INTRODUCTION Popularly known as The City of Nawabs,Lucknow the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, was once the artistic

capital of northern part of India. The city of Lucknow is popular among tourists for its cultural and traditional heritage. It is also known as the Golden City of the East, Shiraz-i-Hind and The Constantinople of India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division. Courtly manners, beautiful gardens, poetry, music, and fine cuisine characterise the very essence of the city. It is also renowned for its industries based on distinctive Chikan and Lakhnawi Zardozi styles of embroidery.

GENERAL INFORMATION Situated in the heart of the great Gangetic plain, Lucknow city is surrounded by its rural towns and villages like the orchard town of Malihabad, historic Kakori, Mohanlal ganj . The population is around 29 lacs. It is well connected by Air, Rail and Road from all major cities of India. The available multiple modes of public transport in the city are taxis, city buses, cycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws and CNG Buses. Lucknow has a warm humid subtropical climate with cool, dry winters from December to February and dry, hot summers from April to June. The rainy season is from mid-June to mid-September. The best time to visit Lucknow is usually from October to March. This is usually the peak season for Lucknow travel. If you are planning to visit Lucknow, you will find several hotels to choose from, which will make your stay enjoyable and engaging. The Piccadily Lucknow Kanpur Road Taj Residency Lucknow Gomti Nagar Hotel Clarks Avadh Mahatma Gandhi Marg Lucknow being an important tourist destination has no dearth of eateries. From the posh looking star grade restaurants to fast food giants, the city seems to have all. Apart from that, the street-food culture of Lucknow has fewer parallels in Asia. Nearly all the star grade hotels have good in-house restaurants that serve a range of food to the tourists. So it's entirely up to you to choose your eatery as per your taste and budget. The major delights in the city range from Kababs, Biryani to Pasta and Tacos.

PLACES OF ATTRACTION Bada Imambara One of the earliest building and largest one constructed by Nawab Asaf-Ud-Daulah was the Bara Imambara .It is still the largest building complex in the old city. The Nawab decided to build the Imambara as an act of religious piety and a measure of relief for his poor subjects affected by the severe famine of 1783-84 Apart from the magnificence of its structure, the Bara Imambara has a curious attraction in the form of Bhul Bhulaiya. It is a labyrinth [built over the galleries that support the roof] with a series of closed narrow passages and an intricate network that connects them to four sets of staircases that suddenly change direction, going up or down to confuse. Only one of these staircases, when negotiated correctly, leads to the roof on the top, from where it is convenient to come down by a normal straight staircase Chota Imambara Popularly known as the Chhota Imambara, the Imambara of Hussainabad in the old city is one of the most beautiful and attractive buildings. Built by Mohammed Ali Shah in the second year of his rule in 1839 as a token of allegiance to his faith and as gratitude for the lucky windfall, that he never expected at the fag end of his life. Dilkusha Palace The Dilkusha Kothi was originally a three storeyed structure with a part basement. It had four ornamental octagonal towers with glazed pottery tops. Dilkusha Kothi was mostly used as a hunting lodge by the Nawabs and Kings of Awadh, as there was plenty of game, like deer, in the surrounding woods. Being close to the river, it was a scenic spot that provided amusements for many. Roomi Gate Rumi Gate was one of the architectural project taken up by the fourth ruler of awadh, Nawab Asaf-UdDaulah, as part of his relief operations, to provide work and help to the famine affected people in the state in 1783-84. Constantia (La Martiniere Boys) The relationship between the French entrepreneur Claude Martin and Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah gained for the city of Lucknow a reputation and position of significance for its architecture that is unparalleled. The city which was quite unknown and under-developed, suddenly shot into limelight for its grand buildings like the Asafi Imambara and Rumi Gate built by the Nawab and for the European style of buildings that started appearing at the outskirts of the city which were mostly designed and constructed by Claude Martin Picture Gallery The term 'Picture Gallery' is a misnomer because the gallery is housed in a small part of the pink and terracotta coloured building that was built by the third King of Awadh, Mohammed Ali Shah (18371842). The double storeyed building is referred to as a Baradari in contemporary accounts. In front of the Baradari, a talaab (water tank) was built an year after its completion around 1839. A small mosque and a

matching hamam (bath) were also built at the two corners of the talaab Shahi Baoli One of the most unique buildings that Asaf-ud-daulah built was the Shahi Baoli. It was construted around a large well that had been initially dug as a reservoir for storing water for construction work near the Imambara. It turned out to be a perennial source of water, being connected underground with the river following nearby.
British Residency

This was built for the British in 1780 - 1800; it was originally a very extensive and beautiful building. It was a scene of dramatic events during the war of 1857.The scared ruins tell the story of the British community besieged by the rebels. The main house overlooks the river and is surrounded by terraced lawns and gardens.

Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary This is situated at a distance of about 45kms away from Lucknow, spread across 4 square kilometers and it attracts lots of migratory birds during winters. Some major local migratory and residential birds are Saras crane, Painted Stork, Peacock, White Ibis, Dabchick, Whistling teal, Open billed stork, Pheasant tailed jacana, Bronze winged Jacana, Purple moorhen, Lapwing, Tern vulture, Pigeon, King crow, Indian roller and Bee eater. State Museum Zoo This is a favourite spot for recreation; Lucknow museum houses a large collection of artifacts and memorabilia and is situated in Banarasi Bagh within the zoo premises. Husainbad Clock Tower

This is the biggest clock tower in India. This shares the campus of Rumi Darwaza.This Victorian-Gothic Clock Tower goes upto a height of 67m, and was designed in the 1880s, by Roskell Payne. The dial of this clock is shaped like a 12-petalled flower and has bells around it. Ramakrishna Math - Though this is not a place of worship it is supposed to be one of the ideal place for seeking peace and serenity. This was built nearly seventy years ago mainly for spiritual activities. The math is adorned with beautiful marble monuments and gardens. Sankat Mochan Temple - This temple is situated in the heart of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The idol worshipped here is Lord Hanuman. The main feature of this idol is 6.5 ft and is made from a single piece of marble, which is visible from all corners of the puja hall. The temple is also noted for its astounding architecture, a perfect blend of old and new. Jama Masjid

It is supposed to be one of the most beautiful mosques in the whole of India. The most attractive feature of this mosque is that it is supported by 260 pillars whose height varies at different places which are beautifully carved with aesthetic value. It also houses the tomb of Sultan Ahmed Shah. Its courtyard encloses an area of about 4950 square meters.

1857 Memorial Museum, Residency, Lucknow The museum, designed to present a visual accounts of the freedom struggle of 1857, consists a model of the Residency, old photographs, lithographs, paintings, documents, period objects such as guns, swords, shields, musketing cannons, rank badges, medals and other items. Diorama and paintings on canvas showing some of the battle at the Residency and other relating to the theme also from part of the display. Shopping: The noble city of Lucknow is famous for cotton textiles and chikankari work from the ancient times. Perfumes of Lucknow are well known in India. The major shopping market are Hazratganj, Yahiyaganj, Aminabad, Kapoorthala, Janpath, Chowk, Bhootnath & Gomti Nagar. Hazratganj market has a big shopping area where the buildings are of colonial style building. Hazrat Gung is actually a fashionable bazaar that overflows with shops and restaurants. Aminabad is considered not only the busiest market in the city but is also counted among the top bazaars in India in terms of trade volume. Chowk in old Lucknow is also considered a major market. The area is best to pick up Chikankari cloths and antique pieces. While doing the rounds of the shops, a visit to Nakhas, the Sunday market, is obligatory. Shopping malls in Lucknow are the Zee Mall (Fun Republic), West End Mall (Wave) in Gomti Nagar, Riverside Mall Gomti Nagar, Phenix in Alambagh and Sahara Ganj near Shahnazaf Road, Hazratganj that is visited by more than thousands visitors daily. CONCLUSION Lucknow, the golden city of the east' retains an old world charm that fascinates one and all. Regarded as one of the finest cities of India, Lucknow emanates a culture that combines emotional warmth, a high degree of sophistication, courtesy and a love for gracious living. This sublime cultural richness famous as 'Lucknowi Tehzeeb' blends the cultures of two communities living side by side for centuries, sharing similar interests, speaking a common language -Urdu.