India is that unique land where the past mingles with the present, Gods mingle with men, and truth with myth. And nowhere is this more true than in the erstwhile kingdom of Awadh, now represented by the area in and around Lucknow, the capital of the state of Uttar Pradesh. It forms the centre of that vast plain which has been, for centuries, the peculiar site of Indan civilization. It stretches from Ganges to Himalayas, and is about equidistant from Delhi on the one side and the extreme east of Bihar on the other.
This land of unsurpassed fertility has always been a major centre of culture and learning. It was, to begin with, a part of the Kaushal kingdom ruled by the Suryavanshis of Ayodhya; thereafter it was coveted and conquered by many a ruler. But it found its zenith during the reign of the Nawabs of Awadh, the first of them being Saadat Khan Bahadur. But it was Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah, the benevolent ruler and great builder who transformed Lucknow from a village to a town. He caused to be constructed the Imambara, Rumi Darwaza and the building which later came to be called the Residency. He was also a great connoisseur of cuisine and several cooks came under his patronage. Wajid Ali Shah, the last of the Nawabs of Awadh, was also a great lover of the arts.
........to be continued.
Anu Srivastava
http://www.robsonsallindia.com/
robson1256@gmail.com
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