Lucknow

Think of an Indian city where emphasis is put on etiquette, nawabi (read regal) ways, a multicultural lifestyle imbued with hospitality, and melt in your mouth kebabs, and you’ve found yourself in Lucknow, spread out majestically on the banks of the Gomti river. With a historical significance dating back to the mythical days of Ram’s reign, this city derived its distinct cultural and physical identity under the Mughal patronage and was even courted by the British after the famous Siege of Lucknow in 1857. The labyrinth at the huge and impressive Bara Imambara , the Chattar Manzil, Rumi Darwaza, Chota Imambara and the Clock Tower are significant examples of Indo Islamic architecture as well its experiments with the European style to fuse together a completely new architectural style unique to this city. The capital of Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state of India has seen malls sporting brands mushrooming all over the city. For the authentic flavour go local; your Lucknow tour guide will help you pick out a piece of chikan apparel, select your favourite ittar (perfume), tuck into tunde ke kebabs followed by a handful of rewari in the local market places of Aminabad, Hazratganj, Janpath or Chowk.