Qasbahs of Awadh: The uniqueness of Lucknow, strength of its culture, bonding with its satellite towns

Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

Lucknow's connect with its satellite towns is a unique cultural and social aspect.

These qasbahs or the towns have a historical bonding with the city and the culture of Lucknow was considered incomplete without them.

Malihabad, Kakori, Mohan, Nagraam, Juggaur, Satrikh, Bijnaur*, Mahmudabad, Dariyabad, Haidargarh, Rudauli, Safipur, even up to Dewa in Barabanki [*another Bijnaur, not the city in West UP].

These are the most famous ones. They were always considered an extension of Lucknow and Lakhnawi culture. No other city I know has such a bonding or connect with towns around it. Neither Bhopal, nor Hyderabad or other major cities I personally know.

People in these towns had unique relations, apart from locals' sense of kinship, marriages, a strong cultural bond with Lucknow. And so were Lucknow people attached to these towns. This is the DIFFERENCE when it comes to Lucknow (Awadh region) and other cities.

This combined feeling of a common culture and shared heritage, helped Lucknow. Even after partition, when culturally Lucknow saw major changes, in fact, transformation, a lot ended but a lot still survived. That's due to these towns too.

No other city has so many such qasbahs around it, prominent and unique in many ways. These qasbahs produced eminent personalities, litterateurs, writers and people who achieved prominence in diverse fields. 

READ: RUINS IN TOWNS OF AWADH, IMPACT OF PARTITION ON QASBAHS

When I wrote the names on Twitter, many others came up with names of the Qasbahs that haven't been mentioned. Sandila is slightly far, isn't it! But it has strong cultural links with Lucknow. In fact, it is a phenomenon outside Awadh (Oudh) too. 

Towns like Bilgram, Khairabad, Masauli, Nehtaur, Safipur are other examples in different parts of Uttar Pradesh, to name a few. But for Lucknow, it was the city deriving cultural strength from these towns and the qasbahs too supplementing the tehzib of Lucknow. Qasbah or Kasba is a place that is much bigger than a village, it is a bit urban but not as big as city. 

These historic qasbahs now mostly have population in the range of around 15,000-50,000, life has urban elements, while also retaining a rural charm & leisurely life. If we list of some of the towns in Awadh region, then they include the following ones:

Malihabad, Kakori, Masauli, Badagaon, Mohaan, Safipur, Mustafabad, Salon, Nanpara, Rudauli, Sandila, Khairabad, Jais, Dewa, Dariyabad, Balrampur, Mahmudabad, Chandapur, Manikpur, Garhi Samdabad, Mustafabad and Bilgram amongst others. Also, check the link below.

READ: RUINS IN TOWNS OF AWADH, IMPACT OF PARTITION ON QASBAHS

Mango Mania in Awadh: For 'aam' lovers, it is not summer but the season of mangoes

(C) INDSCRIBE

Summer is the season of mangoes. The mango lovers wait throughout the year for the season to arrive.

Especially, in Awadh in Uttar Pradesh (UP), mango is the most common topic of discussion for a large section of population during these three months.

For many it is an obsession. More so in Malihabad-Kakori belt, which is home to innumerable varieties of mangoes.

As the season approaches, the conversation is mostly focused on mangoes. It is common in joint families to put 40-50 mangoes in buckets or tubs filled with water and sit together to eat them.

People who have no fancy to eating and can't go past a couple of 'rotis', will astonish you by eating a dozen mangoes with ease.

The obsession with mangoes, conversation centred around the fruit

If you hail from this region and you are settled anywhere in the world, the season, the smell and the sight of mangoes, make you nostalgic. On phone calls, you are told how much mango is expected this year or how a particular pest has affected the trees this year.

From the talk about the kind of 'baur' on trees to storms or premature rain, anything that affects the health of mango or the mango tree is talked about and discussed as if it is the biggest issue for mankind. The search for workers, the lack of 'petis' [wooden boxes] and other allied issues are not just for those who own orchards.

But most importantly, one must eat mango to his/her heart's content. Aam, the king of fruits, rules the hearts of people here. There is no dearth of anecdotes about the fruit, history of each variety, local tales and folklore about 'aam'.

'Achcha, aapke shahar mein aam hote hain?'

I remember the expressions of people from other states who came to the region and the first question they encountered was about mango.

Imagine, a person from Bombay arriaves and after the 'salaam dua', he is asked, "Achchha, aapke yahaan mein aam hote hain".

Such innocence. After all, where in India you don't get mangoes? The person posing a question would also be someone who has travelled far and wide, by train and plane.

