Category Archives: Historical Links / Pre-Independence

Kakori martyr’s abode eclipsed

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All

When the country is looking forward to have a National War Memorial, an old house in Varanasi, the abode of Kakori train robbery case hero Rajendra Lahiri, still waits for attention of authorities.

Located on the main road leading to Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi, the house owned by Lahiri family, which should have been conserved as a memorial of the great Bengali revolutionary, has passed through several hands after being sold for commercial gains. The ground floor of the two-storey building houses shops, while the upper floor still wears an old look with brick construction without plaster. The house is in possession of trader Dilip Tulsiyani, who purchased it from one Nirvanchand Chatterjee.

At present most people, except some old timers and people of Bangiya Samaj, are not even aware about the history and importance of this place which witnessed the revolutionary activities of Hindustan Republic Association.

After winning the election from Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had crossed the house while going to take part in Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat but the historic place failed to catch his attention as it was eclipsed by shops on ground floor and in neighbourhood.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Binay Singh, TNN / August 14th, 2014

Breaking barriers, Vrindavan widows celebrate Raksha Bandhan

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All

After actively participating in Holi and Deepawali in the past, the widows this time marked the occasion, by tying ‘Rakhi’ to children and holymen in the holy city.

Breaking barriers, Vrindavan widows celebrate
Breaking barriers, Vrindavan widows celebrate

Apart from around 800 widows, at least 100 children from various schools of Delhi took part in Rakhi celebration which was organized at Meera Sahabhagini ashram.

The initiative was taken by Sulabh International, which is working for improving the condition of the widows and bringing them to the mainstream besides ensuring their social assimilation. The organization looks after a thousand widows living in five ashrams here.

Countering the age-old social evil of widowhood, several widows have taken shelter in this holy city.

About 100 widows, mostly in their 80s, were engaged in making colourful Rakhis in Meera Sahabhagini and Chetan Vihar ashram to organise Rakhsha Bandhan at a large scale.

They started making Rakhis right from the first week of July and prepared around 1,000 sacred threads.

The widows shared food with school children and upper caste sadhus and brahmins on the occasion.

The widows also participated in cultural programs especially chalked out for the occasion.

Sulabh founder Bindeshwar Pathak, who takes care of around 1,000 widows in Vrindavan, said that such an initiative would bring cheers to their lives.
‘This is my idea on how to change thoughts, behaviour and attitude of the people of this country towards widows, who are their mothers, sisters, and aunties,’ Pathak said.

A collection of 2,000 colorful Rakhis and sweets would also be sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the widows who have expressed a strong desire to meet him and urge him to ensure their all round welfare.

At least ten widows would visit the PM residence with Rakhis on behalf of around 2,000 widows living in Vrindavan and Varanasi tomorrow on Raksha Bandhan hoping to meet Prime Minister Modi.

Manu Ghosh, who is more than 80 year old, hoped Modi would accept Rakhi from his sisters.

‘We’ll organize many such programs for them in near future,’ Pathak said.
Sulabh, known all around the world for promoting the concept of low-cost sanitation, started taking keen initiative in the welfare of widows after the Supreme Court took strong exception last year to the manner in which the bodies of widows, who lived in government shelter homes at Vrindavan, were disposed of.

source: http://www.post.jagran.com / Post Jagran / Home> States News / by Jagran Post News Desk – Jagran Post Editorial / August 09th, 2014

The Mehedis of Aligarh – sherwani makers for presidents

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion

Aligarh :

Mehedi Hasan of Aligarh has served as tailor to former presidents Sanjeeva Reddy, VV Giri and Fakruddin Ali Ahmed. He is reputed to have stitched 175 sherwanis for former president Zakir Hussain, who donned these in all his 17 years of political life.

Mehedi Hasan’s shop was set up in 1947, the year India became independent. These days, the renowned tailor’s sons Anwar and Akhtar Mehedi carry forward the sartorial legacy.

Vice President Hamid Ansari, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, actors Saif Ali Khan and Raj Babbar, RLD chief Ajit Singh and Somnath Chatterjee, formerly of the CPI-M, have all donned Mehedi sherwanis. Rahul Gandhi’s body is easy to design for, the tailors say, while Satpal Maharaj is rather “complex”!

This Eid, the brothers are hard at work. Anwar, an engineer by training, pursued his father’s trade and entered into tailoring as he finds it far more creatively satisfying. “I learnt from my valid (father) the secrets of making a perfect sherwani. The art lies in getting the right cut and fitting and a graceful fall. Tailors in Delhi are also making sherwanis but they cannot get the right fit, all of them are making free-size sherwanis!” Anwar says.

In the month of Ramzan, the sherwani assumes formal importance,

“That is because of iftar parties, which are formal. Sherwanis go with the feel of the get-together, and has a regal look. We can’t wear this and go for work. It is too formal to be worn at the workplace. Even today, I stitch sherwanis for the DIG, DMs commissioners for iftar parties,” Anwar says.

This Eid, orders have been pouring in from across the country. The Mehedis are catering to demand for sherwanis from Mumbai, Pune, Madras, Odisha and Jammu & Kashmir. Orders from the USA, UK, UAE and Australia are also received, the Mehedis say.

“There is slight change in the demand. Youngsters want modern elements in the sherwani, so we give them open collars. But the demand for the traditional style is higher,” Anwar Mehedi says.

Visitors to the shop can see the register, which has letters from the secretaries of presidents praising him or his father for their sherwanis.

The Mehedis prefer working with silk wool, polywool and terrawool – these fabrics give a nice fitting, they say.

“The art lies in the details, and in observing the body type – shoulders, back, chest and arms, and the grace of the fall. Everything needs to be taken care of.” Anwar Mehedi said, adding, “Fat people think it won’t look nice on them, but the sherwanis gives their bodies shape because they are made to fit the body frame.”

As for women, he says: “I have made some five sherwanis for women, and sent them to the USA. But then, which woman will spend between Rs5,000 and Rs15,000 on a garment that is not-too-embellished or fancy?”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Agra / by Eram Agha / July 29th, 2014

Urdu reflects love and affection: Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav during the prize distribution ceremony of Urdu Academy at Chief Minister House in Lucknow on Monday (Photo: PTI)
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav during the prize distribution ceremony of Urdu Academy at Chief Minister House in Lucknow on Monday (Photo: PTI)

Lucknow:

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today said that Urdu has always connected hearts and when the language is used, it reflects love and affection. Speaking on the occasion of a book prize distribution ceremony of Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy at his official residence, Yadav said a message of love and brotherhood would reach the society through this event.

Emphasising on importance of languages for the mutual understanding among masses, the Chief Minister said Hindi and Urdu were being used to take the society forward. He said it was the intention of the SP government that both the languages get promoted and compete with English. Referring to the efforts made by the SP government to promote Indian languages, he said the government has started felicitating Hindi, Urdu and Sanskrit scholars.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Politics / Press Trust of India / August 05th, 2014

Wooden wonders

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Historical Links / Pre-Independence
Mughal carving, as the name suggests, is a tradition that traces back to Persia and was aimed at royal palaces. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Mughal carving, as the name suggests, is a tradition that traces back to Persia and was aimed at royal palaces. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu

Hapur-based Sardar Hussain lends freshness to Mughal wood carving.

Surrounded by eager participants who show off their handiwork, Sardar Hussain has a beatific smile on his weather-beaten, bearded face as he patiently explains the nuances to the youngsters at one of the intensives at the recent SPIC MACAY’s International Convention. That the shilpa guru is the fourth generation craftsman who has mastered the Mughal technique of wood carving and is the recipient of many a National and international recognition (UNESCO Seal Of Excellence Award) for his craft sits easy on his fragile shoulders.

