Lucknow: Encyclopedia II - Lucknow - In and around the city

Lucknow - In and around the city

Lucknow airport is located around 20 km outside the city at Amausi. Locations of interest in and around Lucknow include Kukrail (a picnic spot and crocodile sanctuary), Malihabad (home of the famed Dashahri mangoes), Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi and Mirzapur. Lucknow is also home to the Central Drug Research Institute, the King George's Medical College (now King George's Medical University), Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, National Botanical Research Institute and Industrial Toxicology Research Centre which is the biggest institute of its kind (in toxicology) in Southeast Asia .

Aminabad, a quaint bazaar quite like Delhi's Chandni Chowk, is situated in the heart of the city and is a large shopping centre, catering to a wide variety of consumers. The Hazratganj area is the upmarket shopping area with colonial style buildings that also has a number of government and administrative buildings .

Kakori, 14 km from Lucknow is a unique place. It is known for train dacoity during the independence movement and the memorial of the revolutionaries is located here. The town has a predominantly Muslim population and in 19th century had the highest percentage of civil servants in the country compared to any other place in British India. This town that is located in the Mango belt has three dozen mosques and numerous huge havelis besides being the seat of the Qadiria Qalandaria Sufi order. The Alavis of Kakori are renowned for preserving the most refined and uncorrupted Urdu. The Kakori kebabs are a delicacy famous across the world.

The Asafi Imambara ( populary called Bada Imambara ), the Husainabad Imambara ( populary called the Chhota Imambara )Dilkusha Garden, The Residency , Shah Najaf , La Martiniere are some famous monuments at Lucknow. The famous "Bhul Bhulaiya "(meaning labyrinth) is part of the famous Asafi Imambara that was built by The Goels.

Lucknow is also famous for culinary delights, including "makkhan malai" (flavoured whipped cream) and "Tundey Kababs" and "kakori kebabs ".

Lucknow is also home to the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow one of the six premier business schools of India.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "In and around the city", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki