Name	La Martinière College, Lucknow
Motto	''Labore et Constantia'' ("By Labour and Constancy")
Established	1845 (boys) 1869 (girls)
Type	Private
Principal	Carlyle McFarland (boys) Farida Abraham (girls)
City	Lucknow, India
Enrollment	c. 1,700 boys + c. 2,200 girls
Staff	Varies
Campus	Urban city, varying area
Website	www.lamartinierelucknow.org www.lamartinieregirlscollegelko.com

La Martinière College is an educational institution located in Lucknow, the capital of the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh. The college consists of two schools on different campuses for boys and girls. La Martinière Boys' College was founded in 1845 and La Martinière Girls' College was established in 1869. The Boys' College is the only school in the world to have been awarded royal battle honours for its role in the defence of Lucknow during the mutiny of 1857. The two Lucknow colleges are part of the La Martinière family of schools founded by the French adventurer Major General Claude Martin. There are two La Martinière Colleges in Kolkata and three in Lyon. La Martinière provides a liberal education and the medium of instruction is the English language. The schools cater for pupils from the ages of five through to 17 or 18, and are open to children of all religious denominations. The schools have day scholars and boarders.

Claude Martin - the founder

La Martinière Boys' College was founded by an endowment from the wealthy eighteenth-century Frenchman, Major-General Claude Martin (1735–1800), who was an officer in the French and later the British East India Company. Martin acquired his fortune while serving Asaf-ud-Daula, the nawab wazir of Awadh, and was reputedly the richest Frenchman in India. Constantia, the palatial building which now houses the Boys' College, was built in 1785 as Martin's country residence, but was not completed until 1802, two years after Martin's death on 13 September 1800. Historians believe that the house takes its name from the school motto ''Labore et Constantia'' (Work and Constancy) which represents Martin's personal philosophy. There is a more romantic, though unproven, notion that the building was named after Constance, a young French girl who was supposedly Martin’s first love.

Martin never married and he had no heirs. In his will, dated 1 January 1800, he left the bulk of his estate to provide for the establishment of three schools to be named La Martinière in his memory. The schools were to be located in Lucknow, Calcutta and at Lyon, his birth place in France. The residue of his estate after bequests had been made was to be used for the maintenance of these schools. He directed that the school in Lucknow should be established at Constantia and that the house should be kept as a "school or College for learning young men the English language and Christian religion if they found themselves inclined". Image:PolierMartinWombwellZoffany.jpg|thumb|Antoine Polier, General Claude Martin, John Wombwell, assay master, and Johann Zoffany, the painter, surrounded by servants and Polier's art collection. rect 269 140 344 305 Claude Martin rect 124 147 181 298 Antoine-Louis Polier rect 208 146 253 217 Johann Zoffany desc none Martin instructed in his will that his 'body be salted, put in spirits or embalmed', and placed in a lead coffin in a vault beneath the house. His tomb should carry a plaque bearing the following inscription: ''Major-General Claude Martin''. ''Arrived in India as a common soldier'' ''and died at Lucknow on the 13th of September,'' ''1800, as a Major-General.'' ''He is buried in this tomb.'' ''Pray for his soul.'' It is popularly believed that Martin was motivated not just by vanity but by a desire to protect his property after his death and to prevent his friend the nawab from acquiring it. By having himself, a Christian, buried beneath Constantia, he knew that the building would be permanently desecrated in the Muslim nawab's eyes. Chandan Mitra, in his book ''Constant Glory'', thinks otherwise. He writes "Constantia's plans show that the basement mausoleum was part of the original scheme for the building and not included as an afterthought to guard against requisition."

Martin was duly interred in a specially prepared vault in the basement of the house. Thus Constantia became both a school and a mausoleum. It is the largest European funerary monument in India, and the historian William Dalrymple has described it as "the East India Company's answer to the Taj Mahal".

La Martinière: the early years

After Martin's death there were protracted disputes in the Calcutta High Court and consequently his will was not proved until 1840. In the interim the Constantia building was used as a guest house for visiting Europeans. The school finally opened on 1 October 1845 with some seventy boys on roll. The first Principal was John Newmarch. Initially, the school was only open to Europeans and Eurasians.

Unlike the Calcutta La Martinière, the Lucknow school was technically established outside British territory so right from its inception its interaction with local society was frequent. There was also a native branch of the school in the Maqbara Umjid Ali Shah at Hazratgunj in the centre of Lucknow. There were plans to move the native school to a different location, although it is not known whether this actually took place.

The first major challenge for the La Martinière School was the events of 1857 when it had to leave its premises and assisted in the defence of the Lucknow Residency.

