After a satisfactory Day 1: https://thoughtsasis.com/2019/02/11/lucknow-travelogue-day-1-18-1-2019/ , we had turned into enthu cutlets and were craving for some more piece of Lucknow history.
The British Residency was the answer.
Nestled in heart of Lucknow, this has been mentioned as one of the most sought after tourist spots in Lucknow.
The grandeur of the place can be viewed at the entrance itself.
The Residency had been constructed for a British Viceroy by Lucknow Nawab in 18th century. In addition to its royal patronage, the Residency had also borne the brunt of Indian Uprisings of 1857, the marks of which can still be seen. What is left are burnt and tortured remnants of an opulent habitat, seeing which, for a moment you get confused as to which side you belong to or should sympathize with.
Structures like these are strewn around, which invoke pangs of jealousy and resentment simultaneously. This is called LUXURY.
The actual residence has been converted to a museum which houses paintings of Nawabs and their wives, snaps of old buildings and a miniature model of the entire place.
There are no guides around so you need to rely on these and wikipedia to satiate your quest for knowledge.
The entire place is adorned with well manicured lawns and clean washrooms, a rarity in tourist spots in India.
Supposedly the headquarters, which now proudly hoists the Indian flag. These structures cannot be scaled , as they are fragile and cannot withstand human weight any more.
These were soldier bunkers, alive once, deserted now.
Though the place is a hot spot for PDA in current times, let that not deter you in exploring its magnanimity and trying to relive the RAJ era as it was in the past.
Done with our tour of The British Residency, next stop was Nazraana Chikan Shop at Hazratganj. We spent close to 3 hrs here. Famished , had our lunch at Royal Cafe and headed towards Marine Drive.
It was almost 8 P.M by the time we reached here. The place bore a deserted look .
It's nice for a peaceful evening on the banks of Gomati river. Nothing more.
Spent around 15 minutes here and then headed to Aminabad to savour world famous Tundai Kabab. More about gastro journey here: https://thoughtsasis.com/2019/01/28/lucknow-culinary-walk/
Day 2 in Lucknow was again a mix of culture, food, shopping and history. Keep it this way. You won't get bored and there will be something for everyone in the group.
