Hot Times in Old Lucknow

 

View from the roof of the Labyrinth, Bara Imambara 

(Husainabad Clock Tower in distance, left edge of frame; Aasifi Masjid, foreground left; entrance gate, foreground right; Teele Wali Masjid in distance, right edge of frame)

Sweating profusely inside the Bara Imambara

Entrance to the Labyrinth (Bhul Bhulaiya)

The Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express rolled into Charbagh Railway Station in Lucknow Friday evening around 7 pm. I'd shared an upper berth with a pakhawaj (in a soft case, at least) all the way from Delhi, and by the time we reached I was ready to leave the refrigerated AC car behind and brave the unfamiliar city. Working my way out of the station to meet Allie, the first thing I noticed was the humidity. The air was wetter and heavier than what I had left behind in Delhi that morning. Allie and I found one another without too much trouble and hired an electric rickshaw to the AirBnb I booked for the week in Husainabad, directly across from the Jama Masjid in the heart of Old Lucknow. As we arrived and paid the rickshaw wala, Purvi Devi Mandir heaved with devotional music feet away from our rental property. Quite the welcoming committee.

Inside the Labyrinth

I could tell from the map and our host's descriptions that the AirBnb location positioned us well for exploring the old city, but just how well would not become clear until we set out Saturday morning. The Chota (small) Imambara, Husainabad Clock Tower, Rumi Darwaza, and Bara (large) Imambara--several of the most famous historical sites in the city--are all within a mile of the flat. We are also right next to Chowk, a vast market district in Old Lucknow that remains vital to shopping and culinary life in the city. Walking through Chowk, you'll find literally hundreds of shops selling chikankari clothing (a style of embroidery made famous in these parts) and more Lucknowi kebab and biryani than you could eat in a lifetime.

Making Gulawati Kebab at Tunday Kebabi

We wandered Chowk a bit Friday evening, explored the Bara Imambara and Chota Imambara on Saturday (with four-five necessary hours in the AC between expeditions), then returned to Chowk to seek out the legendary Tunday Kebabi--which traces its culinary roots to feeding the Nawabs of Lucknow. The barrier to any amount of exploration or outdoor indulgence, however, remains the heat. In concrete terms, it is not nearly as hot as it was in Delhi a month ago. But the humidity complicates matters. Any exposure to the elements and you begin sweating instantaneously. This city has reached that pre-Monsoon breaking point where heat and humidity boil to a sweaty crescendo before giving way to cooling rains. Those rains may arrive as early as tomorrow or Wednesday. For now, I'm taking full advantage of the air-conditioned flat to catch up on work while Allie studies Urdu across town.

Entrance gate to Chota Imambara