La Martinière during the 1857 uprising

The events of 1857 saw the making of the Martinian military legend. For the first time in history, Britain called on schoolboys to assist in the military conflict - namely the defence of the Lucknow Residency. The names of eight staff members, sixty seven boys and one ensign (old boy) are inscribed on the 'Roll of Honour, defence of the Residency 1857' at La Martinière Lucknow. The siege began on the 30 June 1857. Early in June, the Chief Commissioner of Oudh, Sir Henry Lawrence ordered the Martinière be evacuated and for several days the boys travelled from the Residency to the College collecting provisions. The force within the Residency then consisted of British and Indian troops and civilian volunteers including a number of Anglo-Indians. The Martinière contingent was commanded by the Principal, Mr. George Schilling. The Residency was under siege for eighty-six days, until relieved by Sir Colin Campbell in November 1857.

The role of the boys and masters of La Martinière has been well documented in Chandan Mitra's 1987 book titled ''Constant Glory - La Martinière saga 1836-1986''. The Residency fortifications and defended houses were about a mile in circumference, and the Martinière contingent, along with a detachment of the 32nd Regiment of Foot, were garrisoned in a strongly built house containing tykhanas (cellars) and adjoining outhouses. The position became known as The Martinière Post and was a mere thirty feet distant from Johannes House, held by the rebels, and as a consequence, was exposed to heavy shelling.

Apart from actual fighting, the boys performed a number of tasks within the Residency compound - some ran messages to the hospital, watched over the sick and wounded, ground corn and manned the telegraph connecting the Residency to Alam Bagh; others were seconded to domestic duties in place of native servants who had absconded. Despite the dangers, casualties among the boys were few. Two died of dysentery and two others were wounded in action. Their diet consisted of mutton and buffalo-head soup. On one occasion, a mine blew down the outer room of The Martinière Post, but the boys defended the breach and after several days of bitter fighting managed to drive off the enemy housed opposite their camp.

Major Gorman in his ''Great Exploits - The Siege of Lucknow'' wrote that the Martinière boys erected an amateur semaphore on the Residency tower from instructions given in a number of the ''Penny Encyclopaedia''. The semaphore enabled General Outram to advise the commander of the relieving force Sir Colin Campbell ‘to give the city a wide berth’, avoiding the heavy enemy batteries on the direct road to the Residency. The fiercest fighting of the advance that followed was at the Martinière College, strongly defended by the mutineers. Sir Colin dislodged them, occupied the college, setting up another semaphore on its roof to communicate with Outram. The Martinière contingent took part in the secret evacuation of the Residency, and the rambling journey of six weeks across India which followed, until finally arriving by boat at Benares. After the Siege the college was temporarily moved to Benares. Classrooms were established in bungalows and the school routine recommenced.

Rewards and battle honours

Principal Schilling’s leadership was well rewarded. He became a taluqdar, or noble of Oudh, with an estate worth £30,000, thereby ensuring a comfortable retirement in England. The Martinière contribution was officially recognised in Queen Victoria’s (1858) proclamation. The staff and the boys who served during the Mutiny were all awarded the Indian Mutiny Medal, inscribed with the words "Defence of Lucknow", in recognition of their courage and steadfastness.

The awards were notified to the principal on 5 February 1861 by a letter from the chief commissioner of Oudh. However, it was not until 1932, following a request by the College, that the British Government recognised Martinière's role in 1857. The school was granted the right, on ceremonial occasions, to carry a British Army regimental-style 'colour' or flag bearing its own coat of arms with a picture of the Residency and the words "Defence of Lucknow, 1857". It thus became the only school in the world to be awarded a British battle honour. McGill University in Canada is the only other educational institution in the British Empire to be awarded the same honour for its role in World War I.

Bishop Cotton made the following reference to the Martinière action at St. Paul's Cathedral, Calcutta on 28 July 1860:

Public thanksgiving to Almighty God for deliverance from the sepoy revolt should take expression in the form of schools for the children of the Community that had stood so nobly by England in her hour of need and which shed its blood for kinsmen across the seas.

The flag has not been displayed publicly since 1947 as the subject caused some ambivalence. Satish Bhatnagar, author of ''Bright Renown: La Martinière College Lucknow'' comments: "I once asked the principal why the school is hiding the honour. He said he didn't know how the Indian government would take it."

La Martinière after 1857

La Martinière Lucknow, like its counterpart in Calcutta, expanded rapidly after the Mutiny. There were 148 students on its rolls in 1859, but the number had increased to 277 by 1862. Boarders came from all over the province from districts like Pratapgarh, Mirzapur, Gorakhpur, Allahabad, Kanpur and Etawah.

The records show that in 1865 over 120 boys qualified for admission to the higher department of the Civil Engineering College at Roorkee.

In the years following the Mutiny the city of Lucknow, now under the British Crown, the whole city was redesigned. La Martinière emerged as an outpost of the British Empire and it acquired the traditions of English public schools.

In 1869, the La Martinière Girls' School was founded and in 1871 it moved to its present location in the compound of Khurshid Manzil. Initially the Girls' School was under the management of the Boy's School. The La Martinière College Principal was in overall charge of both the Boys' and Girls' Schools, with the Girls' school headed by a Lady Superintendent.

The late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century saw the emergence of the school as an exclusive school preferred by the landed aristocracy of Awadh.

In 1945, the College celebrated its Centenary.

In wake of threat of invasion by the Japanese during the Second World War the Calcutta Schools was re-located to Lucknow.

After Indian Independence, the curriculum was changed in 1947 with Urdu being dropped as a compulsory subject and replaced by Hindi. Many Anglo-Indians both students and Masters left for Britain and Australia. This trend was to continue till almost the mid seventies

In 1951, Mr. Meredith Doutre was appointed as the first Indian Principal of the College. He was succeeded by Col HRH Daniels in the 1960s and then by Mr. DEW Shaw in the mid 1970s. The bulk of the students were drawn from the upper middle and middle classes.

In 1960, there was flooding of the grounds by the Gomti River resulting in the evacuation of staff and boys to higher ground. In 1962 and 1971 again major floods occurred which threatened the building. The Government constructed a protective bund in 1973-74 which separated the school lake from the main vista thus substantially reducing the earlier picturesque setting.

In 1976 the school was affiliated to the Indian Council for Secondary Education system of education. This entailed the exam for the Certificate of Secondary Education (class X) and the School Leaving Certificate (class XII).

In 1995 the school celebrated its Sesquicentennial Anniversary. Former principals, old Martinians from all over the country and abroad, and delegations from Lyon and Calcutta, came to Lucknow for this once in a lifetime event. To commemorate the occasion, a history of the college "Bright Renown" was released, an exhibition on the history of the school was organized, and for several days the Constantia was lit up in the night. The President of India released a postage stamp to recognize the contribution of La Martiniere Lucknow.

In 1997 one of the teachers was murdered in the early hours of the morning on 7 March. Thirty-year-old Anglo-Indian Frederick Gomes, the College's assistant warden and physical training instructor, was murdered in his bungalow on the perimeter of the school grounds. Two people were seen firing shots through a broken window at the back of the building, but the culprits were not identified and the murder remains unsolved. However, the murder created a sensation in India at the time, especially when it was found that the school's students had access to guns. Newspaper columnist Saeed Naqvi, a former pupil at the school commented: "The killing is a metaphor of our times. For such a level of violence to reach the sacred precincts of La Martinière is symbolic of the way that Lucknow, like so much of India, has completely ceased to be what it once was."

Constantia

La Martinière Boys' College occupies the central portion of the Constantia building and is set in a campus of around , part of which is now used by Lucknow Golf Club. The sprawling estate also includes a village called Martin Purwa, named after Claude Martin, and part of the Lucknow Zoo.

Constantia stands on a landscaped terrace overlooking what was once a lake, from the centre of which rises a solid fluted column with a Moorish cupola known as 'the Laat'. The monument is about forty metres (~125 feet) high, and is thought either to be a lighthouse or a marker for the grave of Claude Martin's horse. Over the years, the Gomti River has edged closer, necessitating the construction of a river bund between the front terrace and 'the Laat'. In 1960, the grounds were flooded and the 1803 and 1934 earthquakes caused several statues to fall from their pedestals where they crown the architecture. The statues are in modern and older antique styles.

The building is constructed in an unusual mix of styles. The rooms are decorated in bas reliefs, arabesques and other Italian styled ornamentation. The eighteenth-century English potter Josiah Wedgewood was said to be responsible for the plaster of Paris plaques decorating the library and the chapel. However, the plaques which depict classical and mythological subjects are thought to be of local construction. Orders for tons of imported plaster of paris were discovered in Martin’s letters, it is believed that they are in fact based on just one or two original models. What was imported was the large mirrors, French carpets, inlaid marble tables and paintings including some by Johann Zoffany who was a friend of Claude Martin. The building has been described as, "part Enlightenment mansion, part Nawabi fantasy, and part Gothic colonial barracks. Its facade mixes Georgian colonnades with the loopholes and turrets of a mediaeval castle; above, Palladian arcades rise to Mughal copulas."

Philip Davies writing on Architecture of the Raj in the illustrated London News of May 1982 has this to say about the Constantia:

" Built in the 1790s it is a bizarre building in a country renowned for extravagant eccentricities. Even more incongrously it now houses an eminent Indian Public school blessed with all the tribal rituals of Eton or Harrow. It is a disturbing building of the most peculiar design. The central tower has bridge links and the entire central range has a strange array of statues dominated by two huge lions whose eyes were supposedly lit by red lanterns."

