (), List of renamed places in India, officially Bengaluru (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan area, metropolitan population of a ...
,
Ahmedabad,
Hyderabad
Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...
,
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
,
Guwahati
Guwahati (, ; formerly rendered Gauhati, ) is the biggest city of the Indian state of Assam and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the ...
,
Jaipur
Jaipur (; Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had a population of 3.1 million, making it the tenth most populous city in the country. Jaipur is also known ...
,
Raipur
Raipur ( ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Raipur is also the administrative headquarters of Raipur district and Raipur division, and the largest city of the state. It was a part of Madhya Pradesh before the state of Ch ...
and other major cities via
Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport
Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport is an international airport serving Lucknow, the capital of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located in the Amausi area of the city 14 km far from the city centre, and was earlier also ...
. The airport has been ranked the second-best in the world in the small airport category. The airport is suitable for all-weather operations and provides parking facilities for up to 14 aircraft. At present
Air India
Air India is the flag carrier airline of India, headquartered at New Delhi. It is owned by Talace Private Limited, a Special-Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of Tata Sons, after Air India Limited's former owner, the Government of India, completed the ...
,
Air India Express
Air India Express is an Indian low-cost airline headquartered in Kochi, Kerala. It is operated by Air India Express Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Indian flag carrier airline Air India. It operates around 649 flights per week to 33 de ...
,
GoAir
Go First, founded as GoAir, is an Indian ultra-low-cost airline based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is owned by the Indian business conglomerate Wadia Group. In October 2017, it was the fifth largest airline in India with an 8.4% passenger ma ...
,
IndiGo
Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...
,
Saudi Airlines
Saudia ( ar, السعودية '), formerly known as Saudi Arabian Airlines (), is the flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah. The airline's main operational base is at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. King Khalid Internati ...
,
Flydubai
Flydubai ( ar, فلاي دبي), legally Dubai Aviation Corporation ( ar, مؤسسة دبي للطيران), is an Emirati government-owned low-cost airline in Dubai, United Arab Emirates with its head office and flight operations in Terminal 2 ...
,
Oman Air
Oman Air ( ar, الطيران العماني) is the national airline of the Sultanate of Oman. Based at Muscat International Airport in Seeb, Muscat, it operates domestic and international passenger services, as well as regional air taxi and ch ...
and
Vistara
Tata SIA Airlines Limited, operating as Vistara, is an Indian full-service airline, based in Gurugram, with its hub at Indira Gandhi International Airport. The carrier, a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, commenced operat ...
operate domestic and international flights to and from Lucknow. Covering , with Terminal 1 for international flights and Terminal 2 for domestic flights, the airport can handle
Boeing 767 to
Boeing 747-400 aircraft allowing significant passenger and cargo traffic. International destinations include
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
,
Muscat
Muscat ( ar, مَسْقَط, ) is the capital and most populated city in Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the total population of Muscat Governorate was ...
,
Sharjah
Sharjah (; ar, ٱلشَّارقَة ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi, forming part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area.
Sharjah is the capital ...
,
Riyadh
Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of th ...
,
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
,
Dammam and
Jeddah.
The planned expansion of the airport will allow
Airbus A380
The Airbus A380 is a large wide-body airliner that was developed and produced by Airbus. It is the world's largest passenger airliner and only full-length double-deck jet airliner.
Airbus studies started in 1988, and the project was annou ...
jumbo jets to land at the airport. The Nagarjuna construction company (NCC) has started the construction of the new terminal at
Lucknow Airport
Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport is an international airport serving Lucknow, the capital of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located in the Amausi area of the city 14 km far from the city centre, and was earlier als ...
which is expected to be completed by December 2021 to meet the growing demand. There is also a plan for runway expansion. It is the tenth busiest airport in India, the busiest in
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
, and the second-busiest in northern India.
In February 2019, the airport was privatised and leased to
Adani Group
Adani Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate, headquartered in Ahmedabad. It was founded by Gautam Adani in 1988 as a commodity trading business, with the flagship company Adani Enterprises. The Group's diverse businesses include po ...
for 50 years at the highest bid of 171 per passenger.
Metro
Lucknow Metro
Lucknow Metro is a rapid transit system serving the largest city and the capital of Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow. Construction of the line begun on 27 September 2014 with the stretch from to Charbagh Railway Station which began its commercial op ...
is a
rapid transit system
Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...
which started its operations from 6 September 2017. Lucknow Metro system is the most-quickly built metro system in the world and most economical high-speed rapid transit system project in India. The commencement of civil works started on 27 September 2014.
In February, Chief Minister
Akhilesh Yadav Akhilesh is a given name. Notable people with the name include:
* Akhilesh Das (1961–2017), educationist, professor, Indian politician and philanthropist
* Akhilesh K. Gaharwar (born 1982), Indian academic and Professor at Texas A&M University
* ...
approved to set up of a metro rail system for the state capital. It is divided into two corridors the North-south corridor connecting Munshipulia to CCS International Airport and the East-west corridor connecting Charbagh Railway Station to Vasant Kunj. This will be the most expensive public transport system in the state but will provide a rapid means of mass transport to decongest traffic on city roads. Construction of the first phase will be complete by March 2017. The completion of metro rail project is the primary object of Uttar Pradesh government currently headed by the chief minister
On 5 September 2017, Home Minister
Rajnath Singh
Rajnath Singh (; born 10 July 1951) is an Indian politician serving as the Defence Minister of India. He is currently the Deputy Leader of the House Lok Sabha. He is the former President of Bharatiya Janata Party. He has previously served as ...
and CM
showed green flag to the Lucknow Metro.
Cycling
Lucknow is among the most bicycle-friendly cities in Uttar Pradesh. Bike-friendly tracks have been established near the chief minister's residence in the city. The track encompasses La-Martiniere College Road next to a golf club on Kalidas Marg, where the chief minister resides, and Vikramaditya Marg, which houses the office of the ruling party. The dedicated lane for cyclists is separate from the footpath and the main road. With
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...
as the inspiration, new cycle tracks are to be constructed in the city to make it more cycle-friendly, with facilities like
bike rental
A bike rental or bike hire business rents out bicycles for short periods of time, usually for a few hours. Most rentals are provided by bike shops as a sideline to their main businesses of sales and service, but shops specialize in rentals.
...
also in the works. In the year 2015, Lucknow also hosted a national level cycling event called 'The Lucknow Cyclothon' in which professional and amateur cyclists took part. An under-construction cycle track network by the government of Uttar Pradesh is set to make Lucknow the city with India's biggest cycle network.
Demographics
The population of Lucknow Urban Agglomeration (LUA) rose above one million in 1981, while the 2001 census estimated it had risen to 2.24 million. This included about 60,000 people in the Lucknow Cantonment and 2.18 million in Lucknow city and represented an increase of 34.53% over the 1991 figure.
According to the provisional report of
2011 Census of India
The 2011 Census of India or the 15th Indian Census was conducted in two phases, house listing and population enumeration. The House listing phase began on 1 April 2010 and involved the collection of information about all buildings. Information ...
, Lucknow city had a population of 2,815,601, of which 1,470,133 were men and 1,345,468 women.
This was an increase of 25.36% compared to the 2001 figures.
Between 1991 and 2001, the population registered growth of 32.03%, significantly lower than the 37.14% which was registered between 1981 and 1991.
The initial provisional data suggests a population density of in 2011, compared to 1,443 in 2001.
As the total area covered by the Lucknow district is only about , the population density was much than the recorded at the state level. The
Scheduled Caste population of the state represented 21.3% of the total population, a figure higher than the state average of 21.15%.
The sex ratio in Lucknow city stood at 915 females per 1000 males in 2011, compared to the 2001 census figure of 888. The average national sex ratio in India is 940 according to the Census 2011 Directorate.
The city has a total literacy level in 2011 of 84.72% compared to 67.68% for Uttar Pradesh as a whole.
In 2001 these same figures stood at 75.98% and 56.27%. In Lucknow city, the total literate population totalled 2,147,564 people of which 1,161,250 were male and 986,314 were female.
