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Publishing-in-support-of,
IDEA PUBLISHING
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Zip code: 110049
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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
iv
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.
v
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
X
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
x
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
3
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
4
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
6
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
Lucknow Poetica
8
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
9
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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11
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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