Lucknow And Then

Combine three parts Islamic architecture, one part decaying remnants of the British Raj, and two parts of modern cosmopolitanism. Mix with a careful dash of air pollution, some over-the-top traffic chaos, and serve on a flat river plain. Garnish with liberal amounts of old-world gentility and friendliness, and enjoy!

That's the best way I can think of to describe Lucknow, the bustling capital city of Uttar Pradesh. After Varanasi, this city is a delight. It's not particularly touristy, and seems to be avoided by most of the backpacker circuit, but I am definitely glad I gave the place a chance. I've spent a few nights staying in a small homestay near the train tracks, eating delicious home-cooked food and enjoying good company, venturing out every now and again to explore.

Lucknow has a distinguished history. For centuries it was the capital of an Islamic state, and the city is packed to the brim with Muslim architecture, Muslim food, and one of India's strongest Muslim populations (who would have guessed?). The jewel in the crown is the Bara Imambara, a massive tomb for one of the Nawabs, but it seems like everywhere you go you turn up small mosques, imambaras, etc. Just to top it all off, the kebabs in the old city are melt-in-your-mouth delicious.











The other main tourist thing-to-do in Lucknow is the Residency, a crumbling ruin of a garrison that was besieged for 87 horrific days during the Mutiny of 1857. Bizarrely (but perhaps inevitably), the manicured lawns and palm-shaded pathways seem to have become the hot spot for a date: everywhere you go, odds are pretty good that you'll run across a young Indian couple canoodling in a corner.









But the best thing about Lucknow to me is simply the friendliness. Lucknow has a reputation throughout India for it's pehle aap (after you!) gentility, and this is on show throughout the city. Whether it's as overt as the frequent random acts of kindness (such as the gentleman who offered me a lift across town on his motorbike "[b]ecause I like to help visitors enjoy our beautiful city!"), or as simple as the friendly smiles and greetings from almost everyone you walk past in the street, Lucknow presents itself well.











There are other hidden treasures here as well. I was a little staggered to learn that Walter Burley Griffin, the architect best known for designing Canberra, is buried in a small local cemetery. Apparently he succumbed to peritonitis while visiting and died not long after. The cemetery is beautiful, leafy, full of eucalypts (the smell of home!), and small kids flying kites.







Unfortunately, one of the few downsides is the lack of anything resembling a solid internet cafe. Thus, I was unable to get my train e-ticket printed, and missed the red-eye to Agra last night. So now I must haul ass over to the railway station, in the hope that I can find a tourist quota ticket for not too much money. But hey, the worst that happens is that I spend another day or two here. I can live with that.