History of the Girls' School

Unlike the schools in Calcutta and Lyons there had been no provision to found a girls' school in Lucknow. However funds were found from a ''female education fund'' and a school was started at Moti Mahal. The Lucknow Girls' School, as it was then known, was run by Mrs. Saunders Abbott. Following a land grant from the government the school was moved to its present location at Khursheed Manzil in 1871 and incorporated and established as a branch of La Martinière College. The adoption and endowment was facilitated by the distribution by the High Court of Calcutta of the surplus funds of the legacy for the release and relief of prisoners for debt left by General Claude Martin.

Khursheed Manzil, or the ''House of the Sun'', is a large double-storeyed mansion marked by towers at the corners. The building was begun by Saadat Ali Khan, and completed by his son, Ghazi-ud-Din Haidar. The property was built in the form of a fortified castle. There is a -wide moat, over which there was formerly a drawbridge. After the annexation of Oudh, in 1856, Khursheed Manzil was used as a mess house by officers of the 32nd Regiment, and it became known as the Mess House.

During the Mutiny it was the scene of some stubborn fighting, in which both Lord Wolseley, then a captain, and Lord Roberts, as a lieutenant bore an active part. The latter planted the flag of the 2nd Punjab Infantry on the west turret as a sign of capture. The building was stormed and taken on the 17th November 1857. In constant reminder of those days, a small pillar stands just inside the gate to the left. It bears the following inscription: "It was here that Havelock, Outram and Sir Colin Campbell met on 17th November 1857".

In 1889 Government raised the school to the High or Final Standard of Education for Europeans. Later the school was recognized for the Overseas Examination Board of Cambridge University.

In 1907, on the recommendation of Mr. S. H. Butler, C.I.E, the Deputy Commissioner, The Government gave the Trustees and Governor of the school a piece of land adjoining the compound on the west of the Bank of Bengal (now the State Bank of India) considerably increasing the size of the estate and greatly improving the playground.

La Martinière in cinema

The Boys' College has been the setting for films, including:

''Kim'', a 1950 MGM adventure film starring Errol Flynn, Dean Stockwell (as Kim), Paul Lukas and Robert Douglas.

''Shakespeare Wallah'', the 1965 Merchant Ivory Productions film loosely based on the real-life adventures of Felicity Kendal's family.

''Shatranj Ke Khiladi'' (''The Chess Players''), the 1977 film by Satyajit Ray. ''Stones Of The Raj: The French Connection'', a 1997 documentary for Channel 4 television by William Dalrymple.

''Gadar: Ek Prem Katha'', a 2001 Bollywood movie starring Sunny Deol, Amisha Patel, and Amrish Puri.

''Indra'', a 2002 Tollywood movie starring Chiranjeevi and Sonali Bendre.

''Anwar'', a 2007 Bollywood movie starring Nauheed Cyrusi.

''Always Kabhi Kabhi '', a 2011 Bollywood movie starring Ali Fazal, Giselle Monteiro, Zoa Morani, Satyajit Dubey,a directorial debut for Roshan Abbas and was produced under Shahrukh Khan's production house Red Chillies Entertainment.

La Martinière in fiction

Rudyard Kipling's 1901 novel Kim tells of the adventures of Kimball O'Hara, the orphaned son of a British soldier. Kim is given the chance to go to St Xavier's School in Lucknow, the most prestigious school in British India. St Xavier's is a fictional creation but Kipling authorities believe that the school is modelled on La Martinière.

La Martinière Lucknow is discussed in Qurratulain Hyder's magnum opus ''Aag ka Darya'' (River of Fire). This book has the same status in Urdu literature as that of One Hundred Years of Solitude in Hispanic literature.

Valerie Fitzgerald's 1981 historical novel Zemindar features the siege of Lucknow in 1857 and uses La Martinière as the backdrop. The novel has an interesting character, a Martinian boy called 'Lou'.

The Indian writer Allan Sealy, a former pupil of the school, set his first novel ''Trotter-Nama'' in the old house, which he renamed as ''Sans Souci'' (carefree). The school has also featured in short stories.

La Martinière stamps

The two La Martinière Schools in Lucknow are among the few educational institutions in India, and possibly in the world, depicted on postage stamps.

On 1 October 1995, on the 150th anniversary of the school's opening, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, the then President of India, released a two-rupee postage stamp in the school's honour.

In 2007 when the girls' school celebrated its 138th anniversary it was given a similar honour and a first day cover was issued by Department of Posts with a picture of Khursheed Manzil on it.

Curriculum

The academic curriculum includes Mathematics, both English Language and Literature, History and Civics, Geography, Principles of Accounts, Commercial Studies, Science, Art, Craft and Woodwork, Choral Singing, Hindi, Sanskrit (up to Class VIII), Computer Studies and Physical Education (three times a week until Class 10).

Class 10 students are prepared for the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education and for the Indian School Certificate Examination when they are in Class 12.

The four streams at 10+2 stage are Humanities, Commerce, Life Sciences and Physical Sciences.