Mughal carving, as the name suggests, is a tradition that traces back to Persia and was aimed at royal palaces. So, the work itself is a smooth marriage of intricate floral patterns on a grand scale. Sardar Hussain’s family began small but over generations, things have changed. He came into prominence when he was conferred the National Award for making wooden blocks in 1981. He says, “Traditionally, we made blocks but soon we realised that it was not a perennial source of income. So, I reinvented the craft by exploring and expanding the vocabulary during the Golden Age Exhibit at the Festival of India in 1985. I manufactured a wooden box and a round block. I used that block as a lid. I tried a similar thing with square boxes and blocks. What I also did is to use brass inlay on the carved works. And viola! a new craft was born.”

Sardar Hussain has a beatific smile on his weather-beaten, bearded face as he patiently explains the nuances to the youngsters at one of the intensives at the recent SPIC MACAY’s International Convention. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Sardar Hussain has a beatific smile on his weather-beaten, bearded face as he patiently explains the nuances to the youngsters at one of the intensives at the recent SPIC MACAY’s International Convention. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu

Today, Sardar Hussain runs a thriving export business called Sajawat Handicrafts in his hometown in Chhipiwara, Hapur District of Uttar Pradesh. He is assisted by his sons, both also National Award winners. And among their clients are Fab India and CCI. Says Hussain, “We work with designers from these outlets and create articles according to their requirements. That way we are sure of our work reaching customers.” Taking about the craft itself, he says, “The most important aspect here is the finish. The end product is a reflection of your skill and unless that is in places, the piece falls flat.” The wood used is mostly sheesham but the artisan also uses mango wood these days. “The advantage of mango wood is that its texture allows for it t be painted in different colours.”

Today, Sardar Hussain’s oeuvre includes jewellery boxes, pen stands, brightly hued hand mirrors, bangle boxes, wall hangings, photo frames and of course, blocks. Though he does workshops off and on, he feels “What is needed today is for the youngsters to take to a craft with sustained interest. And keep at it till they perfect it. That is somehow lacking today.”

And yes, the wizened craftsman has kept pace with technology, thanks to his children. His entrepreneurial venture is accessible on the Internet (sajawathandicraft.com) and he can be contacted at sajawat.handictaft@gmail.com

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Friday Review / by Savitha Gautam / New Delhi – July 31st, 2014

‘My father saw first major action in WW-1’

Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All

Lucknow :

Even before completing 21 years of age Bibhuti Bhushan Dey Majumdar had become a part of the British Army, and the first major action, which the young lad from Allahabad saw was the first World War (WW1), which broke out on July 28, 1914 following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian thrown in Sarajevo by a Yugoslav nationalist. Almost 100 years after the WW1, daughter of Bibhuti Bhushan Dey Majumdar recall some of the moments, which her parents narrated to her during young days.

Speaking to TOI, octogenarian Probhati Bose, said, “My father (Bibhuti Bhushan Dey Majumdar) was born in the summer of 1893, and in January 1914 he joined the British Army’s Royal Indian Army Supply Corps. After few months of joining, he got to see first major action in World War I, and he along with his regiment went to Mesopotamia to extend support to the infantry soldiers, who were facing the enemy bullets.” She further stated that her father often used to talk about the actions he had seen in the World War-1, when she along with her siblings tried their level best to seek a favour from their father.

Recalling some of the stories narrated by her father (which she could recall), Bose said, “As per my father, mostly Punjabi Muslims and Sikhs fought for the Allies (Britain, France, Russia, US and others) against Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman empire. The Lahore and Meerut infantry divisions had to stop the Germans on the western front (in Europe). The soldiers also saw significant action in Mesopotamia, East Africa and South-East Asia.”

According to the New Delhi-based Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research, India contributed immensely to the war effort in terms of both men and material. Her soldiers served in numerous battlefields around the globe – France and Belgium, Aden, Arabia, East Africa, Gallipoli, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Palestine, Persia, Russia, and even in China. By the end of the war 1,100,000 Indians had served overseas at the cost of 75,000 dead. They earned more than 9,200 decorations for gallantry including 11 Victoria Cross (VCs).

