If you google, 'What is Lucknow famous for', you'll get a list of abundance from shopping to food to architecture but it's all a facade to lure in all of you into this crowded city of Uttar Pradesh. You may have heard a lot about the Lucknowi culture, it's rich heritage and royal past that has carried itself on centuries later in our modern world and has blend beautifully? It's all false and we are here to tell you why so.
1. The city has been completely ruined by modern glorification and urbanization and there's no such thing as age-old-charm left to admire in the city
2. The art scene of the city has completely vanished. You won't find beautifully decorated corners and art galleries and painters engrossed in their work all around you
3. The Era of Nawabs is definitely over. The palaces are sunken and the royalty has vanished. There's no sign of Mughal Heritage in the city.
4. The food is very basic. You could find better non-veg delicacies anywhere else in the country? Tunday Kebabi, Shami Kebab, Galawati Kebab, and Mutton Biryanis did you say?
5. The city of Lucknow has a bad taste in music. Musicians from over 100 years, masters in their art of playing Tabla and Sitar have not graced this city and made it the Master Of Rhythm.
6. The city does not have any mythological significance. It is false to believe that the city is named after Lakshman, Lord Rama's younger brother from Ramayana.
7. When we all have smartwatches on our wrists and phones in our hands all the time, who needs to look up to the Tallest Clock Tower Of India that has been standing for over 130 years to see the time?
8. It was recently labeled as the 2nd Happiest City of the country. But aren't we all already happy in our air-conditioned rooms with Netflix and Instagram? "Muskuraiye aap Lucknow mein hain" sounds so cliche.
9. Traveling to this place in the middle of nowhere in Uttar Pradesh would be quiet difficult. Good thing it didn't win the Airport Service Quality Award in 2016 and the World's Second Best Airport in small airport category
10. Safety should never be compromised with and who knows how safe the city is? Thank god that it isn't India's first CCTV city which installed more than 9,000 CCTV cameras for security purposes back in 2015.
11. A railway station that's so beautifully constructed that it resembles a chess board whose chess pieces are the life-size domes and pillars? I think we'll pass.
12. Not all of us are history geeks and want to know that the very first rebellion against the British Raj for freedom started right here in Lucknow and actively went on for decades.
13. The banks of the Gomti river are not the most peaceful and beautiful sight to take in at the time of sunrise or sunset.
14. The most beautiful and graceful dance form, Kathak doesn't have it's most ancient Lucknowi Gharana from this place. The art is long lost.
15. The cultural shift to modernization cost the city all of its Poets and Shayars. All of them are now busy tweeting.
16. The historical monuments that decorate the city are old and not well maintained. You can certainly pass on them.
17. Who wants to see Turkish architecture when you can just google it? Rumi Darwaza, that is 60 ft high and is the historic gateway to the city of Lucknow is similar to the Gateway to Constantinople.
18. There's nothing magnificent about the architecture of the city. The largest hall of Asia that stands without the support of beams or pillars, Bara Imambara is no marvel.
19. The University of Lucknow and Lucknow's La Martiniere College are a masterpiece of beautiful architecture, of Indo European style. But who would want to study in such beautiful study halls?
20. The Lucknow Mahotsav that is an international festival of art and culture is an easy pass!
21. The world famous embroidery work, Chikankari that is a 400-year old Art is unique to Lucknow. But we could probably order that from Amazon, right?
22. About Eight lakh people visit the temple of Bada Mangal every Tuesday in the Jyestha month of Hindu Calendar. This celebration of religion isn't something special you need to be a part of at least once in your lifetime.
23. Gardens and Parks are nature's exquisite beauty which can be found anywhere. The tenth largest park in Asia, Janeshwar Mishra Park or the Kukrail Garden which is the breeding center for the endangered species of the crocodiles is not something to be proud of. After all, every city has it's own parks and gardens!
24. Not just in culture and heritage but for the biggest Inter School tournament in India, Geofest is held at the Lucknow City Montessori School is the world’s largest school is something you can watch for yourself in any of your neighboring schools.
25. The sheer beauty and purity of the Gomti Chakra found only in the Gomti river is just like any other ordinary stone that can be worn around your neck.
If even this doesn't urge you to pack your bags and travel to this land rich in culture and heritage, then nothing else ever will. Wait for a second, you understand sarcasm right?