Extracurricular activities

Physical and military training - the college has a Senior Division National Cadet Corps (Rifles) Troop, and two troops of the junior Division (Naval and Air Wings), representing the three Defence Services. Younger boys belong to the School Scout Troop and Cub Pack. Saturday is the parade day when the NCC and Scout activities are performed. The Hashman Shield is awarded to the best wing of the NCC.

Games and sports - games include athletics, boxing, gymnastics, cricket, soccer, hockey, lawn tennis and table tennis.

Honing intellectual skills - debating, elocution, declamation, dramatics, creative writing and quizzing activities are conducted regularly.

La Martinière campus

La Martinière College is set in grounds of over . There is a large lawn on the west side of Constantia known as the Principal's Lawn which is used for open air parties and special ceremonies. The founder, Claude Martin, is commemorated with a bust in the French-style Floral Garden.

The original Constantia building houses the main library, the Blue Room, the College chapel, the Principal's residence and the Senior Dormitory.

There is a large assembly hall, known as Spence Hall, which is used for school ceremonies. The College has a theatre-style Art Room, a Music Room and a Computer Centre. There is a separate science block with theatre-style classrooms, and chemistry, physics and biology laboratories for the senior boys. Each house has its own common room or "Housie", and the school has a tuck shop selling snacks, confectionery and soft drinks.

There are three dormitories for the boarders, and they also have their own college kitchen. The boarders have their meals in Sykes Hall. The College has a hospital and nursing staff, and a visiting college doctor.

The Principal and Vice-Principal both have houses on the campus and there are also a number of campus cottages for the teachers. There is a Teachers' Centre and staff rooms for the faculty. Bachelor teachers have their own mess room.

Sports facilities

The College has extensive facilities for sports. There are two sports fields, known as the Polo Ground and the Fairy Dale Ground. The polo ground, as its name suggests, was originally used for polo games. Today it is the setting for cricket and athletics. It is also the venue for the physical training displays on Sports Day. Football and hockey are played at the Fairy Dale Ground. There is a large gym for gymnastics, a skating rink and an indoor swimming pool. The College also has a volleyball court, a basketball court and lawn tennis courts.

School bagpipe band

The school has a bagpipe band, which started in 2006.

William Hodson's grave

Within the grounds is the grave and memorial to William Hodson who became famous during the rebellion of 1857.

La Martinière coat of arms

The La Martinière coat of arms was designed by the founder Claude Martin. It is supported by seven flags, each bearing the design of a fish, the emblem of Oudh. The devices on the escutcheon appear to epitomise Claude Martin's life. The ship recalls his voyage to India where he established his fortune. The lion with the pennant represents his career as an officer in the East India Company and with the Nawab of Oudh The setting sun behind the castellated building to the right of the shield has been said to point to the sunset of his days and the large part which the building of "Constantia" played in his later years. The coat of arms and the accompanying motto ''Labore et Constantia'' are now shared by all the schools founded by Martin.

The La Martinere College flag consists of the coat of arms on a blue and gold background. The flag is flown above the buildings, and used for formal events and celebrations, such as the annual Founder's Day.

La Martinière houses

The College is divided into four houses, mainly for promoting academic and athletic competition among the pupils. The houses were first given their names in 1913. The houses are Martin (blue), Lyons (yellow), Cornwallis (green) and Hodson (red). The House Master of each house is the seniormost master of the particular house. He is aided by House Prefects who are senior boys with leadership qualities.

Notable Staff

The College has had specialist teachers in every subject. Currently some notable ones are Mr Peter Collins(New Vice Principal And House Master Hodson house), Mr Russell Carville(2nd assistant and House master Cornwallis house), Mr Derek Clarke, Mrs S.R.S. Santram, Mrs B.M. Carville. Recently Mr Trevor J. Saville and his Brother Mr David Saville have retired after serving around 40 years in the college.

Martinian traditions

The school calendar is split into two terms - the Easter term runs from January to May and Founder's term runs from July to December.

The Annual Prize Day is held at the end of each academic year, usually in March or April. There is a formal assembly in the afternoon during which the Principal reads out the school report. There is a speech by a prominent guest or alumnus and the College choir sing the school song and a selection of hymns. Prizes are presented for academic excellence and success in extracurricular activities. The most prestigious awards are: the Sir George Thomas Medal for example and service; the Governor's Trophy and the Principal's Medal for Leadership; the A. K. Das Memorial Medal for the Best All-Round student; the Sykes Memorial Prize for English; and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Award for Histrionics and the Vivian Jacob Memorial Medal for the best scholar in classes 7 and 8. The most boring part is the Principal's report but the enjoying part is the founders feast .

