history of Lucknow, tourist spots, Asafi Imambara, St. Joseph's Cathedral in Lucknow, Parks in Lucknow, Kukrail Reserve Forest, natural attractions

Body: Lucknow is a city in India. It is the capital of the state of Uttar Pradesh and the most populated state in the country. This city has an estimated 2.5 million inhabitants as of the 2006 census report. The city of Lucknow is also the administrative headquarters of both the Lucknow division and the Lucknow district. This city is also among the ?Minority Concentrated District in India? according to the Indian government due to the 2001 census report on socio-economic factors, basic amenities, and population.

The City of Lucknow is located in the historical region of Awadh. It has always been one of the few multi-cultural cities in India. The people in India have courtly manners, poetry, music, fine cuisine and beautiful gardens supported by the Persian loving people of Shia Nawabs in Nagpur. These attributes earned them respect throughout the South Asian History and Culture as well as with students and Indians.

This city is also known as The City of the Nawabs. Aside from this, it is also often regarded as The Golden City of the East. Some other names of the city include The Constantinople of India and The Shiraz-I-Hind.

Present day Lucknow showcases a vibrant city that witnessed its own economic boom. It is now one of the fastest growing metropolitan cities in the country. Furthermore, it is in the heart of the Urdu and the Hindi literature. It is even the 2nd biggest city in the state of Uttar Pradesh state.

Places to see in Lucknow

First, there is the famous Asafi Imambara This place is more known as the Bara Imambara. This site along with two others, Shah Najaf and Chota Imambara, are deemed as different monuments of architectural importance to the city. The Asafi Imambara complex caters to the widely-known Bhul Bhulaiyan or the Labyrinth. Other interesting places are the Chattar Manzil, Lucknow Zoo, Picture Gallery and State Museum along with the Dilkusha, Planetarium, Shaheed Smarak, Ram Krishna Math and Baradari.

The architectural infrastructure in Lucknow built by the British during their colonization includes the Clock Tower, Vidhan Sabha or the Legislative Assembly State and the Railway Station of Charbagh. They are also the ones responsible for distinctive pillars, arches and domes in the region.

St. Josephs Cathedral - This church is living proof that the city became the home of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Lucknow.

Old schools such as the La Martiniere Lucknow, Colvin Taluqdars College and Loreto Convent Lucknow are all scattered throughout the city. The Amiruddaula Islamia Inter-College is about 100 years old. It is still existent and perhaps it is the oldest school in Lucknow at this time.

Lucknow has many beautiful parks. It attracts a large number of people, especially during the holidays, evenings and weekends. Bigger parks include the Swarn Javanti Park, Indiranagas Aurobindo Park and the Gomti Nagars Ambedkar Lohia and Memorial Park. Other parks near the city include the Dilkusha Park, Globe Park and the Haathi Park along with the Begum Hazrat Mahal Park, Mukherjee Phuhaas, Neebu Park and Buddha Park. The National Botanical Garden in Sikandarbagh along the Gomti Riverbanks is also a must-see destination for all tourists and vacationers.

The Kukrail Reserve Forest is visited mostly by nature and adventure lovers. This is the location of the citys very special forest that houses great picnic sites. It can also be used as the Center of Gharial rehabilitation. Other picnic spots in Lucknow include Utretia and Moosa Bagh.

Other natural attractions are in easy range from the city, like the Dudwa National Park, Samaspur Bird Sanctuary and the Nawabganji Bird Sanctuary.