Gaurav Gupta's Blog

Travelling to Lucknow, a historic city known for it’s tehzeeb, ‘murga’ and paan was something I was waiting since long. Finally, a friend’s wedding and a desperate need take a break gave me the perfect opportunity to plan the trip.

(This blog post is meant to be a guide for people visiting the city… how to reach, how to travel, where to eat, what to eat, what to see, where to stay etc. as well as sharing my own experiences along the journey)

The Delhi-Lucknow Shatabdi express is a comfortable option to travel. Tickets are reasonably priced (Rs. 1500/- approx. for a return ticket) and train timings are suitable to travellers. We left New Delhi at 6:15am and reached Lucknow at 1pm. As expected, we were greeted by a lot of touts and auto-wallah’s on the station.

We figured out that Lucknow is an especially cheap city. A ride from the station to the various hotels nearby will cost not more than Rs. 5 – Rs. 10 per head. The Lucknow city is confined to a very small area, so travel is not expensive. Moreover, unlike metropolitan city’s, Lucknow roads are not crowded by private vehicles. Public transport (auto and cycle-rickshaw) are the best means to hop from place to place.

We decided to unpack at Hotel Mera Mann, a comfortable hotel at Hussain Ganj round-about (golchakkar). Mera Mann is somewhere between a budget and a star-rated hotel, with rooms costing around Rs. 3000/- per night for a double-bedded room, with complimentary breakfast. If you work at one of their “listed” companies, you are entitled for a 15% off. So do carry your business cards along. The services, food and stay were excellent overall.

After unpacking, we headed straight to:

Destination 1: Ameenabad

Ameenabad is like the “Chandni Chowk” of Delhi. Where else would you find a road jammed by cycle-rickshaws and pedestrians!

Where to eat:

1. Tunday Kebabs – A must go eating joint to try out the famous “Galauti” kebabs, typically eaten with Roomali roti or parantha’s.

2. Prakash Kulfi – A few shops away from Tunday’s, I didn’t find anything special in the Kulfi, but it’s worth a visit, especially when it’s nearby.

What to buy:

1. Lucknow is famous for its Chikan (embroidery) work. We found a shop in that market and got some really good women’s suits and sarees at a reasonable price. You can bargain big-time at these shops. Do not buy Chikan from posh shops and showrooms at Hazratganj or other places, where the same item could be sold to you at up to 5 times the price!

By then it was evening, so we returned to our hotel for a quick nap. At about 7pm, we headed to

Destination 2: Falaknuma restaurant at Clarks Avadh Hotel

Clarks Avadh is a 4-star hotel and Falaknuma is situated on the 9th floor. The restaurant opens at 8pm. The boundary walls of the restaurant are all glass and give a great view of the Lucknow city (similar to Parikrama at Delhi, without the rotation). There is live music playing with the best of Jagjit Singh ghazals to set the right kind of mood. Try out Murgh Malai Kebab in your starters and don’t miss the Phirni in the desserts. The Phirni is totally my own discovery 🙂 and believe me, you will love it. The preparation and taste is very “Awadhi”. A meal at Clarks Avadh would cost you approximately Rs. 1000-1200/- per head (starters, main course and desserts. Without alcohol based drinks).

Next morning, we woke up early and reached

Destination 3: Bara/Chota Imambara, Bhul Bhulaiya

The main tourist attractions at Lucknow include the Bara Imambara, Chota Imambara, Rumi Darwaza, Photo Gallery, Ghanta Ghar and Bhul Bhulaiya (Labyrinth). Fortunately, all of them are pretty close by. The best way is to reach Bara Imambara by auto rickshaw. Take a full ticket (costs Rs. 25/-) which covers entry to all the above mentioned places.

From there, we took a “tanga” (horse cart), to visit Chota Imambara etc. Beware of touts trying to take you to the Chikan showrooms at the “Chowk” area. Steer clear. The ride includes travel to all these places, where you can drop down, see the place and come back to the tanga. You can take a “guide” at all these places, who can show you around. My companion friend was so impressed by all the places he saw, that he called it the “Google” of those times – something so memorable that people will remember it for many many years to come.

From here, we headed to our next destination

Destination 4: Hazratganj

Hazratganj is the “posh” area of Lucknow, known for its malls and branded showrooms. Needless to say, I was least interested in all of that and jumped straight to the food! The chaat outside “Royal Cafe” is famous, especially the “Basket Chat”. Try Butter Chicken and Keema Naan at Royal Cafe. An old and famous sweet shop in that area is “Ram Aasrey”. Try the “Malai ki ghilauri” (also called “Malai Paan”) which is a delicacy not found elsewhere of Lucknow. In case you plan to bulk-buy mithai, there is a better shop to go for (read on).

Although I could not, you can also try out chaat at Shukla Chaat Bhandar (opens at 4pm) and Moti Mahal restaurant as well as the famous “meetha paan” of Lucknow at any of the Paan shops. The Paan is made of Gulkhand, petha and elaichi, giving it an all new flavour, much different from the typical sweet paan of Delhi.

Next day, we headed to

Destination 5: Residency

Unlike the Bada Imambara, this place is not crowded with tourists, which makes it a nice destination for people seeking a quiet and relaxing garden. Needless to say, many young couples from Lucknow can be seen getting cosy in the quiet corners of the garden. There is a nice museum in the centre (Monday closed), which is worth a visit. You have to leave your mobile phones outside the museum, in a locker.

Destination 6: Cantonment / Sadar Bazaar

Known for the famous sweet shop “Chappan Bhog”, I brought tons of sweets, namkeen and rewri-gajak from here. The prices are on the high-end (comparable to Haldiram’s in Delhi) but the quality and taste is outstanding.

The “tehzeeb”, which Lucknow is known for, was very much apparent after spending a few hours at this city. Road rage is non-existent. People drive with a lot of patience. There is a general sense of respect for everyone. Living in Lucknow is like living life in slow motion. Far far away from the hustle bustle of Delhi, Lucknow is a great spot for anyone looking for a relaxing time.

I saw a stark contrast between Jaipur and Lucknow. Jaipur is making a lot of effort in preserving the city as a tourist attraction. Jaipur could have easily been a modern city, but CHOSE not to be one, so as to attract tourists to Rajasthan. Lucknow on the other hand, did not make a choice. It went with the flow. As a result, a part of Lucknow is modern and hi-tech, but a part of it is the typical “nawabi” Lucknow, which people want to see.

After a stomach full of murga and mind full of memories, I finally boarded the Shatabdi Express in the afternoon and reached back Delhi.

Home sweet home.