E-Paper
Heritage walkers unearth legacy of Lucknow’s later Nawabs
During the walk, Sarkar provided a concise description of Sa’adat Ali Khan’s legacy, highlighting why the late Nawab deserved recognition for his enduring contributions.
Heritage enthusiasts in Lucknow seized the opportunity to bask in the bright, sunny Sunday winter morning by participating in a storytelling heritage walk at the city’s iconic Qaisarbagh.
Titled “Legacy of the Later Nawabs,” the walk was organised by the Citizens for Lucknow group and inaugurated by Dr PC Sarkar, an ex-principal scientist at ICAR, author, and heritage resource person.
History lovers assembled at the Maqbara of Sa’adat Ali Khan at 9:30 am, marking the starting point for the walk. Adity Chakravarti, administrator of CFL group and a heritage enthusiast, delivered an introductory speech to kick off the event.
“Approximately 50 heritage lovers enthusiastically participated in the event. Dr Sarkar shared snippets of interesting information, trivia, and historical facts not generally known,” Chakravarti remarked.
During the walk, Sarkar provided a concise description of Sa’adat Ali Khan’s legacy, highlighting why the late Nawab deserved recognition for his enduring contributions. These contributions are still visible today, from Musa Bagh in the west to Dilkusha in the east.
“The Nawab admired the country house of Claude Martin and, upon the latter’s demise, successfully acquired ownership of the building, renaming it as Farhat Baksh. This location would eventually become the nucleus for the entire area, evolving into the seraglio of the later Nawabs of Awadh,” he explained.
Sa’adat’s mother built Aliganj hanuman temple
The walk not only highlighted the contribution of Sa’adat Ali Khan but also his mother. “The Nawab brought his mother to Lucknow (she was a Khurd or junior begum in Faizabad, overshadowed by Bahu Begum), so proper regard could be given to her. Her ornate tomb is extant in Golaganj. She is credited for building the Hanuman temple in Aliganj and initiating the Bada Mangal festival at Lucknow,” said Sarkar adding that he was considered to be the best ruler of Awadh in terms of administration, construction activities and treasury contribution.
The group explored the tombs of Sa’adat Ali and his begum Khurshid Zadi before proceeding to Sher Darwaza, Darshan Bilas, Gulistan-e-Iram, Lal Baradari, and finally culminating at Farhat Baksh.
