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LUCKNOW POETICA

X Dr. Rupali Saran Mirza

Dr. Amna Shamim

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ISBN: 978-81-932706-8-4

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Printed in India

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FOREWORD

X Lucknow Poetica provides a wide reading on the

culture, tradition, language, cuisine, sports,

entertainment, clothes, jewellery and monuments of

Lucknow. This information has been documented

through the unique genre of poetry. The illustrations

in the book provide successful life fuel to the poems

that have been penned down with the intention of

projecting the current position of Lucknow to the

readers interested in knowing about the history and

culture of this unique city of the world.

I want to congratulate the authors, Dr. Rupali Saran

Mirza and Dr. Amna Shamim, for their effort in

making this project a reality. I cherish my long

association with Late Mr. M.M. Tahir Sahab and his

family. It gives me immense pleasure to recommend

this book to bibliophiles for rediscovering the roots

of the city.

The book gives an Introduction of Lucknow that has

been the capital of Oudh after the arrival of Nawab

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Asif-ud-daula from Faizabad within a very short

time beginning in the year 1776 and ending in 1857,

when a new culture was born. It attracted renowned

and eminent persons of art, literature, music and

cuisine from all over the country.

The book is full of illustrations and drawings

depicting the panoramic views, important buildings,

and various activities including sports of Oudh. It is

very useful for scholars who are interested in

knowing about Lucknow, about its culture, courage

and its contribution in the freedom movement.

Lucknow has not only been a place where one could

listen Mujra and music, Ghazal and Marsiya,

Thumri and Dadra but when its people came to face

the British forces, then a woman showed exemplary

courage, bravery and leadership to confront them.

Begum Hazrat Mahal is the shining example of

courage and valour. She had kept the British forces

at bay when they had conquered most of India. Only

Lucknow could not be conquered, due to the

Begum’s grit and determination. The people of

Oudh put up strong resistance under the heroic

leadership of Begum Hazrat Mahal.

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I wish the authors of the book, Dr. Rupali Saran

Mirza and Dr. Amna Shamim all luck and hope that

the book will play a very important role in

presenting the famous city in its true colour to the

readers.

Nobody can forget Lucknow. Whosoever comes

here becomes an integral part of this beautiful city.

The famous poet, Mr. Munawwar Rana has very

aptly put it:

Eik Lutf-e Khaas Dil Ko Teri Aarzoo Mein Hai,

Allah Jaane Kitni Kashish Lucknow Mein Hai

Dr. Ammar Rizvi

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TESTIMONIAL

X Muzaffar Ali

Raja of Kotwara

Film Director and Producer

Recipient Padma Shri – 2005

and Rajiv Gandhi National

Sadbhavana Award – 2014

Ya itni na tabdeel huiy hoti ye duniya

Ya maine isse khwaab mein dekha nahin hota

There is a huge vacuum between a change and a

dream. And we are torn between dreamers and

game changers and often the connect is disturbing.

Or rather the disconnect!

Rupali Saran Mirza and Amna Shamim have

embarked on a delightful journey together to

celebrate all that is worth celebrating with much

rhyme and reason.

A repartee of words, phrases, metaphors strung

together in free verse to explore the varied shades of

a culture and a past we hold so close to our heart.

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They take you on an ekka ride through this

labyrinth of the past intertwined with the harsh

present of the sound and sights, of an eerie nostalgia

with no remains except in the mind.

Lucknow lives in the mind of these hopefuls, with a

hope against hope to bring to life the illumined

pages of its glorious history. Maybe the ekka will

reveal the hidden chapter still to be penned. The

chapter of the birth of a political will, and the

administrative apathy to come to an end. When

truth will prevail and things will put and perceived

in their right context and shared with visitors to this

fabled city and those born here oblivious of, or

groping for their past. Maybe poetry is the way to

shake us all like did Humpty Dumpty or Jack and

Jill, and hopefully the conclusion is not irreversible

and in these cases.

Aye shahr tera naam o nishaań bhi nahin hota

Jo haadse hone thhe agar ho gaye hotey

I wish the two travellers Rupali and Amna

bon voyage!

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CONTENTS

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q CULTURE AND TRADITION r

1. Ramadan in Lucknow 2

2. Martyrdom of Imam Husayn 5

3. Chadar 8

4. Diwali Lights 9

5. Holi-- Festival of Colours in

Lucknow

10

6. Ravana 12

7. Awadhi Culture 13

8. Tehzeeb and Nafaasat (Mannerism

& Sophistication)

14

9. Pehle Aap 15

10. Lucknow Mahotsav 16

11. Ganjing 17

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12. Mall Culture 20

q CUISINE r

13. Kawaabs 22

14. The Cobble-stone Lane 24

15. Sharbat –e-Oudh 26

16. A glass of Kashmiri Tea 27

17. Phirni in an Earthen Dish 28

18. Right from the Clay Owen 29

19. Delicacies of the Nawabs 30

20. Flavours through ground and

pound

31

21. Royal Kitchens 32

22. The Delectable Kebabs 33

23. Hookah and Pan 35

24. Dum Pukht (Steamed Cooking) 37

q LANGUAGE r

25. Urdu 41

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26. Awadhi—the language of Oudh 42

27. The Polished Language 43

28 Awadhi: The Lucknowi Poets’

Tongue

45

29 Sophistication in Utterance: Then &

Now

47

q SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT r

30. Kabootar-Bazi 49

31. Bhands of Oudh 52

32. The Mirasan 55

33. Dancing girls of Oudh 57

34. The Dancing Courtesans 60

35. Patangbaazi and Kanchebaazi

(Games of Glass marbles and Kites)