Founder's Day is observed on 13 September every year to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Claude Martin in accordance with the detailed instructions left in his will. Classes are suspended for the day, which is generally followed by a school holiday. Founders' Day begins with an extended formal assembly in the morning involving a faculty march, a speech by a guest or alumnus, and the playing of bagpipes. The school choir, wearing Eton jackets and broad school ties reserved for such occasions, sing the school song and a collection of hymns. Finally a wreath is laid at Claude Martin's tomb and statue.

In the afternoon the entire senior school and staff are treated to an elaborate sit-down meal known as the Founder's Day dinner. During the feast a toast is raised in memory of the Founder. A Founder's Day Social is held in the evening.

A Founder's Day Play is also organized around this time which is a big event in the cultural calendar of the school. Another tradition that has recently begun is to organise Silver Jubilee Class Reunions during Founder's Day Week.

Sports Day is held in November on the College's polo ground. The day includes a military-type march around the school grounds, a performance by the school bagpipe band, PT display , athletic competition between the school houses and a cycle race. The event ends with the 'Beating the Retreat' ceremony.

Cock House - the House that scores the maximum number of points for academic performance and sporting prowess is declared the "Cock House" of the year and receives the Cock House Trophy. They are also treated to a Social.

Republic Day and Independence Day parades - the National Cadet Corps wings of the school present a march past in front of the Constantia on Indian Republic Day (26 January) and Indian Independence Day (15 August). The national Tricolour is hoisted and the salute is taken by the Chief Guest on the occasion.

Annual inter-Martinière meet the Martinière Lucknow Schools and the La Martinière Schools in Kolkata have an annual competition. The boys compete with each other in swimming, soccer and debating while the girls compete in debating, swimming and basketball. One year the Lucknow Schools go to Kolkata and the following year the Kolkata Schools travel to Lucknow.

School publications - the college publishes a quarterly newsletter The Martinière Post, managed and edited by students with the assistance of a staff co-ordinator. The annual magazine Constantia provides a showcase for the events of the preceding year.

Principals of La Martinière

Boys' School

John Newmarch was the first Principal of La Martinière, Lucknow, in 1845.

Leonidas Clint (1812 - 21 July 1897), was the Principal of La Martinière, Lucknow, from about 1845 to 1854. He was a graduate of Trinity College, Cambridge. After leaving Martinière Clint returned to the UK to take up holy orders. He was ordained as a deacon in 1859 and as a priest in 1861 (St David's). He was curate of Lamphey, Pembrokeshire (1859–1861), Hereford (1861–1863), Presteigne, Powys (1863–1865), and Brockhampton, Herefordshire (1865–1874). He was the vicar of Lingen, Herefordshire from 1874 to 1893. He was the editor of Dryden's ''Flower and Leaf'' and the author of ''Conic Sections''. He died in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, aged 85. George Schilling was promoted to Principal in 1854, having previously served as assistant master at La Martiniere Calcutta. He was the Principal during the siege of Lucknow in 1857. Lieutenant Thomas Percival Wood (1882 - 25 September 1915), Principal of La Martinière Boys' College (1910–1915) and officer with the Lucknow Volunteer Rifles. Wood was educated at Dulwich College, London, and Peterhouse College, Cambridge. He was English 'Proviseur' at the Lycée Ampere in Lyons from 1906-1907. He was appointed Principal of La Martinière Lucknow in 1910. Wood was an officer of the Lucknow Volunteer Rifles, and offered his services in August 1914. He was promoted to the position of lieutenant in the Indian Army reserve in February 1915. After spending four months with the 1/7th Gurkha Rifles in Quetta, he was drafted to the Expeditionary Force in France, where he joined the 3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles in September 1915. He was killed at the Battle of Loos while gallantly leading his men in action. His name is commemorated on the Neuve-Chapelle memorial in France.

Colonel William Edgar Andrews, Principal of the Boys' College from 1926 to 1951. Andrews moved to India in 1914 to take up a post as senior history and geography master at La Martinière Calcutta. In 1921 he was appointed Headmaster of the Boys' High School and College in Allahabad. He was appointed Principal of La Martinière Lucknow in 1926. Andrews oversaw many changes and improvements to the College, including the construction of the modern well-equipped Spence and Sykes halls, the introduction of the school song, and the award of Battle Honours.

Meredith Doutre was the first Indian Principal. His daughter, Penelope Anne Doutre, was one of two girl students who studied briefly at the Boys' College in the early sixties, the other girl being Tessa Evelyn Dignum, who was the daughter of another member of the school staff.

Colonel Hector R H "Danny" Daniels.

Desmond Shaw was a former pupil of La Martinière Boys. Later he was Principal of the Cathedral & John Connon School, Mumbai.

Terence Phillips was also a former pupil and was briefly Principal of the school. He recently retired from his role as the Principal of Wynberg Allen, Mussoorie.

Elton d'Souza,retired recently. He is another Old Martinian who headed his alma mater.

Carlyle Andre' McFarland is the current principal of the college.

