Travelogues

Has it ever happened that it has been difficult to spare time to visit a place of interest we have lived nearest to? This happened with me when I was studying architecture in Lucknow.... The Imambaras, and a multitude of other monuments were the names added to my "to do" list. As time flew and years passed by some of these places have been visited while some still remain in the to do list.

A chance to go back into history came almost 23 years later, last Friday in the form of some work. I made sure I was carrying the Digi a set of spare rechargeables, just in case I am able to steal some time to visit some of the places in my wish list. I asked my brother in law if he was willing to accompany me. He was ready in a jiffy.

I had tickets booked on the 2230-A AC Special Lucknow Mail. The scheduled departure from New Delhi Railway Station was at 11:30 pm. I had reached New Delhi Station at around 10:30 pm My brother in law was to join me about half an hour later. So I went to the nearby cafe and busied my self with a coffee as I waited for him.

Our train left New Delhi at midnight. We promptly dozed off as soon as the TTE had checked our tickets. When we reached Lucknow at 8:30 am (7:15 am scheduled arrival)it was raining cats an dogs. As if by a miracle, the showers turned to a drizzle as we stepped out of Charbagh Railway station (Lucknow Jn). Quickly, we made our way to Bengali Hotel on the road to Aminabad. We chose this hotel not because we are Bengalis but because it was the same hotel I had checked in for the first time in Lucknow during the Architecture JEE 28 years ago. And I wanted to relive old memories. Nothing much had changed in the hotel or rooms except that the tariff had gone up three folds. We changed and freshened ourselves and after breakfast of bread tost with double egg omlette and a cup of special chai [tea] we were on an auto rikshaw making our way in pouring rain to Indira Bhawan.

Later in the day, when we were over with our work it was still raining, a proper sight seeing was out of the question. But, since our return train was not before 11:30 pm. and we still had a few hours in between, we decided to spend some time within the Indira Bhawan premises for the showers lessened. We had tasty Chenna Kheer and rasgullas at the Parag Booth set up within the complex.

Some minutes later with no signs of the shower abetting, we decided to brave it out to in the rains in a hired auto rikshaw for a ride around Lucknow. We easily found one willing to go around Lucknow at 50 bucks an hour. We hopped in and off we were on a Monsoon Sight Seeingin Avad. Soon, winding roads took us across monuments and new identities of Lucknow. One of them was the Scientific Convention Centre. The rain Gods however obliged not before we reached Bara Imambara.

The Bara Imambara built in 1784 is said to have been a a part of the food for work program of Nawab Asaf Ud Daula to provide food to his people during a famine. According to legends, the Nawab ordered a construction which was demolished every evening. The construction continued for months, as a part of providing employment to the famine struck citizens of his state. In return, the people who toiled recieved food for their family. "We were at the Imambara..' announced the auto wallah. The imposing gates and the magnificent structures beckoned us.