Here is an experience of a Road Trip to Lucknow- The city of Nawabs.  The multicultural Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh. Its beautiful gardens, music, cuisine, and the rich Nawabi heritage make it a must-visit place in any traveler’s itinerary. It was in the month of September that I along with a few of my college friends decided to book a cab and travel to Lucknow for a 3-day trip.

Itinerary: New Delhi→ Lucknow

Distance covered: New Delhi → Kanpur: 470 kms

Kanpur → Lucknow: 83 kms

No of days: 3

Day 1: New Delhi→ Kanpur → Lucknow

Having just finished with our exams, we had been keen on getting out of Delhi and visiting some place so as to refresh our minds and rejuvenate our senses that had been dampened by the heavy weight of course books. Lucknow came to the rescue. Everything set, we got up early the morning we had to leave, had a quick breakfast and boarded our cab.

It was by 9:00 am that we took off for our Road trip to Lucknow from Delhi. The Stretch from Delhi to Agra which is a distance of 200 kms is quite smooth. There is least traffic if you leave as early as 4:00 am or 5:00 am in the morning but we started late and hence faces traffic at one or two places. Apart from that, the journey was quite comfortable. It took us 3.15 hrs to reach Agra.

From there, we proceeded towards Kanpur which took us 4 hours to cover. The roads after you reach the town of Etawah are very nice. It is a 4 lane road with dividers in between. We had been on the road for quite some time and decided to take a break in between. A road side dhaba serving hot chai and pakoras proved to be an amazing rejuvenator.

It was at 4:45 pm hat we reached Kanpur. The roads inside Kanpur are in a pathetic state. There are a couple of pits and water is clogged here and there. We were quite hungry by then and decided to eat something before proceeding towards Lucknow. A local restaurant that is well-known for its kebabs was an absolute delight. Soon after, we headed for Lucknow.

Lucknow from Kanpur is at a distance of 83 kms which took us 2 hours to cover due to bad road conditions. The road quality improves once you approach Lucknow but it still isn’t good enough.

It was 7:30 pm by now. We checked at our hotel. We had made prior booking at Comfort Inn hotel. Upon reaching our rooms, we discovered that they were very nice and comfortable. We knew we’d enjoy our stay.

A quick shower later, we headed for dinner at the hotel dining area. As soon as we returned back to our rooms, our tired bodies hit the bed and dozed off.

Day 2: Exploring Lucknow

We were very excited to start exploring our Road trip to Lucknow. We got up early, had an early breakfast and headed out in our cab. Here’s the list of places we managed to cover:

1. Lucknow Residency: Our first stop for Road trip to Lucknow, The Lucknow Residency, actually, is a group of buildings that were built in the year 1775 by the then Nawab of Oudh, Nawab Saadat Ali Khan. It was originally constructed to serve as the residence of the British Resident General who was a representative in the court of the Nawab.

   Later, it became a place of National importance when it witnessed the famous revolt of 1857, which shook the then-British regime. Now in ruins, the Lucknow Residency has been declared a protected monument by the Archaeological Survey of India. The complex contains the graves of the British soldiers who died in the Revolt.

2. Parijaat Tree-  The second stop to the Road trip to Lucknow. The Parijaat tree is a sacred baobab tree in the village of Kintoor, near Barabanki, a district about 30 km from Lucknow. The Parijat tree is considered to be a divine tree which blooms occasionally with flowers that are white on blooming and turn yellow on drying.

3. Ambedkar Park- The third stop in the Road trip to Lucknow, The Ambedkar Park, a major attraction of modern Lucknow and is spread over 107 acres of land in Gomti Nagar. The memorial was constructed by Mayawati, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh during the regime of BSP at Gomti Nagar, Lucknow.

   The various buildings such as Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Smarak, Samajik Parivartan Sangrahalaya, Samajik Parivartan Gallery, Pratibimb Sthal, Drishya Sthal, Gautam Buddha Sthal, Samajik Parivartan Stambh, expansive forecourt, Monumental elephant gallery, bronze fountains, Ashokan Columns & urns, entrance plazas can be seen within this grand monument.

4. Ramakrishna Math- Ramakrishna Math or Sevashrama in Lucknow is a branch of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Belur. Made of marble and located amidst a garden, the math contains idols of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda. It incorporates several architectural styles particularly of Jains, Pallavas, Chanellas, Chalukyas and Mughals.

5. Nawabganj Wildlife Sanctuary- One of the major wildlife sanctuaries attractions of Uttar Pradesh, Nawabganj Birds Sanctuary in is spread over a small area of less than 3 square kilometers. Located 35 kms from Lucknow, this sanctuary is home to several migratory and water birds. This was my favorite stop during our whole Road trip to Lucknow.

   These birds include Graylag Goose, Pintail, Cotton teal, Red Crested Pochard, Gadwall, Shoveller, Coot and Mallard, etc. The birds migrate across Himalayas from Tibet, China, Europe and Siberia during winters.

6. Gautam Buddha Park – Like all other attractions in the city which enrich people’s holidaying with fun and merry making, the Gautam Buddha Park in Lucknow also has its own brand of unique charm. Situated near the Rumi gate, the park is one of the significant developments as far as Buddhism in Lucknow is concerned. It is believed that Gautam Buddha spent a major part of his life in Uttar Pradesh.

After covering all these beautiful places in our Road trip to Lucknow, we came back to our hotel and had an amazing dinner consisting of  kebabs, kormas,biryanis, kaliyas, nahari-kulchas, zarda, sheermal, roomali rotis, and warqi parathas. Our stomachs and our souls satisfied, we headed to our rooms and let the Lucknowi air cradle us to sleep.

Day 3: Back to Delhi

The next day after breakfast we went to local market in Lucknow city and bought chikan dresses for folks back home. A Chikan dress is basically a cotton dress with hand-made embroidery, is a must-buy in Lucknow. Then we came back to the hotel, checked out, collected our luggage and boarded our cab for Delhi.

Travel Tips:

1. You might find a lot of pushy guides. Stay away from them.
2. Take care of your belongings. Chances of theft are high.

Trackbacks:

http://wikitravel.org/en/Lucknow

http://lucknow.nic.in/

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