61

36. Modern Sports in the City 62

37. Parks: Means of Recreation 63

38. Kukrail 65

39. Janeshwar Mishra and Begum

Hazrat Mahal Park

66

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q CLOTHES/ JEWELLERY r

40. Muslin 68

41. DupalliTopi 69

42. Angarkha 71

43. Chikan-kari 72

44. Gharara 73

45 Khaja-Sarais of Oudh 75

46. Farshi Payjama 76

47. Chikankari 77

48. The Royal Robe 79

49. Crowns 81

50. Jewels for Men and Women 83

q MONUMENTS r

51. Turkish Gate or Roomi Darwaza 85

52. Naubat-Khana 87

53. Shahi-Hammams 89

54. Satkhanda: The Incomplete 91

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55. The Romance of Constantia 93

56. Imambara 96

57. Residency 99

58. Safed Baradari (The White Palace) 101

59. Chhatar Manzil (Umbrella Palace) 103

60. Nazim Sahab Imambara And

Nazmiya

105

61. The Kaiserbagh Palace 109

q MISCELLANEOUS r

62. Changing Tunes 113

63. Sunshine Love 114

64. Fountain of Bliss 115

65. Hatred 116

66. Songs of Mirth 117

67. Catapult 118

68. Fantasy 119

69. Tides 120

70. Bedtime Stories 121

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71. Years 122

72. Movies 123

73. Wind in the Trees 124

74. The Screen 125

75. Canopy of Iron 126

76. At Dusk 127

77. On the bridge 128

78. Hark! Heart! 129

79. In A Parlour 130

80. Examination Fever 131

82. Belief 133

81. In A Metro 135

82. Women’s Voices 138

83. He Is 139

1

CULTURE AND TRADITION

Lucknow Poetica

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Entrance to Lucknow

Plan of Lucknow: now a legend

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Ramadan In Lucknow

P The time has come oh friends

To remember God and thank him for all

Good, cause he tests us through our deeds

And Bad, cause he tests us through our lows

Highs and lows, make the bitter-sweet path of

Life

And so are the flavours that we savour

Sweet and salty, bitter and sweet

Ramadan in Lucknow

Is a commemoration of the festive spirit of Eid

The markets are flooded with delicacies

Nahari-Kulche topping the charts with its

unique flavor

The seheri with “lacchas”

And the Iftari with “phulki”, “namak-pare”,

“fruit-chaat”, “Alloo Chaat” and “Sharbet”

Tingle taste-buds with changing flavours

The streets are full of colourful strains of light

Lucknow Poetica

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That reflect on the multi-coloured clothes up for

sale

These are inviting and lively for each passer-by

Anyone, who would revel in the spirit of

Ramadan in Lucknow!

Phulki, namak-pare, fruit-chaat, Alloo

Chaat—Special dishes of Lucknow

Rupali Saran Mirza

The Asifi Masjid is situated in the Bara Imambara, Lucknow.

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5

Chadar

P The chadar of the woman standing next to me

Reminds me of her concern

To find a place to hide

She conceals her adornments in the chadar

Which spreads into the air

Hiding her from the people around

Also hiding from any eye that would intend to

gaze

She is the woman next door

No extraordinary creature

She finds solace under her cover

Her clothes do not signify her hardship to

maintain her dignity

The chadar is her choice to be modest

And to appear so always.

Chadar:a cloth used by women to wrap

themselves

Rupali Saran Mirza

Lucknow Poetica

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Awadhi Culture

P Where sophistication meets humility

and words are as sweet as honey

Where „you‟ is more important than me or I

and collectivism is not yet funny

Where feasting and fasting is done together

and none is left alone to brood

Where neighbours‟ pain is no less than one‟s

own

and marketplaces are flooded with ethnicities

Where „Nawabiyat‟ is reflected in each child‟s

behaviour

and even the abuses are hurled at with respect

Where the evenings are filled with rustic

ecstasies

and the noons see men at the end of the streets

Such is the Awadhi culture of Lucknow

Such is its tehzeeb.

Amna Shamim

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Present day Hazratganj, Lucknow

Lucknow Poetica

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Ganjing

P Evenings of Lucknow have witnessed all crunch

In the broad lanes of Hazratganj

Then Mijaaz met Jafri

When their life was no longer carefree

Commoners, intellectuals, and bureaucrats

all went to one place

They relaxed their heart, mind and soul

by watching people stroll

Named after Nawab Amjad Ali Shah‟s byname

Ganj reached its heights of fame

Trading, loitering, shopping and fun

was then classy and has now begun

to make some changes and accommodate

All the recent trends of late

Renovation saw balustrades and benches

An open-air amphitheater and fountains are

constructed

Coffee house was then and now

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A place to share each ones‟ know-how

If in Lucknow, Ganjing is must

To eat, walk and relish the evening gust.

Amna Shamim

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Lucknow Poetica

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Mouth-watering cuisine of Lucknow: Kawabs on grill

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Kawaabs

P The street smells of mouthwatering cutlets

These delicacies are called kawaabs

Standing in the city of Nawaabs

One doesn‟t have anything better than the

recipe of kawaabs

People go far and wide to explore the unknown

tastes of life

But this one, the Kawaabis guarantee is

nowhere to be found

The spices are freshly ground and form a

clandestine procedure

To prepare the kawaabs and serve them on a

platter

To anyone who plans to visit Lucknow

The city of Nawaabs!

Kawaabs- cutlets made from mutton/ chicken

Rupali Saran Mirza

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