Girls' School

Lady Superintendents

In the early years the Girls' School was led by a Lady Superintendent who reported to the Principal of the Boys' School.

1869-1870 Miss Dixon

1870-1871 Mrs Marshall

1871-1872 Miss Wilson

1872-1878 Miss Auld

1879-1882 Miss Pennington

1883-1884 Miss Brenan Hayes

1885 Miss Mathews

1886-1889 Miss Granger

1890-1894 Miss Greenwood

1894-1897 Miss Young

1898-1901 Miss Edith Annette Gow

1902-1906 Miss Stephenson Jellie

Principals

1907-1908 Miss Lavinia Teasdale was the first Principal and Honorary Secretary of the Girls' School.

1909-1915 Miss Ida Williams

1916-1923 Miss D. B. Oolving

1924-1937 Miss M. Chick

1937-1948 Mrs Margaret Grayhurst

1948-1950 Mrs Ellen Howe

1948-1950 Miss Annette Gresseux

1951-1977 Miss Mary Annette Gresseux was the first Indian Principal. She was responsible for the expansion of the school and the building of the infrastructure.

1978- 1997 Mrs Florence Keelor

1997- present Mrs Farida Abraham (Incumbent)

Notable Martinians

Old Martinians' Association

Hubert S Bolst (1872–1947) was the founder of the Alumni Association. He was an old boy of the school who got together with several Martinians stationed at Faizabad to celebrate Founder's Day. This unofficial gathering was the genesis of the present-day Old Martinians' Association (OMA) which now has chapters spread across the globe. The OMA chapters in Australia, the UK, and Canada are the more active ones.

The Bolst Fund Bolst died in 1947 and in his will left instructions that a sum of Rs. 5,000 be handed over to the OMA as an 'Endowment Fund'. The interest accruing from this investment was to be used to provide a scholarship to pay the fees for a needy and deserving Anglo-Indian day scholar boy. Since then, some 50 recipients of the scholarship have reason to be thankful to Hubert Bolst.

Further reading

Chandan Mitra. ''Constant glory: La Martinière saga 1836-1986''. Calcutta: Oxford University Press, 1987, 95pp. ISBN 0-19-562044-5.

Edward H Hilton. ''The Martiniere boys in the Bailey Guard''. Lucknow : American Methodist Mission Press, 1877, 18pp.

''Rules and Regulations of La Martiniere, founded in Calcutta under the will of Major General Claude Martin with an extract of the will of the testator, the decree of the supreme court with regard to the same and other documents. Published by order of the Governors.'' Calcutta: La Martiniere College, 1835, 103pp.

Rosie Llewellyn-Jones. ''A very ingenious man: Claude Martin in early colonial India''. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1993, 241pp. ISBN 0-19-565099-9.

See also

La Martiniere Calcutta

La Martiniere College

La Martiniere Lyon

Claude Martin

Martinians

Martin Purwa

The will of Claude Martin

Vive La Martiniere, the school song by Frederick James Rowe

Claude Martin Wade, a Colonel named after Claude Martin

Zamindar

References

External links

La Martiniere College, Lucknow

La Martinière Boys

La Martinière Girls College

Old Martinians' Association

David King's website about La Martinere Lucknow

History’s ghosts in old Lucknow by Margaret Deefholts

Excerpt from ''Witness to the Mutiny'' by Edward Hilton

School profile from Indiatimes

Category:La Martiniere College Category:Private schools in India Category:Colonial schools in India Category:Educational institutions established in 1845 Category:Educational institutions established in 1869 Category:Education in Lucknow Category:Schools in Uttar Pradesh Category:Buildings and structures in Uttar Pradesh Category:Indian Rebellion of 1857 Category:1800s architecture Category:Schools in Lucknow Category:Visitor attractions in Lucknow

fr:Constantia (palais) hi:ला मार्टिनियर लखनऊ

Native name	Lucknow
Other name	लखनऊ لکھنؤ
Nickname	Metropolitan city
Skyline	Parivartan Chowk Lucknow.jpg
Skyline caption	Parivartan Chowk (Change Square) at Lucknow
Type	City
Locator position	left
State name	Uttar Pradesh
District	Lucknow
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Dinesh Sharma
Altitude	128
Population total	3681416
Population rank	6
Population as of	2001
Population total	4681416
Population rank	6
Population as of	2011
Population density	2011
Population density cite
Population metro	5081416
Population metro cite
Population metro rank	6
Population urban	63.62
Official languages	Hindi, Urdu
Sex ratio	871
Area total	310.1
Area total cite
Area telephone	91-522
Postal code	226 xxx
Unlocode	INLKO
Vehicle code range	UP-32
Website	lucknow.nic.in
Footnotes	General Data:, Longitude-Latitude:, population_District(extrapolation):, population_total(interpolation): }}

Lucknow (; , }}, '','' ) is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division.