And when the visitor's reply was 'yes, of course', there was a nod of approval about the person [as if he was a respectable person now] before the next question, about the varieties available in that particular city where he had come from.

But this obsession is understandable. Not hundreds, but thousands of varieties of mangoes were available in the region. Today, one hears about the Dussehri, Langda, Safeda, Badam, Alphonso, Kesar, Totapari or the few other commonly known 'qism'.

In certain cities, you may know a few more but the sheer variety of mangoes that were [and are] still available in the town and rural parts is mind-boggling. The 'tukhmi' aam [that comes up from the seed]is much more tasty and distinct than the 'qalmi' [grafted] which are commercially sold. 

Samar bihisht, Shahad-kuppi, Benazir

The names of these mangoes were also charming. I remember eating mangoes like 'Samar Bihisht' [Fruit of Paradise], Shahadkuppi [Honeypot] and Benazir.

Samar Bishisht, true to its name, tasted heavenly while the Shahadkuppi was too sugary. Benazir's uniqueness was that this variety was sweet even when it was not ripe.

One of my favourite mangoes was 'Parnaala'. It was a huge mango and it was so juicy that if you put a straw into it, you could almost drink the juice.

This variety is nearly extinct now. Further, in all these varieties, the difference in taste and odour is something that is incredible. For commercial reasons, the 'tukhmi' or desi trees are being felled to give way to Dussehri or similar other mangoes.

Commercial considerations: Old trees felled to give way for a few well-known brands

I was pained to see people felling age-old and unique mango trees because these varieties aren't sold in the market unlike the few well-known brands. In place of them, trees like 'Aamrapali' [or Dussehri] which start giving you fruit in 4-5 years, are increasingly being planted.

So there are orchards that have hundreds and thousands of trees of just one variety. What a tragedy. Of course, Haji Kalimullah, will keep appearing in newspapers or TV channels, telling you how he is growing up different mangoes on a tree or creating new variety. 

But the truth is that so much has been lost. Now a days, in city markets, you at the most get half-a-dozen different varieties, depending on the region. 

In one region, you may see Rasaal or Benishan in the market, while in another part of the country, there will be Chausa, Malda, Mohanbhog or Kesar. 

In Lucknow, it is common for people to invite friends for 'aam ki dawat'. There can be poetry alongside to add colour to the mehfil.

You may be used to eating mangoes by cutting them in slices, the ardent aam lover can surprise you with his ability to suck any mango without letting a drop fall of fingers or spoil the dress.

But the fun is for those who enjoy mango amidst the hot summer in the region. The call of the mango groves.

Sell jewellery if you don't have money, but buy mangoes!!!

For people who are away from home, the dreaded question coming from a Lucknow-wala is 'aam ka mausam hai, aa rahe ho na'. To say, that I wouldn't be able to make it this time, fills you with guilt. It is like not being true to your culture or getting away from roots.

One has to say, 'Ji, koshish to kar rahe hain, ho saka to aayenge'. So if one can't go, he/she can at least celebrate the season by eating mangoes. Though it invites scorn from you kin back home [bechare ko kharid kar khane padte honge].

A friend's father [an elderly man] tells his family members, "The season of mangoes has come. If you don't have money, do sell some jewellery and buy mangoes in bulk.

Ornaments can be bought again, later, but what if the mango season departs?" Just loved the line. It really captures the attitude towards mango.

In fact, some people find it strange and get upset with the mango-mania in Lucknow, its satellite towns and other places in UP, where there is a similar culture as far as love for the fruit is concerned.

I have been told, that it is a sort of 'hawas'. Couldn't any other word be used for it? Sigh! So celebrate the season as long as it lasts.

For, Aam is not Aam, but Khaas (special)--the King of Fruits. 

Blogging from Lucknow: The Romance of Rumi Darwaza, Bhul Bhulaiyan & Imambadas

Rumi Darwaza, Lucknow

Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

Once again I was in Lucknow, the City about which poets and litterateurs say that it haunts you more when you are far away from it.

Walking past the historic Rumi Darwaza, which was built in 1780s by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula, I was filled with nostalgic memories.

Even if you have seen these structures from your childhood, the splendour of the entire area has an impact every time you pass by these marvels of architecture.

As you walk from Chowk towards the Bada Imambada [also Bara Imambara], the sight of Husainabad Clock Tower or the Ghantaghar, which is the tallest clock tower in the country, strikes you.