However, the daughter of the World War veteran lamented that military history, which is taught in most of the schools or colleges, is devoid of India’s contribution to World War-1 and World War-2. She said, “Most of the news channel or newspaper reporters are obsessed about the Indo-Pak wars. It is indeed very sad that most of our news channels and newspapers give comparatively less coverage to the illustrious history of India’s contribution in the world wars. And it is only on certain specific occasions, when the clan of the World War veterans is remembered.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Arunav Sinha, TNN / July 28th, 2014

Ranipur Tricot awaits a messiah for revival

Business & Economy, Historical Links / Pre-Independence

Jhansi :

Till 1990s, Ranipur was a flourishing village about 60 kilometres from Jhansi. Every house boasted of a loom that spun a fine quality of fabric aptly named Ranipur Tricot. The quality and low price made the fabric popular among traders from south and east India. The demand too was ever rising with the rich and the poor both opting for the fabric. As a result, the business touched Rs 100 crore and supported around 15,000 families.

Cut to 2014. Ranipur is now a desolate place. Looms have long been closed. People engaged in Tricot business have shifted to other occupations. The industry was destroyed by power crisis that rendered powerlooms dysfunctional. On an average the village received eight hours of power supply that wasn’t enough to make business viable for families. The state government too failed to offer any package. As a result, industry’s forward movement was checked and slowly people started moving away from the business.

There used to be 5,000 to 6,000 looms in 90s which functioned day and night with over a dozen persons working in each shift in every loom to meet the demand. Today the number has gone down to merely 1,000 looms being operated by individuals.

The irony is that while successive governments, both at the Centre and the state have provided huge relief packages for weavers in Bareilly, Banaras, Agra, Surat and other places, no one is talking about the plight of poor weavers.

Recently, Union water resources minister Uma Bharati, who is also the MP from Jhansi, wrote a letter to Union textile minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar requesting him to help revive the dying trade and stop mass migration from the region.

Reminiscing about golden days, Ravidas, in his seventies, said traders from all over the country visited the village to buy his products. “I had a team of over a dozen workers and we worked over-time to meet the demand,” he said and lamented the bad days that had fallen on the village. “Today, despite working hard through out the day, I am not able to earn enough. Youths have deserted the village for greener pastures. Old people are the only left,” he added with a tinge of sadness in his voice.

Ravidas and few of his ilks have reduced the work. A few have shifted to weaving bedsheets and towels, which helps them earn bare minimum to make both ends meet.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / by Arindam Ghosh, TNN / July 26th, 2014

At 200, Chowringhee cousin let down by Lucknow

About Uttar Pradesh, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All

Lucknow19jul2014
Lucknow :

As Calcutta’s Chowringhee welcomed the New Year last night, its counterpart in Lucknow missed a date with history.

The Uttar Pradesh capital was to celebrate the 200th anniversary of its main thoroughfare Hazratganj Road, which was modelled on Chowringhee in 1810, sometime last year.

But the city’s development authority kept missing deadline after deadline for the road’s repair and beautification, which includes renovating and giving a coat of pink and cream to every building flanking it, from shops, bars and restaurants to heritage palaces and mansions.

At midnight yesterday, the 2km road, on which the Raj army had once marched to the residency to put down the sepoys, turned 201 years old without the bicentenary celebrations. Even the usual New Year parties in the upscale street were largely missing because Hazratganj Road is still partially closed for repairs.

Bahujan Samaj Party sources said the planned yearlong celebrations might now begin on January 15, the birthday of chief minister Mayavati.

“It wasn’t planned that way, but now the chief minister may herself flag off the bicentenary programmes on January 15, by when all work would hopefully be complete. It will be her birthday gift to Lucknow’s people,” a senior party leader said.

Many residents have been left disappointed, among them a descendant of Nawab Sadaat Ali Khan, who built the road and many of the mansions on it, largely abandoning Mughal architecture for the European-style buildings he had so admired at Chowringhee.

“We missed a date with history. Everyone knows the road completed 200 years in 2010. Now the street is one year older. They could have begun the celebrations last year and let it spill onto 2011,” said Nawab Ibrahim Ali Khan of Sishmahal.