Despite the fact that the overall work-participation rate in the district (32.24%) is higher than the state average (23.7%), the rate among females in Lucknow is very low at only 5.6% and shows a decline from the 1991 figure of 5.9%.
Architecture
![Lucknow Skyline From Gomti Nagar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Lucknow_Skyline_From_Gomti_Nagar.jpg)
Lucknow's buildings show different styles of architecture with the many iconic buildings built during the British and Mughal era. More than half of these buildings lie in the old part of the city. The Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department organises a "Heritage Walk" for tourists covering the popular monuments. Among the extant architecture, there are religious buildings such as
Imambara
A ḥosayniya or hussainiya (Arabic: حسينية ''husayniyya''), also known as an ashurkhana, imambargah, or imambara, is a congregation hall for Twelver Shia Muslim commemoration ceremonies, especially those associated with the Mourning of ...
s, mosques, and other
Islamic shrines as well as secular structures such as enclosed gardens, ''
baradaris'', and palace complexes.
Bara Imambara
Bara Imambara, also known as Asfi Imambara is an imambara complex in Lucknow, India built by Asaf-ud-Daula, Nawab of Awadh in 1784. ''Bara'' means ''big''. This imambara is the second largest after the Nizamat Imambara.
Building composition
...
in Hussainabad is a colossal edifice built in 1784 by the then Nawab of Lucknow,
Asaf-ud-Daula. It was originally built to provide assistance to people affected by the deadly famine, which struck the whole of Uttar Pradesh in the same year. It is the largest hall in Asia without any external support from wood, iron or stone beams. The monument required approximately 22,000 labourers during construction.
The tall
Rumi Darwaza
The Rumi Darwaza (Hindi: रूमी दरवाज़ा, Urdu: , and sometimes known as the Turkish Gate), in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, is an imposing gateway which was built by Nawab Asaf-Ud-Daula in 1784. It is an example of Awadh ...
, built by Nawab Asaf-ud-daula (r. 1775–1797) in 1784, served as the entrance to the city of Lucknow. It is also known as the Turkish Gateway, as it was erroneously thought to be identical to the gateway at
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...
. The edifice provides the west entrance to the Great Imambara and is embellished with lavish decorations.
Various architectural styles can be seen in the historical areas of Lucknow. The
University of Lucknow
The University of Lucknow (informally known as Lucknow University, and LU) is a public state university based in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Founded in 1920, the University of Lucknow is one of the oldest government owned institutions of higher ed ...
shows a huge inspiration from the European style while
Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture
Indo-Saracenic architecture (also known as Indo-Gothic, Mughal-Gothic, Neo-Mughal, or Hindoo style) was a revivalist architectural style mostly used by British architects in India in the later 19th century, especially in public and government ...
is prominently present in the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha building and Charbagh Railway station.
Dilkusha Kothi
Dilkusha Kothi is the remains of an eighteenth-century house built in the English baroque style in the quiet Dilkusha area of Lucknow in India. is the remains of a palace constructed by the British resident Major
Gore Ouseley
Sir Gore Ouseley, 1st Baronet GCH, PC (24 June 1770 – 18 November 1844), was a British entrepreneur, linguist and diplomat. He was born in 1770 and died at Hall Barn Park, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire in 1844. He negotiated an important ...
around 1800 and showcases
English Baroque
English Baroque is a term used to refer to modes of English architecture that paralleled Baroque architecture in continental Europe between the Great Fire of London (1666) and roughly 1720, when the flamboyant and dramatic qualities of Baroque ...
architecture. It served as a hunting lodge for the
Nawab of Awadh
The Nawab of Awadh or the Nawab of Oudh was the title of the rulers who governed the state of Awadh (anglicised as Oudh) in north India during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Nawabs of Awadh belonged to a dynasty of Persian origin from Nishap ...
s and as a summer resort.
The
Chattar Manzil
The Chattar Manzil ( ur, , hi, छतर मंज़िल), or Umbrella Palace is a building in Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh which served as a palace for the rulers of Awadh and their wives.
Coordinates:26°85′N 80°93′E
Construction and ...
, which served as the palace for the rulers of Awadh and their wives is topped by an umbrella-like dome and so named on account of ''Chattar'' being the Hindi word for "umbrella".
Opposite Chattar Manzil stands the 'Lal Baradari' built by Nawab
Saadat Ali Khan I
Saadat Ali Khan Nishapuri (c. 1680 – 19 March 1739) was the Subahdar Nawab of Awadh (Oudh) from 26 January 1722 to 1739 and the son of Muhammad Nasir. At age 25 he accompanied his father on the final campaign of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb a ...
between 1789 and 1814. It functioned as a throne room at coronations for the royal courts. The building is now used as a museum and contains delicately executed portraits of men who played major roles in the administration of the kingdom of Oudh.
![Gomti Nagar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Gomti_Nagar.jpg)
Another example of mixed architectural styles is
La Martiniere College
LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States.
La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* La (musical note), or A, the sixth note
* "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...
, which shows a fusion of Indian and European ideas. It was built by Major-General
Claude Martin
Major-General Claude Martin (5 January 1735 – 13 September 1800) was a French army officer who served in the French and later British East India companies in colonial India. Martin rose to the rank of major-general in the British East India C ...
who was born in
Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...
and died in Lucknow on 13 September 1800. Originally named "Constantia", the ceilings of the building are domed with no wooden beams used for construction. Glimpses of
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It ...
can also be seen in the college building.
Lucknow's
Asafi Imambara exhibits vaulted halls as its architectural speciality.
The Bara Imambara, Chhota Imambara and Rumi Darwaza stand in testament to the city's Nawabi mixture of Mughlai and Turkish styles of architecture while La Martiniere college bears witness to the Indo-European style. Even the new buildings are fashioned using characteristic domes and pillars, and at night these illuminated monuments become the city's main attractions.
Around
Hazratganj
Hazratganj is the downtown and the main shopping centre of Lucknow, the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. In addition to bazaars, it also contains shopping complexes, restaurants, hotels, theaters, cafés and man ...
, the city's central shopping area, there is a fusion of old and modern architecture. It has a multi-level parking lot in place of an old and dilapidated police station making way for extending the corridors into pebbled pathways, adorned with piazzas, green areas and wrought-iron and cast-iron lamp-posts, reminiscent of the
Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...
, flank both sides of the street.
Culture
In common with other metropolitan cities across India, Lucknow is multicultural and multilingual. Many of the cultural traits and customs peculiar to Lucknow have become living legends today. The city's contemporary culture is the result of the amalgamation of the Hindu and Muslim rulers who ruled the city simultaneously. The credit for this goes to the secular and syncretic traditions of the
Nawab
Nawab ( Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب;
bn, নবাব/নওয়াব;
hi, नवाब;
Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ;
Persian,
Punjabi ,
Sindhi,
Urdu: ), also spelled Nawaab, Navaab, Navab, Nowab, Nabob, Nawaabshah, Nawabshah or Nobab, ...
s of Awadh, who took a keen interest in every walk of life and encouraged these traditions to attain a rare degree of sophistication. Modern-day Lucknowites are known for their polite and polished way of speaking which is noticed by visitors. The residents of Lucknow call themselves ''Lucknowites'' or ''Lakhnavi''. It also represents the melting pot of globalisation where the legacy of Nawab's culture continues to be reflected in the traditional vocabulary of the Hindi language of the city along with better avenues for modernisation present here.
Traditional Outfit
Lucknow is known for its ghararas. It is a traditional women's outfit that originated from the
Nawab
Nawab ( Balochi: نواب; ar, نواب;
bn, নবাব/নওয়াব;
hi, नवाब;
Punjabi : ਨਵਾਬ;
Persian,
Punjabi ,
Sindhi,
Urdu: ), also spelled Nawaab, Navaab, Navab, Nowab, Nabob, Nawaabshah, Nawabshah or Nobab, ...
s of
Awadh
Awadh (), known in British historical texts as Avadh or Oudh, is a region in the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. It is synonymous with the Kośāla region of ...
. It is a pair of loose trousers with pleats below the knee worn with a
kurta
A ''kurta'' is a loose collarless shirt or tunic worn in many regions of South Asia, (subscription required) Quote: "A loose shirt or tunic worn by men and women." Quote: "Kurta: a loose shirt without a collar, worn by women and men from South ...
(shirt) and a
dupatta
The dupattā is a Hindu shawl traditionally worn by women in Indian subcontinent to cover the head and shoulders. The dupatta is currently used most commonly as part of the women's shalwar kameez outfit, and worn over the kurta and the gharara.
...
(veil). It is embroidered with
zari
''Zari'' (or ''jari'') is an even thread traditionally made of fine gold or silver used in traditional Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani garments, especially as brocade in saris etc. This thread is woven into fabrics, primarily silk, to make i ...
and
zardozi
Zardozi or zar-douzi or zarduzi (from Classical Persian زَردوزی ''zardōzī'', literally "gold embroidery"; fa, label= Modern Persian, زَردوزی, translit=zarduzi; hi, ज़रदोज़ी, tg, зардӯзӣ, ur, زردوز ...
along with gota (decorative lace on the knee area). This dress is made from over of fabric, mostly silk,
brocade and kamkhwab.
Language and poetry
Although Uttar Pradesh's primary official language is
Hindi
Hindi ( Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...
, the most commonly spoken language is colloquial
Hindustani.
Indian English is also well understood and is widely used for business and administrative purposes, as a result of
India's British heritage and
Commonwealth tradition, as well as globalisation. The Urdu language is also a part of Lucknowi culture and heritage. It is mostly used by wealthier families, the remaining members of the royal family as well as in
Urdu poetry
Urdu poetry ( ur, ) is a tradition of poetry and has many different forms. Today, it is an important part of the cultures of South Asia. According to Naseer Turabi there are five major poets of Urdu which are Mir Taqi Mir (d.1810), Mirza Ghali ...
and on public signs. The government has taken many innovative steps to promote Urdu.
Awadhi
Awadhi (; ), also known as Audhi (), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in northern India and Nepal. It is primarily spoken in the Awadh region of present-day Uttar Pradesh, India. The name ''Awadh'' is connected to Ayodhya, the ancient city ...
, a dialect of the Hindi
dialect continuum
A dialect continuum or dialect chain is a series of language varieties spoken across some geographical area such that neighboring varieties are mutually intelligible, but the differences accumulate over distance so that widely separated varie ...
, is the native dialect of Lucknow and has played an important role in Lucknow's history and is still used in the city's rural areas and by the urban population on the streets.
Historically, Lucknow was considered one of the great centres of
Muslim culture
Islamic culture and Muslim culture refer to cultural practices which are common to historically Islamic people. The early forms of Muslim culture, from the Rashidun Caliphate to the early Umayyad period and the early Abbasid period, were predomi ...
. Two poets,
Mir Babar Ali Anis
Mir Babar Ali Anees ( ur, مير ببر على انيس) (1800–1874), also known as Mir Anees was an Indian Urdu poet. He used his pen-name (takhallus) of Anees (Urdu: , ''Anees'' means "close friend, companion") in poetry. Anees used Persian, ...
and
Mirza Dabeer
Mirza Salaamat Ali Dabeer ( ur, ),
(29 August 1803 – 6 March 1875) was an Urdu poet who excelled and perfected the art of Marsiya writing. He is considered the leading exponent of Marsiya Nigari or marsiya writing along with Mir Anees.
Mi ...
, became legendary exponents of a unique genre of Muslim elegiacal poetry called ''
marsiya
A marsiya ( fa, مرثیه) is an elegiac poem written to commemorate the martyrdom and valour of Hussain ibn Ali and his comrades of the Karbala. Marsiyas are essentially religious.
Background
The word ''Marsiya'' is derived from the Arabic word ...
'' centred on Imam Husain's supreme sacrifice in the
Battle of Karbala
The Battle of Karbala ( ar, مَعْرَكَة كَرْبَلَاء) was fought on 10 October 680 (10 Muharram in the year 61 AH of the Islamic calendar) between the army of the second Umayyad Caliph Yazid I and a small army led by Husayn ...
, which is commemorated during the annual observance of
Muharram
Muḥarram ( ar, ٱلْمُحَرَّم) (fully known as Muharram ul Haram) is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is forbidden. It is held to be the second holiest month after ...
.
The revolutionary
Ram Prasad Bismil
Ram Prasad Bismil ( Hindi: राम प्रसाद "बिस्मिल") (11 June 1897 — 19 December 1927) was an Indian poet, writer, revolutionary and an Indian freedom fighter who participated in the Mainpuri Conspiracy of 1918, a ...
, who was hanged by the British at Gorakhpur jail, was largely influenced by the culture of Lucknow and remembered its name in his poetry. Surrounding towns such as Kakori, Daryabad,
Fatehpur, Barabanki,
Rudauli
Rudauli is a town, tehsil and a municipal board in Faizabad district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Rudauli is 50 km west of the district headquarters Ayodhya.
Geography
Rudauli is located at . It has an average elevation of 105&nb ...
, and Malihabad produced many eminent Urdu poets and litterateurs including Mohsin Kakorvi,
Majaz
Asrar-ul-Haq (19 October 1911 – 5 December 1955), better known as Majaz Lakhnawi, was an Indian Urdu poet. He is known for his romantic and revolutionary poetry. He composed '' ghazals'' and ''nazms'' in Urdu. He was the maternal uncle of p ...
,
Khumar Barabankvi and
Josh Malihabadi
Josh Malihabadi (born Shabbir Hasan Khan; 5 December 1898 – 22 February 1982) popularly known as Shayar-e-Inqalab (poet of revolution) was a Pakistani poet and is regarded as one of the finest Urdu poets of the era of British India. Kno ...
.
Cuisine
![263479-special-biryani-at-tunday](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/263479-special-biryani-at-tunday.jpg)
The Awadh region has its own distinct Nawabi-style cuisine. Since ages, the ''Bawarchis'' (chefs) and ''Rakabdars'' (royal chefs) have developed great finesse in cooking and presentation of food, under royal patronage. This gave rise to the art of cooking over a slow fire (or ''Dum'' style cooking), which has become synonymous with "Awadhi" cuisine. These ''Bawarchis'' added elaborately prepared dishes like ''kababs'', ''kormas'', ''kaliya'', ''nahari-kulchas'', ''zarda'', ''sheermal'', ''roomali rotis'' and ''warqi parathas'' to the traditional "Awadhi" ''dastarkhwaan'' (feast of dishes).
The best-known dishes of this area consist of
biryani
Biryani () is a mixed rice dish originating among the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. It is made with Indian spices, rice, and usually some type of meat ( chicken, beef, goat, lamb, prawn, fish) or in some cases without any meat, ...
s,
kebabs and breads. Kebabs are served in a variety of styles; ''kakori'', ''galawati'', ''shami'', ''boti'', ''patili-ke'', ''ghutwa'' and ''seekh'' are among the available varieties.
Tunde ke kabab restaurants are popular for a type of soft kebab developed by a one-armed chef (hence the name Tunday) for a Nawab who had lost his teeth. The reputation of Lucknow's kebabs is not limited to the local population and the dish attracts people from other cities as well as other countries.
Lucknow is also known for its
chaats, street food,
kulfi
Kulfi () ( fa, ) is a frozen dairy dessert originating in the Indian subcontinent during the Mughal era in the 16th century. It is often described as "traditional Indian ice cream". Kulfi is a traditional sweet of the Indian subcontinent, wher ...
,
paan
Betel nut chewing, also called betel quid chewing or areca nut chewing, is a practice in which areca nuts (also called "betel nuts") are chewed together with slaked lime and betel leaves for their stimulant and narcotic effects. The practice ...
and sweets. Nahari, a dish prepared using mutton, is popular among non-vegetarians. Sheermal is a type of sweet bread (paratha) prepared in Lucknow. Makkhan-malai is another sweet delicacy of Lucknow made and sold only during winters. Some restaurants in the city are around a century old; there are also many high-end restaurants, bakeries, lounges and pubs which cater to the affluent class and foreign travellers.
