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Lucknow
is caught in a time warp. It exists in an in-between land of the past and
the present looking back constantly to the memories of a colonial-Nawabi
past. There is at the same time a sense of pride at the thought of being
after Delhi, the most important center of power in free India. Politics
has indeed been Lucknow's forte but culture has been its historical
identification.
Nawabi legacy: Despite the Indo-Persian legacy, Lucknow has a
composite Indian culture. The welding of various cultural strains nurtured
by centuries of Mughal and later Delhi Sultanate rule, to the folk
traditions of the Indo-Gangetic plains has produced a complex, yet rich
synthesis. The Urdu language acquired its baffling phonetic nuances and
suave perfection here. It was in Nawab Wajed Ali Shah's court that the
most advanced of all classical Indian dance forms, the
Kathak , took shape. The
popular Parsi theatre originated from the Urdu theatre of this city. The
tabla and the sitar were first heard on the streets of Lucknow.
Naming Lucknow: Lucknow-the name can be traced to the epic
Ramayana. After 14 years of exile when Lord Ramchandra returned to
Ayodhya , he gifted this place to
his younger brother Lakshman. Lakshman is believed to have stayed in
Lakshman Teela, a high ground near the banks of the river Gomti. Later the
region was named after him; 'Lucknow' is derived from the name Lakshman.
There are other stories that do the rounds: Lucknow was named after a very
influential person called 'Lakhan Ahir' who built the fort 'Qila Lakhan'.
The name 'Qila Lakhan' later became Lucknow. Some other source says that
one Lakhu Khan who was earlier a non-Muslim by name Laxman Singh has lent
his name to Lucknow.
Old
City: The ravages of time has left its mark on Chowk, the oldest
street of Lucknow. But a walk through of the streets is still a memorable
experience because of the series of unfolding scenes. The rhythm of
hammers beating silver into paper, the smell of flowers, the fragrance of
ittar, the fineness of chikan embroidery and the mouthwatering aroma of
roasting meat at a kabab shop. Venturing beyond the streets into the
bylanes you confront a private world of courtesans' houses with their many
stories and anecdotes, past and present.
The Raj Connection: In the annals of Indian history, Lucknow forms
the traditional link between tradition and modernity, the decline of the
Mughals and the rise of the British. The timing of its rise, however, cut
short Lucknow's cultural effluence. The land of etiquette and manners, of
the 'pehle aap' tehzeeb received a serious jolt with the siege of the
British Residency during the great revolt in 1857. Eager for revenge, the
last Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, proved a suitable scapegoat. Awadh was annexed
on the pretext of administrative failure and the Nawab was packed off to
Calcutta with a pension.
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