The celebrations are to kick off with a citizens’ procession, to be led by Lucknow’s oldest resident, 105-year-old Justice R.K. Sharma. The programme includes a roadside exhibition of old photographs of the street. This will be followed by cultural events, such as poetry competitions, through the year.

“But with the centenary year having passed, people will lose much of their enthusiasm,” said Pradip Kapoor, a senior journalist.

The street stretches from Kothi Nur Baux, home to the district magistrate’s office, in the west to Kothi Hayat Baux in the east, where the governor’s house is located.

It is flanked on either side by beautiful buildings such as the Begum Kothi, Khurshid Manzil, Sibtainabad, Amzad Ali Shah Imambarah and the Kankarwali Kothi, all built by Saadat Ali Khan, who ruled Awadh from January 21, 1798, to 1814.

This was the road that Lucknow’s last nawab, Wajed Ali Shah, took when he left his beloved capital for the last time.

Later, Hazratganj Road became an exclusive zone for British officers. It came to have Lucknow’s first bank, first fire station, first ice factory and the first dedicated English movie theatre.

Rosie Llewellyn-Jones, a historian of Lucknow who was here recently, said that sometime before his accession, Saadat had escaped to Calcutta after being implicated in a case. There, he fell in love with the handsome mansions that lined Chowringhee and decided to build a mini-Chowringhee in Lucknow.

So, the road was born. It was originally known as Ganj Road. It got its current name in 1842 when the then nawab, Amzad Ali, dedicated it to the memory of Hazrat Ali, whose tomb is in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan.

Saadat, an enthusiastic builder, commissioned many other palaces in Lucknow, including the Dilkusha Palace, Hayat Baksh Kothi, Farhat Baksh Kothi, Lal Baradari, Chhatar Manzil, Kothi Dil Aram, Munawar Baksh and the Chaupar Stables.

Some of these were designed by noted architect Claude Martin, a French soldier who had turned a general in the British army, historian Yogesh Praveen said.

The Mayavati government woke up to the idea of celebrating the bicentenary in October. But the road had been badly encroached on and its old-world charm was fast fading in the face of unplanned construction.

The Lucknow Development Authority repaired the road, pavements and some heritage buildings, put up iron railings and Victorian-style street lamps, and built a fountain and a huge parking lot. Owners of private buildings were given loans if they couldn’t afford the cost of painting.

A non-government organisation, Lucknow Connect, was already planning bicentennial celebrations for the road but once the government entered the scene, it had to abide by the official deadline.

Mayavati kept sending note after note to her officials to finish the work on time, but Lucknow ended up letting down a part of its history.
______________________________________________________________________

HISTORY ROAD

Name: Hazratganj Road
Built: 1810
By: Nawab Saadat Ali Khan
Modelled on: Chowringhee Road, Calcutta
Known for: Beautiful European-style buildings in a city of arch and dome-dominated
Awadhi architecture. Later, known for Lucknow’s first bank, first fire station and first English movie theatre
Mansions: Begum Kothi, Khurshid Manzil, Sibtainabad, Amzad Ali Shah Imambarah, Kankarwali Kothi
Modern landmarks: Leading restaurants and bars
Witness to history: Last nawab Wajed Ali Shah took the road out of Lucknow; the Raj army marched on it to the residency during the 1857 war of independence
________________________________________________________________________

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph, Calcutta / Front Page> Nation> Story / by Tapas Chakraborty / Lucknow, Sunday – January 02nd, 2011

Nawabi Lucknow

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Travel, World Opinion

LucknowUP06jul2014

Though English singing sensation Cliff Richards was born in Lucknow, the city is not famous for western compositions, but for highly refined versions of Indian performing arts. A classical music form like thumri and dance like Kathak were pioneered by the Muslim Nawabs upcountry. They built the city in 1775 as the capital of Awadh, their inde­pendent sovereignty. And that was esta­blished at a crucial time — when the command of the mighty Mughal Empire in nearby Delhi was waning, while British East India Company was transforming their interest from trade to territory.

The Nawabs flaunted a great passion for art, music and literature, which attracted the best of North India’s talent to Lucknow and that over time permeated through the growing city, giving it a distinctive culture that was both artistic and edifying. Lucknow became another name for courteous urbanity and conjured up an image of a society where adabs and tehzeebs were a way of life.

Today, like any other Indian metropolis, it is an avant-garde settlement of 3 million, but during my recent visit, it didn’t take me much time to sense the breathing of the golden legacies of the past era, despite modernity cloaking the city.

I was able to note an impeccable blend of the ancient with the contemporary, finding quaint markets gracefully coexisting with glitzy shopping malls, tall apartments rising next to stunning ancient monuments, newer cars on the road giving way to horse driven carts and old-fashioned eateries constantly throwing challenge to the kitchens of five star hotels.

The touches of this past lifestyle blazed strikingly, the moment I stepped into the atmospheric Chowk area, where during the Nawabi heyday, traders, artisans, weavers, engravers, painters, singers and nautch girls grew and flourished. A “must visit” destination for all tourists, the quarter is overburdened with liveliness and buoyancy. Winding through its narrow galis, flanked on both sides with dusty two storied houses, business establishments and countless shops, some dating back over 200 years, selling a range of merchandise from old fashioned furnishings, antique utensils, hand laced carpets, aromatic spices, to saris, ghagra’s and kurtas exquisitely embroidered with chikankari, artwork that adorned Nawabi apparel and exotic “atars” gifted to their begums, was an exhilarating experience of savouring antiquity. The classic example of ‘pahele aap’, the legendary etiquette of the city, came up several times from passing pedestrians, when going through some very narrow alleyways, where it’s difficult for two people to cross at the same time.

The experience of meandering through time continued when I visited the magnificent Qaser Bagh Palace, where the dynasty’s last Nawab, Wajed Ali Shah, a prolific poet, singer and dancer, lived till deposed by the British, when Awadh was annexed to the Company’s Empire in 1856. The silent beauty shrouding the ruined Indo- Persian styled edifice promptly shifted my mind to another time zone. Looking at the ornate balconies, I could envision that to be the place where the Nawab leisurely sat and composed verses, such as the famous ‘Babul Mora Naiha Chooto Jaay’ while the city’s magical silhouette slowly sunk into sunset. Wandering around, I thought I heard the rhythms of a tabla matched with the tunes of sarengi, and imagined that coming from a mehefill inside, the Nawab dancing and singing with his luscious courtesans, in a large hall ado­rned with gold framed mirrors, portraits of ancestors and opulent chandeliers hanging from the festooned ceiling. Walking through the surrounding grounds, once treaded on by the emperor and his friends, I didn’t see anyone flying kites or watching rooster fights, but I was told that two of the Nawab’s most favourite pastimes still evoke passionate involvement among the locals.

The opulent vestiges of the Qaser Bagh Palace  bore testament to the extravagant lifestyle  of the Lucknow Nawabs, for which they were notorious. The other building I saw that was equally appealing in style and sumptuousness was the Chatter Manzil, the name being derived from its chatter (umb­rella) shaped gild dome crowing the structure.

The highlight of any visit to Lucknow is surely cherishing  its architectural transcendence and, like me, if you arrive by train, the first taste will come the moment you step down at the Charbagh Railway station — a 1914 built imposing edifice, structured with domes and minarets and looks like a grand palace from outside. It aptly measures up in quality with the city’s other monuments, mostly built by the Nawabs that dominate the expansive physical environment spreading out on both sides of the River Gomti.

For me, the two Imambaras — Bara and Chota, came out as the most distinctive. They are religious monuments, meaning houses of the imams, as per the Shiaite school of Islam to which the Nawabs belonged.

Located in the city’s bustling old quarter, you enter the precinct through the Rumi Darwaza, a soaring gate 60 feet high that has stood imposingly for over two centuries as a silent witness to history. The stunning feature of Bara Imambara which is a maze of a large courtyard, two imposing gates and a mosque, is the 50m long and 15m high central hall, one of the largest vaulted galleries in the world, totally unsupported by pillars. An external stairway guides you to an upper floor laid out as an amazing labyrinth, known as the Bhulbhulaiya, where you are sure to lose your way in the criss-crosses of latticed corridors and stairways, unless someone is with you as a guide. The nearby Chota Imambara, a gem like structure is surrounded by a delicate golden dome and has external walls engraved with superb calligraphy. The interior is adorned with gilt-edged mirrors, ornate chandeliers, silver pulpits and colourful stucco decorations. Next to it is a clock tower, the tall brick structure of which turns into a memorable sight when brightly illuminated at night.

It is said that the Nawabs had equal fascination for poetry and food, so cuisine became and still remains a central feature of the city, serving signature dishes such as tunde kabab, kakori kabab, dum phukt mutton biriyani, nehari and halim, the recipes for which emerged from the regal kitchens. They certainly pledge to delight one’s heart through the stomach, and this worked for me when I tried some of the specialities at the plush Oudhyana Restaurant at the Taj Residency Hotel.

Elusive and enchanting, Lucknow, oozing with history and teeming with life, has all the ingredients to lure any traveller — excellent air, rail and road connections, accommodation to suit every budget, great shopping opportunities, mouth wat­ering cuisine, courteous people and above all a landscape bejewelled with some of India’s most breathtaking monuments. I fell in love with the city instantly and I am sure you will as well.

Factfile

Getting there: Lucknow is 80 km from Kanpur, 210 km from Allahabad, 305 km from Varanasi and 363 km from Agra. The Delhi-Lucknow Shatabdi Express links Lucknow to other major cities in India. Lucknow’s Amausi airport has flights to all the major cities in India. Hire an auto rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Even horse -drawn carts are available. Please try to fix the rate before starting the journey. The main centres of activities in the city today are Gomtinagar, Hajratganj, Janpath, Aminabad, Chowk, Nakhas, Sadar and Nishatgang. Log on to www.up-tourism.com for more information.

— sandiphor@hotmail.com

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> LifeStyle> Travel / by Sandip Hor / June 22nd, 2010

HCBL Co-operative Bank extends financial assistance to Chikan karigars in Lucknow as part of financial inclusion

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Historical Links / Pre-Independence

Lucknow :

One of the leading banks in the Urban Co-operative banking sector of Uttar Pradesh, HCBL Co-operative Bank Ltd has taken active initiatives to promote financial inclusion among skilled craftsmen.

The Bank said it is committed to preserve and promote the age old art of Chikankari, for which the State of Uttar Pradesh is most famous. Chikankari and Zardoji are the traditional crafts of Lucknow city, which are widely appreciated all over the world. To uplift the social and financial promoting this segment .

KK Gupta, chief general manager of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Lucknow recently distributed the cheques of financial assistance to artisans and craftsmen at the Alambagh branch of the bank. Gupta assured artisans that in the coming Lucknow Festival, five stalls would be provided by NABARD to display and sell their products. He praised the efforts of HCBL co-operative Bank for providing financial and other help to Chikankari workers.

He said that NABARD would also help in providing training to the artisans about latest trend and designs in Chikankari. This is the third phase of financial assistance extended to the artisans by the HCBL Bank. Earlier in August and December 2013 too, the Bank had organized similar events in which a large number of artisans had benefited.

Speaking on the occasion, Anil Vikram Singh, chairman of the Bank said, “The Bank has always taken prompt initiatives to provide substantial financial assistance to the lowest strata of the society, specially the artisans and zardoji workers. We hope such financial assistance will make these artisans financially independent and also aid in preserving the age old craft of chikan karigari.”

He said that in future too, the HCBL Bank also aims at providing point of sale options to these artisans to sell their products at the bank’s branches. This will not only help the artisans to show case their products and art but also earn a reasonable income through such sales.

On the occasion, Pawan Kapoor CEO of the bank along with other directors of the bank – Vandana Mehrotra , Pratibha Thukral and other dignitaries were also present. Staff members and other senior officials of the bank attended the occasion.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Priyanka Singh, TNN / July 03rd, 2014