Festivals
Indian festivals such as
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
,
Diwali,
Durga Puja
Durga Puja ( bn, দুর্গা পূজা), also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava, is an annual Hindu festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess Durga and is also celebrated ...
,
Eid,
Holi
Holi (), also known as the Festival of Colours, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love,The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...". is an ancient Hindu religious festival ...
,
Raksha Bandhan
Raksha Bandhan Quote: m Hindi ''rakśābandhan'' held on the full moon of the month of Savan, when sisters tie a talisman (rakhi q.v.) on the arm of their brothers and receive small gifts of money from them. is a popular and traditionally Hin ...
and
Vijayadashami
Vijayadashami ( sa, विजयदशमी, Vijayadaśamī, translit-std=IAST), also known as Dussehra, Dasara or Dashain, is a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navaratri every year. It is observed on the tenth day in the Hind ...
are celebrated with great pomp and show in the city. Some of the other festivals or processions are as follows:
*
Lucknow Mahotsav
Lucknow Festival is organised every year to showcase Uttar Pradesh art and culture and to promote tourism. With 1975–76 designated South Asian Tourism Year, Lucknow took the opportunity to promote the city's art, culture and tourism to national and international tourists. The first Lucknow Festival was staged as a part of this promotion and ever since, with some exceptions,
Lucknow Mahotsava has taken place annually.
* Lucknow Literature Festival
This is an annual literature festival held in the month of November every year since 2013. Lucknow LitFest is India's second-largest literature festival featuring some of the greatest writers and thinkers from across the globe.
*
Muharram
Muḥarram ( ar, ٱلْمُحَرَّم) (fully known as Muharram ul Haram) is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is forbidden. It is held to be the second holiest month after ...
:
:Lucknow is known as a seat of
Shia Islam
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, m ...
and the epitome of Shia culture in India. Muslims observe Muharram, the first month of the
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar ( ar, ٱلتَّقْوِيم ٱلْهِجْرِيّ, translit=al-taqwīm al-hijrī), also known in English as the Muslim calendar and Islamic calendar, is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 ...
and on Ashura (the tenth day of the month) mourn the memory of
Imam Husain
Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, أبو عبد الله الحسين بن علي بن أبي طالب; 10 January 626 – 10 October 680) was a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a son of Ali ibn Abi ...
, grandson of the Islamic prophet,
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...
. Muharram processions in Lucknow have a special significance and began during the reign of the Awadh Nawabs.
:Processions such as ''Shahi Zarih'', ''Jaloos-e-Mehndi'', ''Alam-e-Ashura'' and ''
Chup Tazia
Chup Tazia ( ur, ) or silent ''tazia'' is the name given to religious processions held mostly on 8th of Rabi' al-awwal by Twelver Shia Muslims in India and Pakistan to commemorate the death of Imam Hasan al-Askari, the eleventh of the Twelver Sh ...
'' had special significance by the Shia community and were affected with great religious zeal and fervour until 1977 the government of Uttar Pradesh banned public Azadari processions. For the following twenty years, processions and gatherings took place in private or community spaces including Talkatora Karbala,
Bara Imambara
Bara Imambara, also known as Asfi Imambara is an imambara complex in Lucknow, India built by Asaf-ud-Daula, Nawab of Awadh in 1784. ''Bara'' means ''big''. This imambara is the second largest after the Nizamat Imambara.
Building composition
...
(Imambara Asifi),
Chota Imambara (Imambara Husainabad), Dargah Hazrat Abbas, Shah Najaf and
Imambara Ghufran Ma'ab
Imambara Ghufran Ma'ab (Urdu: , ) in Lucknow, India is an imambara (a building used to commemorate the Muharram commemoration period in which Muslims, particularly Shias mourning the tragedy of Karbala in which Imam Hussain was killed) constructe ...
. The ban was partially lifted in 1997 and Shias were successful in taking out the first Azadari procession in January 1998 on the 21st of
Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month. The Shias are authorised to stage nine processions out of the nine hundred that are listed in the register of the Shias.
* Deva Mela
![DewaSharif](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/DewaSharif.jpg)
Deva Mela is celebrated during the anniversary of Sufi saint Haji
Waris Ali Shah
Waris Ali Shah (1817–1905) was a Sufi saint from Dewa, Barabanki, India, and the founder of the Warsi Sufi order. He traveled to many places specially Europe and the west and admitted people to his spiritual order. He belongs to the 26th gen ...
at
Dewa, India
Dewa Sharif or Dewa is a town and a nagar panchayat in Barabanki district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is famous for the shrine of Haji Waris Ali Shah. This town is also known by the name of Dewa Sharif in respect for the shrine. It ...
which is 26 K.M from Lucknow city. Sufi songs (Qawwalis) are recited at the Dargah. Devotees also carry sheets/Chadars to the shrines.
*
Chup Tazia
Chup Tazia ( ur, ) or silent ''tazia'' is the name given to religious processions held mostly on 8th of Rabi' al-awwal by Twelver Shia Muslims in India and Pakistan to commemorate the death of Imam Hasan al-Askari, the eleventh of the Twelver Sh ...
The procession originated in Lucknow before spreading to other parts of South Asia. Dating back to the era of the Nawabs, it was started by Nawab Ahmed Ali Khan Shaukat Yar Jung a descendant of Bahu Begum. It has become one of the most important Azadari processions in Lucknow and one of the nine permitted by the government. This last mourning procession takes place on the morning of the 8th of
Rabi' al-awwal, the third Muslim month and includes ''alam'' (flags), ''
Zari
''Zari'' (or ''jari'') is an even thread traditionally made of fine gold or silver used in traditional Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani garments, especially as brocade in saris etc. This thread is woven into fabrics, primarily silk, to make i ...
'' and a ''
ta'zieh
Ta'zieh ( ar, تعزية; fa, تعزیه; ur, ) means comfort, condolence, or expression of grief. It comes from roots ''aza'' (عزو and عزى) which means mourning.
Depending on the region, time, occasion, religion, etc. the word can sig ...
'' (an imitation of the mausoleums in
Karbala). It originates at the
Imambara
A ḥosayniya or hussainiya (Arabic: حسينية ''husayniyya''), also known as an ashurkhana, imambargah, or imambara, is a congregation hall for Twelver Shia Muslim commemoration ceremonies, especially those associated with the Mourning of ...
Nazim Saheb in Victoria Street then moves in complete silence through Patanala until it terminates at the Karbala Kazmain, where the colossal black ''ta'zieh'' is buried.
*
Bada Mangal
Budhwa Mangal or Bada Mangal is a series of festivals celebrated on every Tuesday in the Hindu month of Jeyshtha (May-June).
According to the beliefs of Hinduism, Shri Hanuman met Shri Ram for the first time on Tuesday of the month of Jyestha. Sin ...
festival is celebrated in May as a birthday of the ancient Hanuman temple known as Purana Mandir. During this festival, fairs are conducted by the local public in the whole city. Bhandara is organised by local people almost in all streets across the city and serves free food to all the passersby irrespective of religion. Many of the Muslim Community also set up these Bhandara. It is celebrated in the name of Hindu God Lord Hanuman and reflects the Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb.
Dance, drama and music
![Kathak 3511900193 986f6440f6 b retouched](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Kathak_3511900193_986f6440f6_b_retouched.jpg)
The classical Indian dance form ''
Kathak
Kathak ( hi, कथक; ur, کتھک) is one of the eight major forms of Indian classical dance. It is the classical dance from of Uttar Pradesh. The origin of Kathak is traditionally attributed to the traveling bards in ancient northern Ind ...
'' originated from Lucknow. Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh, was a great patron and a passionate champion of ''Kathak''.
Lachhu Maharaj
Pandit Bajinath Prasad also known as Pandit Lachhu Maharaj (1901–1978) was an Indian classical dancer and choreographer of Kathak dance. He came from a family of illustrious Kathak exponents in Lucknow, and also worked as film choreographer, ...
