Lucknow
Lucknow, the capital city of the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP), with an area of 2,500 Sq. Km. and a population of 4 million is located 500 km. to the east of New Delhi in the gangetic plains at the foothills of Himalayas.
Known as a center for Urdu poetry and for courtly diction under the Nawabs (the Nawabs ruled Awadh or Oudh from 1722 to 1856) during the Mughal period and for its very significant role during the 1857 stuggle for independence against the British, the city today presents a very fine blend of tradition and modernity. The Nawabi city of Lucknow on the bank of Gomati river is well known for its ‘Awadhi hospitality’, ‘Kathak dance’ ‘Mughlai cuisine’ and ‘Chikankaari’ (exquisite shadow work embroidery on fine muslin cloth).
Lucknow is the home to several academic and research institutions including Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedekar University (BBAU), Birbal Sahni Institute of Paleobotany (BSIP), Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants CIMAP), Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research (IISR), Industrial Toxicology Research Center (ITRC), National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), National Burequ of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR), King George’s Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow University (LU) and several private institutions.
Lucknow is well connected to Delhi (7 flights a day), Mumbai (2 flights a day) and Kolkata (1 flight a day). There are several overnight trains between Lucknow and Delhi. There are direct international flights between Lucknow and Sharjah and Dubai. If you are flying to Lucknow, please ask for a left viewing window seat. Just before landing at Lucknow airport you may get a bird’s eye view of the sprawling and lighted SGPGIMS campus. If you are flying from Delhi, the left window seat may also give you the spectacular view of the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas.