I spent the last two days in Lucknow, the capital of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Although this is a beautiful city with some very interesting things to see, there were far fewer tourists here than anywhere else we’ve visited on this tour. This was a pleasant diversion after the throngs at the Taj Mahal.
Kathak
Our first stop was the Anuj Arjun Mistra Dance Company school, where we had the chance to watch students perform Kathak, one of the eight forms of Indian classical dance. Though I would have appreciated more time to chat with the students and ask questions, their performance was stunning.
The word “kathak” comes from Sanskrit “kathakar,” meaning “storyteller.” Kathak narrates stories through the expressive use of body, hands, feet, and face. Its roots go back to 500 BCE. During the Mughal era, Kathak flourished, incorporating more elegant and sensuous dimensions as well as Sufi elements like whirling. But during the Raj, the sexually repressive British discouraged Kathak. Christian missionaries encouraged Kathak dancers to replace Hindu legends with Christian storytelling. Kathak and all other classical dance forms went into decline.
Indian classical dance has experienced a strong revival since independence in 1947. In 1956 the first university Kathak program was established.
The students performed five dances for us, which I recorded on video. I wish I could say something about the stories they were telling through their dance, but I cannot remember the details that their lead dancer explained to us.
I have all five videos posted on YouTube. Here’s one of them, the final dance they performed.
You can find the other four videos on my YouTube channel.
Hazratganj
After we left the school, we went to Hazratganj, Lucknow’s central business district. In the evening, the neighborhood was bustling with locals (and some tourists) enjoying the bazaars and restaurants. The elegant shops selling beautiful, high-end, custom-made garments seemed to be doing a brisk business.
The highlight of our visit to Hazratganj was dinner at the Royal Cafe. Their specialty is Basket Chaat, a crispy puri chaat served in a basket-like shell made from crispy puris, filled with a variety of flavorful ingredients like potatoes, chickpeas, yogurt, chutneys, and spices.
This might have been the best meal of the entire trip!
Bara Imambara
Our next day started with a visit to Bara Imambara.
An imambara is a building designed specifically for gatherings of Shia Muslims for spiritual practice, religious education and commemoration ceremonies, especially the Mourning of Muharram (rituals during the first month of the Islamic calendar).
Bara Imambara is the second largest imambara in the world. It was built between 1780 and 1784, during a period of drought. In order to give work to the people of Lucknow, the entire population of the city (20,000) were hired to work on its construction, but each night the noblemen of the city dismantled whatever was built that day so that the work wouldn’t come to an end and the people could remain employed. (This may just be legend, or it may be true. Who can say?)
Bara Imambara is a complex of buildings.
Photos weren’t allowed in the Husayniyya, but it consists of very large spaces with no visible ceiling supports. It is, in fact, one of the largest arched constructions in the world. It is also one of the last major construction projects in India to use no iron and no elements of European design. And it uses no wood.
There is also a mosque adjacent to the Husayniyya, which we didn’t go in.
Chowk
Next we visited Chowk, another popular shopping area in Lucknow famous for chikan embroidery as well as jewelry and a lot more. The highlight here was the shop one of the last practitioners of the craft of silver, gem-studded jootis.
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial Park
After lunch at the home of a lovely and interesting woman who made us kebabs, we had free time for our own explorations. I, along with a few others of our group, opted for Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial Park.
This is a vast, impressive, and amusing space. It was conceived and built by Mayawati, former governor of Uttar Pradesh and, according to Ashish, one of the most corrupt politicians in India. The park has granite flooring everywhere (no shade, no grass, no water features, no benches) and features 64 life-sized elephant statues. It wasn’t bad walking around in 80-degree temperatures, but imagine what it must be like in summertime!
I can’t begin to imagine what an exorbitant amount was spent to build this park.
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