Safar

They stand witness to the tumultous times of the 19th century and beyond- the churches constructed by the British in the city of Lucknow.  It was an early morning of Friday, coincidentally Good Friday, that I had the urge to explore the Churches of Lucknow. After dropping my husband to the Golf course in the Cantt, to play his game in peace, I couldnt have found a better place to have started my quest from !! The churches in Lucknow are many, but a few stand out. Some are comforting in their simplicity and some imposing in their european- gothic facade with arched windows and towers. Some are historically significant, some offer a place of solace , from the soldiers of yore to the seekers today. Lucknow’s story of Awadh Nawabi grandeur is equally intertwined with European and later British influence. With the increasing influence of the British Residents and the growing Christian population, a need for Churches was felt from the early 19th century.  The first Anglican Church i...

Lucknow, the fascinating city of the nawabs, tracing a history from Persia to connections so European, host to the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb, witness to the great mutiny of 1857, an important participant of the freedom struggle, in short a delight of a history buff. Like they say, so much more of this city is hidden as that which is known. Take a short drive in the city from the Cantt to the Chowk and one can pass by so much of history without even realising. Close your eyes, take a deep breath and you would perhaps be able to visualise the grandeur of this city that was once called the Constantinople of India. Lucknow  Every visit to Lucknow reveaIs something more as if the city is challenging us with its mysteries. It was in one of my many such trips to Lucknow, that a passing mention of Musabagh and the cigarette smoking grave of Captan Sahib, set me on the trail to find it. Surprisingly not many people had heard of it, maybe because much in Lucknow pales before the majestic Imambara...

  My trip in the hinterlands of UP continues. After the enigmatic monsoon temple of Behta Buzurg village, I headed to another gem, the ancient terracota brick temple of the Gupta dynasty. Terracota brick temple The terracota temple stands not very far from the monsoon temple, about 4- 5 kms down, in the village of Bhitargaon. Unlike the monsoon temple which was located in an open area, among fields, the terracota temple suddenly appeared on a side of a busy village road in a market area. An 1878 image One of the oldest existing brick temples built in the 5th century, it is surprisingly well maintained by ASI in a small enclosed garden. A picture taken in 1878 shows the crumbling state the temple was in, with the roof struck by lightning. It was thanks to Alexander Cunnigham, first DG of ASI, that this temple was restored and a heritage saved. Though much of the original temple is lost somewhere in the restoration and masonry work done in 1905, the top of the Shikhara has been left ...