, Acchchan Maharaj,
Shambhu Maharaj
Pandit Shambhu Maharaj (1910 – 4 November 1970) was a Guru of the Lucknow ''Gharana'' (school) of the Indian classical dance form, Kathak.
Early life and training
Shambhu Maharaj was born in Lucknow as Shambhunath Mishra. He was the younges ...
and
Birju Maharaj
Pandit Birju Maharaj (born Brijmohan Nath Mishra; 4 February 1938 – 16 January 2022) was an Indian dancer, composer, singer, child molester and exponent of the Lucknow "Kalka-Bindadin" Gharana of Kathak dance in India. He was a descendant o ...
have kept this tradition alive.
Lucknow is also the home city of the eminent ''
ghazal'' singer
Begum Akhtar
Akhtari Bai Faizabadi (7 October 1914 – 30 October 1974), also known as Begum Akhtar, was an Indian singer and actress. Dubbed "Mallika-e-Ghazal" (Queen of Ghazals), she is regarded as one of the greatest singers of ghazal, dadra, and thu ...
. A pioneer of the style, ''"Ae Mohabbat Tere anjaam pe rona aaya"'' is one of her best known musical renditions.
Bhatkande Music Institute University at Lucknow is named after the musician
Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande
Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (10 August 1860 – 19 September 1936) was an Indian musicologist who wrote the first modern treatise on Hindustani classical music, an art which had been propagated for centuries mostly through oral traditions. ...
Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts (BNA), also known as Bhartendu Natya Academy, is a theatre-training institute situated at Gomti Nagar. It is a
deemed university and an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Culture, Government of Uttar Pradesh. It was set up in 1975 by the Sangeet Natak Akademy (government of Uttar Pradesh), and became an independent drama school in 1977. Apart from government institutes, there are many private theatre groups including IPTA, Theatre Arts Workshop (TAW), Darpan, Manchkriti and the largest youth theatre group, Josh. This is a group for young people to experience theatre activities, workshops and training.
Lucknow is also the birthplace of musicians including
Naushad
Naushad Ali (25 December 1919 – 5 May 2006) was an Indian music director for Hindi films. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and foremost music directors of the Hindi film industry. He is particularly known for popularising the ...
,
Talat Mahmood
Talat Mahmood (24 February 1924 – 9 May 1998) was an Indian playback singer who is considered one of the popular male Indian film song and ghazal singers. Although he tried his luck as a film actor, he did not succeed a great deal in act ...
,
Anup Jalota
Anup Jalota, (born 29 July 1953) is an Indian singer, musician and actor, best known for his contributions to the Bhajan genre of Indian Music. He is popularly known as the "Bhajan Samraat" (Emperor of Bhajans).[Baba Sehgal
Harjeet Singh "Baba" Sehgal, is an Indian rapper. He was widely acclaimed to be the first Indian rapper. He is also involved in various other areas of the entertainment industry, and works in several different languages' media. He was a contesta ...]
as well as British pop celebrity Sir
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...
.
Lucknow Chikan
Lucknow is known for embroidery works including
''chikankari'', ''
zari
''Zari'' (or ''jari'') is an even thread traditionally made of fine gold or silver used in traditional Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani garments, especially as brocade in saris etc. This thread is woven into fabrics, primarily silk, to make i ...
'', ''
zardozi
Zardozi or zar-douzi or zarduzi (from Classical Persian زَردوزی ''zardōzī'', literally "gold embroidery"; fa, label= Modern Persian, زَردوزی, translit=zarduzi; hi, ज़रदोज़ी, tg, зардӯзӣ, ur, زردوز ...
'', ''kamdani'' and ''gota'' making (gold lace weaving).
''Chikankari'' is an embroidery work well known all over India. This 400-year-old art in its present form was developed in Lucknow and it remains the only location where the skill is practised today. ''Chikankari'' constitutes 'shadow work' and is a delicate and artistic hand embroidery done using white thread on fine white cotton cloth such as fine muslin or chiffon. Yellowish ''muga'' silk is sometimes used in addition to the white thread. The work is done on caps, ''
kurta
A ''kurta'' is a loose collarless shirt or tunic worn in many regions of South Asia, (subscription required) Quote: "A loose shirt or tunic worn by men and women." Quote: "Kurta: a loose shirt without a collar, worn by women and men from South ...
''s, ''
sari
A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
* as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO
* bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO
* gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std ...
''s, scarfs, and other vestments. The ''chikan'' industry, almost unknown under the Nawabs, has not only survived but has flourished. About 2,500 entrepreneurs have engaged in manufacturing ''chikan'' for sale in local, national and international markets with Lucknow the largest exporter of ''chikan'' embroidered garments.
As a sign of recognition, in December 2008, the Indian
Geographical Indication Registry (GIR) accorded Geographical Indication (GI) status for ''chikankari'', recognising Lucknow as the exclusive hub for its manufacture.
Quality of life
Lucknow was ranked "India's second happiest city" in a survey conducted by
IMRB International
Kantar IMRB (formerly IMRB International) is a market research, survey and business consultancy firm. It is headquartered in Mumbai, India and has operations in over 15 countries. IMRB is a part of the Kantar Group, WPP’s research, insights ...
and
LG Corporation
LG Corporation (or LG Group) (), formerly Lucky-Goldstar from 1983 to 1995 (Korean: ''Leokki Geumseong''; ), is a South Korean multinational conglomerate founded by Koo In-hwoi and managed by successive generations of his family. It is t ...
, after only
Chandigarh
Chandigarh () is a planned city in India. Chandigarh is bordered by the state of Punjab to the west and the south, and by the state of Haryana to the east. It constitutes the bulk of the Chandigarh Capital Region or Greater Chandigarh, which a ...
. It fared better than other metropolitan cities in India including
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Ho ...
,
Bangalore
Bangalore (), List of renamed places in India, officially Bengaluru (), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan area, metropolitan population of a ...
and
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
. Lucknow was found to be better than other cities in areas such as food, transit and overall citizen satisfaction.
Education
Lucknow is home to a number of prominent educational and research organisations including
Indian Institute of Management Lucknow
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
(IIM-L),
(IIIT-L),
Central Drug Research Institute
The Central Drug Research Institute is a multidisciplinary research laboratory in Lucknow, India, employing scientific personnel from various areas of biomedical sciences. Prof. Tapas Kumar Kundu, a molecular biologist, academician and recipien ...
(CDRI),
Indian Institute of Toxicology Research
The Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (previously the Industrial Toxicology Research Centre) is a laboratory run under the aegis of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. It was established in 1965 by Sibte Hasan Zaidi and has its ...
,
National Botanical Research Institute
The National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) is a research institute of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is engaged in the field of taxonomy and modern biology.
History
Ori ...
(NBRI),
Institute of Engineering and Technology
The Institute of Engineering and Technology, Lucknow (IET, Lucknow) is a state government-funded technical institute in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is a constituent college of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University (erstwhile Uttar ...
(IET Lko),
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University (RMNLU),
Institute of Hotel Management, Lucknow
Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology & Applied Nutrition, Lucknow is a hospitality management school located is located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was established in 1969, it is affiliated to National Council for Hotel Ma ...
(IHM),
Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences
Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences is a medical Institute under the State Legislature Act in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, south of Hazratganj on Raebareli Road. It was established in 1983 and is named after Sanjay Gandhi.
Th ...
(SGPGI),
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences and
King George's Medical University
King George's Medical University is a medical school, hospital, and medical university located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. The medical school was raised to a medical university by an act passed by the government of Uttar Pradesh on 16 Sep ...
(KGMU). The National P. G. College (NPGC), affiliated to the
University of Lucknow
The University of Lucknow (informally known as Lucknow University, and LU) is a public state university based in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Founded in 1920, the University of Lucknow is one of the oldest government owned institutions of higher ed ...
, was ranked as the second-best college imparting formal education in the country by the
National Assessment and Accreditation Council
The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is a government organisation in India that assesses and accredits Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). It is an autonomous body funded by the University Grants Commission and headquarte ...
in 2014.