With the imposing Rumi Gate in the front, the Bada Imambada and the Bhulbhulaiyan [maze] on the right and the Tile Wali Masjid visible on the other side, anyone would feel impressed by the sheer magnificence of  architectural heritage in this City, which has not been properly publicised internationally.

The entrance to Imambada (left) and Rumi Gate in the front.

Rumi Gate symbolizes Lucknow but it hardly gets the sort of attention which other historical gates like  Hyderabad's Char Minar gets.

Frankly, it is Rumi Gate that fascinates me more, but is it because Lucknow is the City of my birth and I am biased in favour of it!

In the eighties, when one could climb to the top of the darwaza, I often went there and found Yaqub, an interesting man, always enjoying the breeze and the view of Gomti.

Whenever he saw someone, he would get up, share interesting tales about the City and the citizens. He spent nearly 15-18 hrs there. He did nothing else for livelihood. Yaqub was graceful and would happily accept even a rupee or two which visitors happily gave. But then he disappeared later.

A view of the Rumi Gate from the other side.

It was difficult even then to reach the top as staircase had been crumbling and some arches had collapsed.

I didn't have to courage to venture there once again and see the decay.

The Rumi Gate [called Turkish gate also as it was modelled on lines of a structure in Constantinople], the entrance of the historic Old City of Lucknow, has stood proud for over two centuries.


But unrestricted movement of heavy vehicles and traffic that pass through it round the clock has caused tremendous damage to the structure. Sadly there are only half-hearted efforts to preserve the structures.

Much has been written about the architectural beauty of Bada Imambada, the Asafi Masjid on its premises and the world renowned Bhulbhulaiyan that has labyrinthine lanes and symmetrical arches and corridors that confuse the visitor.

Inside bhulbhulaiya

People are bewildered as once inside the building, they fail to find which way leads to the top and how to get to the exit.

The three dimensional maze has nearly 490 identical corridors and passages which flummox the visitors, especially when they take a staircase downwards but find that they have landed on the higher plane.

The bhul-bhulaiyan also has amazing acoustics. A whisper or the sound of tearing a paper is heard loudly across the other corner.

So that there was no room for conspiracies! But conspiracies eventually did take place and the British captured Oudh but that's another story.

There was a similar underground maze which was shut for visitors long ago. It is believed that it was impossible to come out of it without a guide.

And few guides had remained who could successfully take a person in and bring him out without getting lost.

The locked entrances to the lower bhool-bhulaiyan are visible though. It is also rumoured that there was a 'surang' [underground tunnel] that connected the Imambada complex to Faizabad.

With Chhota Imambada and the incomplete Satkhanda tower nearby, this part of Lucknow is truly unrivalled in terms of heritage as it represents the epitome of Indo-Islamic architecture in Awadh.

It is well-known that Asaf-ud-Daula undertook the construction of the Imambada, Rumi Gate and Bhulbhulaiyan to give employment opportunities to people in the times of drought.

Those who were reluctant to do the job of construction labourers, could even work at night, and avoid the embarrassment.

Everything is bound to change. But the change should be steady, not sudden and abrupt as it leads to chaos.

One hears much about erosion of cultural values [tehzib, zabaan] of Awadh, still a lot remains. The structures have also survived the ravages of time and inspite of government apathy.

After independence, the Congress-led governments in Uttar Pradesh showed little interest in conservation of the structures that dated back to the Nawabi past.


Composite culture was a term used more frequently in speeches now but not put in practice on the ground. The tombs of Urdu poets disappeared or were encroached upon.


The great Mir Taqi Mir's grave also fell victim and vanished. After the turbulent 80s that saw the rise of fanaticism in Uttar Pradesh and the after-effects of which were seen in the nineties as well, things cooled down a bit in the last decade.

After Mayawati came to the helm, statues of Dalit icons appeared in Lucknow. It was understandable also, as the neglected icons of history belonging to backward classes like the tribal freedom fighters in other parts of the country were given their due.

Of course, there was criticism also, predictably from the urban class over the expenditure and the changing skyline that showed Dalit assertion.

But it was unlike BJP government that had in its revivalist zeal even changed the name of Begum Hazrat Mahal park.

The park named after the great freedom fighter, was changed to Urmil Vatika.

Despite protests, BJP had refused to budge and the name was restored only when the State government fell.

As the BSP government has now gone beyond its Dalit cultural agenda and went about refurbishing Hazratganj, which has earned government the goodwill of the middle-class, it's time the neglected monuments of Lucknow that need restoration and upkeep should also be taken care of.

Will the Lucknow residents raise a strong voice?