GoTravel Short Breaks

The capital of Uttar Pradesh is a mix of historic heritage, architectural gems, and delectable cuisine. is famed for its tehzeeb, that not-quite-translatable word that essentially means cultured refinement. Add to this a rich cuisine, and you have a holiday destination that ticks all the boxes. HOURS IN Text PRACHI JOSHI LUCKNOW

Morning CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: The majestic egin your day like the locals features Bdo with a cup of chai and a intricate detailing both bun maska at Sharmaji ki Chai in on its minarets and Lalbagh. For a more substantial interiors. breakfast, Bajpai Kachori Bhandar The Shahi Hamam Bouli at Hazratganj serves scrumptious, royal bath in the Bara deep-fried puri-kachori with a side Imambara complex. of spicy potato and chickpea sabzi. The iconic Asfi Masjid Next, head to Lucknow’s minaret is a symbol of most iconic attraction—the Bara the city. Imambara complex. A sacred hall built for the mourning of Muharram, view of the city and the imambara marked the entrance to the old city. it has striking Mughal-style complex, which has a large The gateway was modelled on the decorative architecture. Upstairs is landscaped garden, a stepwell, and ancient gates of Constantinople, the labyrinth or bhul bhulaiya. It’s the rather attractive Asfi Masjid. then the capital of the Eastern easy to lose your way in this maze Another must-see monument is Roman Empire. A busy arterial of tunnels and doorways, so hire a the . The imposing, avenue passes through this gate, guide who can show you around. ornamental gateway dates all so be mindful of traffic when you’re The terrace offers a spectacular the way back to 1784 and once taking photos here! Dinesh Hukmani/Shutterstock.com; saiko3p/Shutterstock.com; AlokVerma/Shutterstock.com saiko3p/Shutterstock.com; Hukmani/Shutterstock.com; Dinesh

GoAir GoAir offers direct flights to Lucknow from Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, New Delhi and Connect Chandigarh. Visit Goair.in for more information. GoTravel Short Breaks

Afternoon

t’s time for lunch at the stunning Iblue-and-turquoise Azrak restaurant at Lebua Lucknow. The restaurant offers traditional Awadhi cuisine resurrected from the royal kitchens. Feast on an array of kebabs, nihari (a flavourful stew with tender mutton), biryani, and more. Next, head to Seva Chikan to witness Lucknow’s famous embroidery come to life. Drop in at the workshop and watch women making delicate, intricate CLOCKWISE FROM patterns of white thread on white TOP: The chikan market is a good place or pastel-coloured muslin cloth. At to pick up souvenirs. the adjoining shop you can pick up dress material, saris, and dupattas. The Chota Imambara is a blend of Indo- Islamic and Persian influences.

The sun sets over the Bara Imambara.

Lucknow's tender galauti kebabs and chicken tikka.

Evening Night ucknow probably has the best any of the city’s attractions street food culture in India, L acquire a different aura when which really comes alive in the M the sun goes down and the lights evening. Start with Shukla Chaat come on. Head back to Rumi Dar- House, a hole-in-the-wall stall in waza to see the incandescent light Hazratganj that opens for business cast a beautiful glow on the gate’s at 4 in the evening. One of the architecture. For a late-night snack, oldest chaat houses in the city, it head to the one and only Tunday is popular for its aloo tikki chaat Kebabi (open until 11 p.m.). While and matar chaat. Then, head to many kebab stalls now use the the Chowk area for Raheem’s name ‘Tunday’, the original shop lip-smacking nihari, to be mopped opened in the chowk way back in up with hot-off-the-tandoor kulchas. 1905 and has been serving succu- Round off the meal at Ram Asrey, lent, absolutely melt-in-the-mouth a sweetmeat shop that has been galauti kebabs since. The kebab around since 1805. Here you can incorporates no fewer than 160 get a taste of Lucknow’s special different spices and the recipe is a malai ki gilori, a soft, pillow-like tri- closely guarded secret. angle made with sweetened layers If you decide to spend the night of malai folded together. in Lucknow, we recommend the boutique hotel, Lebua Lucknow, the only heritage hotel in the city. This pristine white Art Deco bungalow from the early 1900s has been lovingly restored into a luxury hotel that blends old-world charm with

modern hospitality. Ram Kay/Shutterstock.com; Photo; fotostock/Dinodia Boisvieux/age Christophe Photo; Shivji Joshi/Dinodia Photo fotostock/Dinodia Boisvieux/age Christophe Photos; LBRF/Dinodia CSP_MBahuguna/Fotosearch

28 JULY 2018 GoAir.in