Educational institutions in the city include seven
universities
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
including the
University of Lucknow
The University of Lucknow (informally known as Lucknow University, and LU) is a public state university based in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Founded in 1920, the University of Lucknow is one of the oldest government owned institutions of higher ed ...
, a
Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, a
technical university (Uttar Pradesh Technical University), a
law university (RMLNLU), an
Islamic university (DUNU) and many
polytechnics, engineering institutes and industrial-training institutes.
Other research organisations in the state include the
Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, popularly known as CIMAP, is a frontier plant research laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Established originally as Central Indian Medicinal Plants Organisat ...
,
Central Food Technological Research Institute
The Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) is an Indian food research institute and laboratory headquartered in Mysore, India. It is a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
India is the wor ...
, and the Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute.
Some of Uttar Pradesh's major schools are located in Lucknow including
Delhi Public School
Delhi Public School (also known as DPS) is the largest public school institution in India. The classes are from KG I to Class XII (Science, Arts and Commerce). It is affiliated to CBSE. Delhi Public School may refer to:
* Delhi Public School Socie ...
having its branches in Eldeco, Indiranagar. Lucknow International Public School,
City Montessori School
City Montessori School (CMS) is a co-educational English medium private school that offers education from Pre-school up to K-12 (Grade 12) level in Lucknow, India. The school was founded in 1959 by Dr. Bharti Gandhi and Jagdish Gandhi, Dr. Jagdi ...
,
Colvin Taluqdars' College, Centennial Higher Secondary School,
St. Francis' College,
Loreto Convent Lucknow, St. Mary's Convent Inter College, Kendriya Vidyalaya,
Lucknow Public School
Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...
, Stella Maris Inter College,
Seth M.R. Jaipuria School, Cathedral School, Mary Gardiner's Convent School, Modern School, Amity International School, St. Agnes, Army Public School, Mount Carmel College, Study Hall, Christ Church College, Rani Laxmi Bai School and Central Academy.
City Montessori School
City Montessori School (CMS) is a co-educational English medium private school that offers education from Pre-school up to K-12 (Grade 12) level in Lucknow, India. The school was founded in 1959 by Dr. Bharti Gandhi and Jagdish Gandhi, Dr. Jagdi ...
, with over 20 branches spread throughout the city, is the only school in the world to have been awarded a UNESCO Prize for Peace Education. CMS also holds a Guinness World Record for being the largest school in the world, with over 40,000 pupils. The school consistently ranks among the top schools of India.
La Martiniere Lucknow, founded in 1845, is the only school in the world to have been awarded a
battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible.
In European military t ...
. It is one of the oldest schools in India, often ranked among the top ten schools in the country. Lucknow also has a sports college named
Guru Gobind Singh Sports College
Guru Gobind Singh Sports College, Lucknow is a residential sports college in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. It offers sports training in football, hockey, wrestling, athletics, badminton, swimming and kabaddi in 6th to 12th standard and with the curr ...
.
File:IIMLucknow.jpg, Indian Institute of Management Lucknow
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
File:IET college Lucknow.jpg, Institute of Engineering and Technology, Lucknow
File:Iiitl3.png,
File:La Martiniere College, Lucknow - by Ahmad Faiz Mustafa.jpg, La Martiniere College
LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States.
La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* La (musical note), or A, the sixth note
* "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...
File:Lucknowuniversity.jpg, University of Lucknow
The University of Lucknow (informally known as Lucknow University, and LU) is a public state university based in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Founded in 1920, the University of Lucknow is one of the oldest government owned institutions of higher ed ...
File:Chattar Manzil 2005.jpg, Central Drug Research Institute
The Central Drug Research Institute is a multidisciplinary research laboratory in Lucknow, India, employing scientific personnel from various areas of biomedical sciences. Prof. Tapas Kumar Kundu, a molecular biologist, academician and recipien ...
File:Amity University Lucknow Campus.jpg, Amity University Lucknow Campus, also known as Mango Orchard Campus
File:P19653f8691h0b1nsf156o131d1gccd.jpg, BBD groups of colleges Campus in Lucknow
File:BBDU Main Building.jpg, BBD University building in BBD Campus in Lucknow
Media
Lucknow has had an influence on the
Hindi film industry as the birthplace of poet, dialogue writer and script writer
K. P. Saxena, Suresh Chandra Shukla born 10 February 1954 along with veteran Bollywood and Bengali film actor
Pahari Sanyal
Pahari Sanyal (22 February 1906 – 10 February 1974) was an Indian actor and singer who is known for his work in Bengali cinema.
Sanyal acted in many Bengali films, such as '' Harano Sur'', ''Bhanu Goenda Jahar Assistant'', and ''Shilpi''. ...
, who came from the city's well known Sanyal family.
Several movies have used Lucknow as their backdrop including
Shashi Kapoor's ''
Junoon'', Muzaffar Ali's ''
Umrao Jaan'' and ''
Gaman
Gaman ( hi, गमन, English:Departure) is a Hindi film released in 1978, starring Farooq Sheikh and Smita Patil in the lead roles and introducing Nana Patekar in a supporting role. It is the directorial debut of Muzaffar Ali, who went on to m ...
'',
Satyajit Ray's ''
Shatranj ke khiladi
"Shatranj Ke Khilari" (''The Chess Player''s) is a 1924 Hindi short-story written by Munshi Premchand. Premchand also made the Urdu version titled "Shatranj ki bazi".
Synopsis
The story depicts decadent royalty of Central North India. It is set ...
''.
Ismail Merchant
Ismail Merchant (born Ismail Noor Muhammad Abdul Rahman (25 December 1936 – 25 May 2005)) was an Indian film producer, director and screenwriter. He worked for many years in collaboration with Merchant Ivory Productions which included Direct ...
's ''
Shakespeare Wallah
''Shakespeare Wallah'' is a 1965 Merchant Ivory Productions film. The story and screenplay are by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, about a travelling family theatre troupe of English actors in India, who perform Shakespeare plays in towns across India, amid ...
'',
PAA and Shailendra Pandey's ''
JD''. In the movie ''
Gadar: Ek Prem Katha'' Lucknow was used to depict
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
, with locations including Lal Pul, the Taj Hotel and the
Rumi Darwaza
The Rumi Darwaza (Hindi: रूमी दरवाज़ा, Urdu: , and sometimes known as the Turkish Gate), in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, is an imposing gateway which was built by Nawab Asaf-Ud-Daula in 1784. It is an example of Awadh ...
used in ''
Tanu Weds Manu
''Tanu Weds Manu'' is a 2011 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy-drama by Aanand L. Rai, and produced by Shailesh R Singh. It stars R. Madhavan, Kangana Ranaut, Jimmy Sheirgill, Eijaz Khan, Swara Bhaskar and Deepak Dobriyal. The story of th ...
''. Some parts of ''
Ladies vs Ricky Bahl
''Ladies vs Ricky Bahl'' is a 2011 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed by Maneesh Sharma from a screenplay by Devika Bhagat and produced by Aditya Chopra for Yash Raj Films. It stars Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma, Parineeti Ch ...
'', ''
Bullett Raja'', ''
Ishaqzaade
''Ishaqzaade'' () is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language romantic action film written and directed by Habib Faisal, and produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films. The film stars debutant Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra in the lead roles, wit ...
'', ''
Ya Rab
''Ya Rab'' () is a 2014 Indian Hindi-language film directed by Hasnain Hyderabadwala, and starring Ajaz Khan, Arjumman Mughal, Raju Kher, Vikram Singh and Imran Hasnee. The film shows the battle between two ideologies. One group represents the ...
'' and ''
Dabangg 2
''Dabangg 2'' () is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language action comedy film co-produced with and directed by Arbaaz Khan in his directorial debut, who co-produced the film with Malaika Arora. Its story is set in Kanpur and written by Dilip Shukla. '' ...
