Unknown facts about Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula, the Bara Imambara and the Asfi Mosque of Lucknow
There is an old saying in Lucknow: "Jisko na de Maula, usko de Asaf-ud-Daula" — whom God does not provide for, Asaf-ud-Daula will. In this VoxyTalksy video we walk through the Bara Imambara complex and ask where the saying came from, along with a look at Lucknow's food and chikankari.
Who was Asaf-ud-Daula?
Asaf-ud-Daula was the Nawab of Awadh from 1775 to 1797. Soon after he came to power he moved the capital of Awadh from Faizabad to Lucknow, and much of the city's Nawabi skyline dates from his reign. He was known for his generosity and his love of building, and Lucknow still remembers him as one of its most beloved rulers.
A building born out of a famine
The Bara Imambara was built in the 1780s, during a severe famine in Awadh. The Nawab started the construction as a relief project so that thousands of people could earn wages and food with dignity. A popular legend says that what was built during the day was pulled down at night, so that the work — and the wages — would never run out. Whether or not the story is literally true, it captures why the people of Lucknow linked his name to kindness. In the video we compare it to a modern employment scheme like MGNREGA.
What to see inside the complex
- The main hall of the Bara Imambara, one of the largest arched halls of its time, built without iron beams.
- The Bhool Bhulaiya, a maze of narrow passages on the upper floor that visitors love to get lost in.
- The Asfi Mosque, standing beside the Imambara within the same complex.
- The Shahi Baoli, a stepwell built around the same period.
Beyond the monument
A visit to the old city is incomplete without its food — kebabs, kulchas and sweets — and its famous chikankari embroidery, which we also touch on in the video. If you are visiting Lucknow, give the Imambara at least two to three hours and hire a registered guide for the Bhool Bhulaiya.
