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| Lucknow Residency |
Among the most historical
monuments, Lucknow Residency is a famous historical monument in the Lucknow
called British Residency also. British Residency is now in ruins but has a special
place among the colonial monuments of Lucknow. Since it is a historical
landmark, the Archaeological Survey of India kept it under the reserved and
protected monument and is under the maintenance of the Government of Lucknow.
Residency Lucknow History
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| Lucknow Residency presences of cannonballs mark |
British Residency construction
started in 1775 by the Awadh’s Nawab Asaf-Uf-Daula and was completed in 1800 by
Nawab Saadat Ali Khan for the residence of the British General. In Indian history
year, 1857 will always be remembered due to the first war of Indian
Independence against the British kingdom.
During the world-famous Indian first
revolt in 1857, Lucknow sieged from 1 July 1857 to 17 November 1857 then British
Residency becomes the center of all British activities and operations. Almost
every British and European who lived in Lucknow at that time took shelter in
this Residency. British Residency is very spacious and large that why during
this Seige of Lucknow for more than 140 days it served as a shelter for
approximately 3500 British people.
British Residency walls were full of
cannonball marks and damaged badly at that time. To date, walls have scars from
the cannonballs showing the Indian Independence revolt symbol.
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Residency Lucknow Architecture
The Lucknow Residency was secured at that time from each direction. Its two sides were protected by the Gomti River. The residency building is spread over 33 acres of land in Lucknow near the Gomti
River.
Its main gate was fully
protected. Lucknow Residency Architecture was at that time so good. I mentioned
here some points in brief.
- Main Residency Building was three-storeyed. That architecture was beautiful and English-type. The entrance of the main building was from the east side through a large two-column portico.
- Bailey Guard Gate was supported by the double columns that were plain and the building was similar to a square.
- The Treasury House was a double-storied building that was decorated with Rajput and Awadh arches.
- The Banquet Hall of the Dawat Khana was decorated with costly mirrors, silk, saloons, and chandeliers.
- Dr. Fayrer’s House was a very large building that had a low ceiling.
- Begum Kothi was built in the traditional architectural style of Awadh which makes it different from other buildings of the Residency.
- The Church was built in the Gothic style and had many pinnacles.
- Saunder’s Post was a large and extensive building of two-storeyed on high ground.
- Sago’s House was a small house.
- Germans Post was an extensive double-storeyed building.
- Post Office was the headquarters of the Engineers and the Artillery.
- Andersons’s Post was a two-storeyed building.
- The jail was the barrack with four equal-sized compartments that were well-ventilated.
- Inne’s Post had a sloping roof that consisted of four large and several small rooms.
- Native Hospital was a bullock farm office that had a square of low houses.
- Brigade Mess was a double-storeyed building.
- Ommaney’s House was an extensive double-storeyed building.
- Henry Lawrence Memorial was a 51 feet high memorial building.
- Duprat’s House was a lower-storeyed house that had a verandah.
Lucknow Residency Museum
Now British Residency is known as
Lucknow Residency or Residency and converted into a Museum. It serves as a
monument of the First Indian Independence War and consists of that time's
Residency model, photographs, paintings, guns, swords, terracotta roof tiles,
porcelain wares, fragments of wine bottles, cannons, etc. It shows the story of
1857 in chronological sequence. It is also popular as the 1857 Memorial Museum.
British Residency Museum can be
divided into two parts. One part is the ground floor which contains four
galleries. The second part is the basement which has seven galleries. You can
reach to the ground-floor museum by the entrance gate and to the basement by the spiral
staircases. You can also see the handwriting of Mahatma Gandhi here. There are original letters written by Mahatma Gandhi. Lucknow
Residency Museum is worth watching.
You Should Read: Mankameshwar Mandir Lucknow
Residency Lucknow Timings
- Lucknow British Residency opening time is from 10:00 am to 05:00 pm. It is overall a good place if you go to Lucknow and want to see such a famous monument.
- To complete visiting the Lucknow Residency, you have to spend approx. 2-3 hours. So plan accordingly.
Best Time to Go Residency Lucknow
You can go anytime to Lucknow
Residency but going in the evening would be the best time you can enjoy the light
and Sound show there also. As per the season, you can go there from February to
March and August to October when the season is pleasant in Lucknow.
Residency Lucknow Ticket Price
Residency Park Lucknow ticket
price is very nominal for tourists compared to its beauty and historical
importance. Lucknow Residency ticket price for Indians is 25 ₹/- per visitor
only and for foreigners, it would be 200 ₹/- per visitor.
Lucknow Residency Light and Sound Show
For enhancing the awareness of
Lucknow Residency and attracting more tourists or visitors Uttar Pradesh Tourism
and Archaeological Survey of India started the new light and sound show on
26 January 2020 on the Indian Republic Day.
Lucknow Residency's light and sound
show are very beautiful. It includes a full 4D sound system, Lazor lights,
projection lights, and holograms that make this show very interesting and
informative. The light and sound show is mentioning the role Lucknow
Residency played in the siege of 1857. It also describes the glory of Lucknow.
British Residency Light and sound
show's script is in the Hindi language. To attract more visitors and Hindi is
also easier for common tourists to understand light and sound show kept in
Hindi. There is around 2000 seating arrangement for the show.
Lucknow Residency Light and Sound Show Timings
Lucknow Residency Light and Sound
show is organized daily in the evening. The light and sound show is about half an
hour only.
Residency Lucknow Facilities
- Lucknow Residency has all the basic facilities for tourists and visitors.
- Drinking water is available.
- The washroom facility is there for both ladies and gents.
- There is also paid parking space for your two or four-wheelers.
- Security is good inside the campus.
- There is a very big and beautiful green garden inside the Residency campus where you can spend some time in the city's hustle-bustle life and get relaxed.
Residency Lucknow How to Reach
Residency is situated at
Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Qaiserbagh area in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. It is close to Begum Hazrat Mahal Park and near the Gomti river banks in Lucknow so reaching Residency is not a big issue.
It is
approximately 4 km from the Charbagh Lucknow railway station and about 600 meters from the Kaiserbagh bus stand. Many Vikram, auto, and city local
buses go up to Qaiserbagh directly from Charbagh railway station.
You will get easily a city local
bus, Vikram, and an Auto for the Lucknow residency easily. Qaiserbagh has a
roadways bus stand also. You can book a private taxi or cab to reach there
easily.
Lucknow is the capital of Uttar
Pradesh and is well connected to the various cities by bus, railway, and airway.
So reaching Lucknow is not a big task.
Residency Lucknow Address
Address:
Mahatma Gandhi Marg,
Deep Manak Nagar,
Qaiserbagh,
Lucknow 226001
Uttar Pradesh
TouristBug Recommendations for Residency Lucknow
- There is a guide available at the ticket counter to explain to you the glory of the Lucknow Residency so if you want you can hire. But there are notice boards near every building where information is clearly mentioned for the visitor.
- You must join the Light and Sound Show to better understand the glory of Lucknow Residency and its history.
- You can take lots of photos here with your loved ones and selfie also. Photography is allowed here. There are many good locations for photography.
- You can't carry the outside food items inside the campus. Outside food is fully prohibited in Lucknow Residency.
- An interesting fact is that about the Lucknow Residency, you will not find roofs on the maximum buildings. So if you go there note it.
- You must go to see Sir Henery's grave. There is a message written, "Do not weep my children, for I am not dead, but I am sleeping here."
Nearby Places to Visit in Lucknow
Lucknow has lots of tourist places to visit such as Bara Imambara, Chhota Imambara, Rumi Darwaza, Lucknow Zoo, Regional Science Centre, Indira Gandhi Planetarium, State Museum, Chandrika Devi Mandir, etc. I mentioned these names because I personally traveled to all these places.