'' were shot in Lucknow or at other sites nearby. A major section of the Bollywood movie,
Daawat-e-Ishq
''Daawat-e-Ishq'' () is a 2014 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed by Habib Faisal, and produced by Aditya Chopra under the banner of Yash Raj Films. It stars Parineeti Chopra and Aditya Roy Kapur. The soundtrack was composed ...
starring
Aditya Roy Kapur
Aditya Roy Kapur (born 16 November 1985) is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Hindi films. He made his acting debut in 2009 with the musical drama film ''London Dreams''. Kapur had his first commercial success came with the romantic mu ...
and
Parineeti Chopra
Parineeti Chopra (; born 22 October 1988) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. Chopra is a recipient of several accolades, including a Filmfare and a National Film Award. She has appeared in ''Forbes India'' Celebrity 10 ...
was shot in the city as was
Baawre, an Indian TV drama, airing on the
Life OK channel. The government has announced to develop two film cities in Lucknow. Here are some newspaper companies working and give online news services to the news readers including
Amar Ujala,
''
Dainik Jagran
''Dainik Jagran'' ( Hi:दैनिक जागरन , , ) is an Indian Hindi language daily newspaper.
It was ranked 5th in the world and 2nd in India by circulation in 2016. In 2019 Quarter 4, according to Indian Readership Survey, Daini ...
,
Hindustan Times
''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media, an entity controlled by the KK Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia.
It was founded by Sunder Singh Ly ...
,
The Times of India
''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
'' and ''
Dainik Bhaskar
''Dainik Bhaskar ''is India's largest Hindi-language daily newspaper owned by the Dainik Bhaskar Group. According to Audit Bureau of Circulations, it is ranked 3rd in the world by circulation and is the largest newspaper in India by circula ...
''.
''The Pioneer'' newspaper, headquartered in Lucknow and started in 1865, is the second-oldest English-language newspaper in India still in production. The country's first prime minister
Jawaharlal Nehru
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat—
*
*
*
* and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...
founded
''The National Herald'' in the city prior to World War II with
Manikonda Chalapathi Rau
Manikonda Chalapathi Rau (also known as MC and Magnus) (1910 – 25 March 1983) was an Indian journalist and an authority on the Nehruvian thought. Rau was editor of the English-language daily National Herald of Lucknow for over thirty years fr ...
as its editor.
One of the earliest
All India Radio
All or ALL may refer to:
Language
* All, an indefinite pronoun in English
* All, one of the English determiners
* Allar language (ISO 639-3 code)
* Allative case (abbreviated ALL)
Music
* All (band), an American punk rock band
* ''All'' (All ...
stations has been operational in Lucknow since 1938.
FM radio transmission started in Lucknow in 2000. The city has the following FM radio stations:
*
Radio City 91.1 MHz
*
Red FM 93.5
Red FM (Often stylized as ''Superhits 93.5 RED FM'') is an Indian FM radio network headquartered in Chennai and owned by Chennai-based Sun Group. The network broadcasts content in various Indian languages including Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Telu ...
MHz
*
Radio Mirchi
Radio Mirchi (also known as 98.3 Mirchi) is a nationwide network of private FM radio stations in India. It is owned by the EntertainmentNetwork India Ltd (ENIL), which is one of the subsidiaries of The Times Group. ''Mirchi'' is Hindi for re ...
98.3 MHz
*
AIR FM Rainbow 100.7 MHz
*
Fever 104 FM
Fever FM is an FM radio station in India. It is currently available in 13 cities in India:
Music & Bollywood
Fever plays contemporary hit music in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, while the other cities have a mix of contemporary and retro Bollywo ...
104.0 MHz
*
Gyan Vani 105.6 MHz (educational)
* AIR FM Vividh Bharti 101.6 MHz
* CMS FM 90.4 MHz (educational)
* Mirchi Love 107.2 FM
* BBDU FM 90.8 MHz (of Babu Banarsi Das University)
"My Lucknow My Pride" is a
mobile app
A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on d ...
launched by the district administration of Lucknow circa December 2015 in efforts to preserve "the cultural heritage of Lucknow" and to encourage tourism.
Sports
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...
,
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
,
badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players p ...
,
golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping ...
, and
hockey
Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...
are among the most popular sports in the city.
The main sports hub is the
K. D. Singh Babu Stadium, which also has a swimming pool and indoor games complex. There are plans to develop KDSB stadium along the lines of Ekana Stadium. KDSB stadium needs Rs 2 billion in funds to redesign and upgrade as per international standards. The other stadiums are Dhyan Chand Astroturf Stadium, Mohammed Shahid Synthetic Hockey Stadium, Dr. Akhilesh Das Gupta Stadium at Northern India Engineering College, Babu Banarsi Das UP Badminton Academy, Charbagh, Mahanagar, Chowk and the Sports College near the
Integral University
Integral University is a private university in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, India, It is located in the North-eastern part of the city in Dashauli, approximately 17Km from the center of the City. Integral University, the first enact ...
.
In September 2017,
Ekana International Cricket Stadium
Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, formerly Ekana International Cricket Stadium, and commonly known as Ekana Cricket Stadium, is a cricket stadium in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh in India. It is a stadium under public-priv ...
was opened to the public as it hosted
2017–18 Duleep Trophy. On 6 November 2018
Ekana International Cricket Stadium
Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, formerly Ekana International Cricket Stadium, and commonly known as Ekana Cricket Stadium, is a cricket stadium in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh in India. It is a stadium under public-priv ...
hosted its first T20 international match between
Indian national cricket team
The India men's national cricket team, also known as Team India or the Men in Blue, represents India in men's international cricket. It is governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and is a List of International Cricket Cou ...
and
West Indies cricket team
The West Indies cricket team, nicknamed the Windies, is a multi-national men's cricket team representing the mainly English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean region and administered by Cricket West Indies. The players on ...
.
It is the Third largest cricket stadium in India by capacity after
Kolkata
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...
's
Eden Gardens
The Eden Gardens is a cricket ground in Kolkata, India. Established in 1864, it is the oldest and second-largest cricket stadium in India and third-largest in the world. The stadium currently has a capacity of 66,000.
Eden Gardens is often re ...
and
Ahmedabad's
Narendra Modi Stadium
The Narendra Modi Stadium (Gujarati: નરેન્દ્ર મોદી સ્ટેડિયમ; Hindi: नरेन्द्र मोदी स्टेडियम), formerly known as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium is a cricket stadium ...
. For decades Lucknow hosted the
Sheesh Mahal Cricket Tournament
{{Use Indian English, date=August 2022
ThSheesh Mahal Cricket Tournamentis India's oldest summer cricket tournament and in its hey day was a most prestigious one which attracted teams from all parts of India.
A bubbling youth and a cricket mania ...
.
Lucknow is the headquarters for the
Badminton Association of India
Badminton Association of India (BAI) is the governing body of badminton in India. BAI is an association registered under the societies act. It was formed in 1934, and has been holding national-level tournaments in India since 1936.
BAI has 28 ...
. Located in Gomti Nagar, it was formed in 1934 and has been holding national-level tournaments in India since 1936.
Syed Modi Grand Prix is an international Badminton competition held here. Junior-level Badminton players receive their training in Lucknow after which they are sent to Bangalore.
The Lucknow Race Course in Lucknow Cantonment is spread over ; the course's -long race track is the longest in India.
The Lucknow Golf Club is on the sprawling greens of
La Martinière College.
The city has produced several national and world-class sporting personalities. Lucknow sports hostel has produced international-level cricketers
Mohammad Kaif
Mohammad Kaif () (born 1 December 1980) is a former Indian cricketer, who played Tests and ODIs. He made it to the national team on the strength of his performances at the Under-19 level, where he captained the India national under-19 cricket ...
,
Piyush Chawla
Piyush Chawla (; born 24 December 1988) is an Indian cricketer who has played for the India national cricket team. He has also played for the India under-19 team and the Central Zone. He is seen as a leg-spinning all-rounder in domestic cricke ...
,
Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina (; born 27 November 1986) is an Indian former international cricketer. He occasionally served as stand-in captain for Indian men's national cricket team during the absence of the main captain. He played for Uttar Pradesh (UP) in ...
, Gyanendra Pandey,
Praveen Kumar
Praveen Kumar (, born 2 October 1986) is a former Indian cricketer who bowled right-hand medium-pace. In first-class cricket, he played for Uttar Pradesh cricket team. He relied on his ability to swing the ball both ways along with line and le ...
and
R. P. Singh. Other notable sports personalities include hockey Olympians
K. D. Singh
Kunwar Digvijay Singh (2 February 1922 – 27 March 1978), popularly known as "Babu", was an Indian field hockey player. He was born in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh. He is widely known for his mesmerising passing ability and is considered by ...
,
Jaman Lal Sharma
Jaman Lal Sharma (1932–2007) was an Indian field hockey player. He won a silver medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.
Sharma was born in Bannu, North-West Frontier Province, British India, in what is now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pa ...
,
Mohammed Shahid
Mohammed Shahid (14 April 1960 – 20 July 2016) was an Indian field hockey player. He is considered one of India's best to have played the game and was known for his dribbling skills. He was a member of the Indian team that won the gold medal ...
and
Ghaus Mohammad, the tennis player who became the first Indian to reach the quarter finals at
Wimbledon.
In October 2021, an
IPL
The Indian Premier League (IPL), also known as TATA IPL for sponsorship reasons, is a men's T20 franchise cricket league of India. It is annually contested by ten teams based out of seven Indian cities and three Indian states. The leagu ...
franchise based in Lucknow was officially formed and was later named
Lucknow Super Giants
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) is a franchise cricket team based in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. They play in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Lucknow franchise formed in 2021. Sanjeev Goenka is its principal owner. The team is captained by KL Rahu ...
. It will play its home matches at
BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium
Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, formerly Ekana International Cricket Stadium, and commonly known as Ekana Cricket Stadium, is a cricket stadium in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh in India. It is a stadium under public-priv ...
.
City-based clubs
Parks and recreation
![Ambedkar Memorial Park-Lucknow-Uttar Pradesh-MA22](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Ambedkar_Memorial_Park-Lucknow-Uttar_Pradesh-MA22.jpg)
The city has parks and
recreation areas managed by the Lucknow Development Authority. These include
Kukrail Reserve Forest
Kukrail Reserve Forest ( hi, कुकरैल जंगल), an urban forest created in 1950s as a plantation forest, is located about 9 km northwest from Lucknow city centre in Uttar Pradesh state of India. It has a captive breeding and conse ...
,
Qaisar Bagh
Qaisar ( ar, قيصر) is the Arabic version of the name Caesar and it is used as a given name in Arabia. The Roman and later Byzantine emperors were called ''Qaisar-e-Rum'' (Caesar of Rome) by the Arabs and Persians. The Ottoman Sultans also ...
, Gomti Riverfront Park,
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Park, Eco Park,
Ambedkar Memorial Park
Ambedkar Memorial Park, formally known as Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Prateek Sthal, is a public park and memorial in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. The memorial is dedicated to B. R. Ambedkar, the 20th century Indian ...
,
Janeshwar Mishra park, the largest park in
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
, Buddha Park, Hathi Park. It boasts lush greenery, a man-made lake, India's longest cycling and jogging track and a variety of flora. The plan is also to set up a giant Ferris wheel inside the park on the lines of London Eye, providing a panoramic view of the city.
Kukrail Picnic Spot (crocodile-breeding sanctuary), located near Lucknow Indiranagar Area. This is Asia's largest crocodile-breeding center. This along with a small zoo and ample open space make it unique.
Sister cities
Notable individuals
Historical places
*
Bara Imambara
Bara Imambara, also known as Asfi Imambara is an imambara complex in Lucknow, India built by Asaf-ud-Daula, Nawab of Awadh in 1784. ''Bara'' means ''big''. This imambara is the second largest after the Nizamat Imambara.
Building composition
...
*
Chhota Imambara
*
Imambara Ghufran Ma'ab
Imambara Ghufran Ma'ab (Urdu: , ) in Lucknow, India is an imambara (a building used to commemorate the Muharram commemoration period in which Muslims, particularly Shias mourning the tragedy of Karbala in which Imam Hussain was killed) constructe ...
*
Aminabad
*
Colvin Taluqdars' College
*
La Martiniere Lucknow
*
Isabella Thoburn College
The Isabella Thoburn College, formerly the Lucknow Women's College and often called informally IT College, is a college for women in Lucknow, India, named after its founder, Isabella Thoburn, the first woman American missionary of the Methodist ...
*
Qaisar Bagh
Qaisar ( ar, قيصر) is the Arabic version of the name Caesar and it is used as a given name in Arabia. The Roman and later Byzantine emperors were called ''Qaisar-e-Rum'' (Caesar of Rome) by the Arabs and Persians. The Ottoman Sultans also ...
*
Rumi Darwaza
The Rumi Darwaza (Hindi: रूमी दरवाज़ा, Urdu: , and sometimes known as the Turkish Gate), in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, is an imposing gateway which was built by Nawab Asaf-Ud-Daula in 1784. It is an example of Awadh ...
*
Shah Najaf Imambara
*
Dargah
A dargah ( fa, درگاه ''dargâh'' or ''dargah'', Turkish: ''dergâh'', Hindustani: ''dargah'' दरगाह درگاہ, bn, দরগাহ ''dorgah'') is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often ...
of Hazrat Abbas
*
Dilkusha Kothi
Dilkusha Kothi is the remains of an eighteenth-century house built in the English baroque style in the quiet Dilkusha area of Lucknow in India.
*
Karbala of Dayanat-ud-Daulah
* Tomb of
Mir Babar Ali Anis
Mir Babar Ali Anees ( ur, مير ببر على انيس) (1800–1874), also known as Mir Anees was an Indian Urdu poet. He used his pen-name (takhallus) of Anees (Urdu: , ''Anees'' means "close friend, companion") in poetry. Anees used Persian, ...
* Imambara Sibtainabad (
Maqbara
The Arabic word ''Maqbara'' ( "mausoleum"; ''plural'': ''Maqâbir'') is derived from the word Qabr, which means grave. Though maqbara refers to the graves of all Muslims, it refers especially to a Muslim cemetery. In some Islamic cultures (espe ...
of
Amjad Ali Shah)
*
Rauza
Rauza, Rouza, Roza ( ur, , bn, রৌজা, hi, रौज़ा) is a Perso-Arabic term used in Middle East and Indian subcontinent which means shrine or tomb. It is also known as mazār, '' maqbara'' or ''dargah''.
The word ''rauza'' is der ...
Kazmain
*
Residency
Residency may refer to:
* Domicile (law), the act of establishing or maintaining a residence in a given place
** Permanent residency, indefinite residence within a country despite not having citizenship
* Residency (medicine), a stage of postgra ...
*
Usman Enclave
*
All Saints Garrison Church, Lucknow
All Saints Garrison Church is a historical building located in the Cantonment area of the city of Lucknow in India.
History
This church was built in 1860 but at that time it was small as compared to its present architecture. With the passage o ...
*
Alambagh
Alambagh (Hindi: आलमबाग़, ) is a settlement located in Lucknow near Kanpur road in India. It is one of the most important residential and commercial areas of Lucknow and also one of the densely populated areas of the city. Alamba ...
*
Begum Hazrat Mahal
Begum Hazrat Mahal (c. 18207 April 1879), also known as the Begum of Awadh, was the second wife of Nawab of Awadh Wajid Ali Shah, and the regent of Awadh in 1857–1858. She is known for the leading role she had in the rebellion against the ...
Park
See also
*
Amir-ud-daula Public Library
*
Bharwara Sewage Treatment Plant
*
Fun Republic Mall
*
List of cities in India by population
The following tables are the list of cities in India by population. Often cities are bifurcated into multiple regions (municipalities) which results in creation of cities within cities which may figure in the list. The entire work of this article ...
*
List of million-plus urban agglomerations in India
India is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people. India consists of twenty-eight states and eight union territories. It is a home to ...
*
List of tallest buildings in Lucknow
*
List of twin towns and sister cities in India
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
Official Site of Lucknow
{{Authority control
Metropolitan cities in India
Cities and towns in Lucknow district
Indian capital cities
Cities in Uttar Pradesh