Located in what was originally known as the Awadh (Oudh) region, Lucknow has always been a multicultural city, and flourished as a cultural and artistic capital of North India in the 18th and 19th centuries. Courtly manners, beautiful gardens, poetry, music, and fine cuisine patronized by the Persian-loving Shia Nawabs of the city are well known amongst Indians and students of South Asian culture and history. Lucknow is popularly known as ''The City of Nawabs''. It is also known as the ''Golden City of the East'', ''Shiraz-i-Hind'' and ''The Constantinople of India''.

The second largest city in north and central India after Delhi.Straddling the river Gomti, modern Lucknow is a bustling metropolis. It is placed among the fastest growing cities and now it is metropolitan city of India and is rapidly emerging as a manufacturing, commercial and retailing hub. This unique combination of rich cultural traditions and brisk economic growth provides Lucknow with an aura that refuses to fade away.

History

After 1350 AD the Lucknow and parts of Awadh region have been under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughal Empire, the Nawabs of Awadh, the East India Company and the British Raj. Lucknow has been one of the major centers of Indian rebellion of 1857, participated actively in India's Independence movement, and after Independence has emerged as an important city of North India.

Until 1719, subah of Awadh was a province of the Mughal Empire administered by a Governor appointed by the Emperor. Saadat Khan also called Burhan-ul-Mulk a Persian adventurer was appointed the Nazim of Awadh in 1722 and he established his court in Faizabad near Lucknow.

Awadh was known as the granary of India and was important strategically for the control of the ''Doab'', the fertile plain between the Ganges and the Yamuna rivers. It was a wealthy kingdom, able to maintain its independence against threats from the Marathas, the British and the Afghans. The third Nawab, Shuja-ud-Daula fell out with the British after aiding Mir Qasim, the fugitive Nawab of Bengal. He was comprehensively defeated in the Battle of Buxar by the East India Company, after which he was forced to pay heavy penalties and cede parts of his territory. The British appointed a resident in 1773, and over time gained control of more territory and authority in the state. They were disinclined to capture Awadh outright, because that would bring them face to face with the Marathas and the remnants of the Mughal Empire.

Many independent kingdoms, such as Awadh, were established when the Mughal empire disintegrated. Awadh’s capital, Lucknow rose to prominence when Asaf-ud-Daula, the fourth nawab, shifted his court here from Faizabad in 1775. The city was also North India’s cultural capital, and its nawabs, best remembered for their refined and extravagnt lifestyles, were patrons of the arts. Under them music and dance flourished, and many monuments were erected. Of the monuments standing today, the Bara Imambara, the Chhota Imambara, and the Rumi Darwaza are notable examples. One of the more lasting contributions by the ''Nawabs'' is the syncretic composite culture that has come to be known as the ''Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb''.

In 1798, the fifth Nawab Wazir Ali Khan alienated both his people and the British, and was forced to abdicate. The British then helped Saadat Ali Khan to the throne. Saadat Ali Khan was a puppet king, who in the treaty of 1801 ceded half of Awadh to the British East India Company and also agreed to disband his troops in favor of a hugely expensive, British-run army. This treaty effectively made the state of Awadh a vassal to the British East India Company, though it notionally continued to be part of the Mughal Empire in name until 1819.

The treaty of 1801 formed an arrangement that was very beneficial to the Company. They were able to use Awadh's vast treasuries, repeatedly digging into them for loans at reduced rates. In addition, the revenues from running Awadh's armed forces brought them useful revenues while it acted as a buffer state. The Nawabs were ceremonial kings, busy with pomp and show but with little influence over matters of state. By the mid-nineteenth century, however, the British had grown impatient with the arrangement and wanted direct control of Awadh.

In 1856 the East India Company first moved its troops to the border, then annexed the state, which was placed under a chief commissioner - Sir Henry Lawrence. Wajid Ali Shah, the then Nawab, was imprisoned, and then exiled by the Company to Calcutta. In the subsequent Revolt of 1857 his 14-year old son Birjis Qadra son of Begum Hazrat Mahal was crowned ruler, and Sir Henry Lawrence killed in the hostilities. Following the rebellion's defeat, Begum Hazrat Mahal and other rebel leaders obtained asylum in Nepal.

Those company troops who were recruited from the state, along with some of the nobility of the state, were major players in the events of 1857. The rebels took control of Awadh, and it took the British 18 months to reconquer the region, months which included the famous Siege of Lucknow. Oudh was placed back under a chief commissioner, and was governed as a British province. In 1877 the offices of lieutenant-governor of the North-Western Provinces and chief commissioner of Oudh were combined in the same person; and in 1902, when the new name of United Provinces of Agra and Oudh was introduced, the title of chief commissioner was dropped, though Oudh still retained some marks of its former independence.

The province of Awadh (anglicized to ''Oudh'') was annexed by the East India Company in 1856 under the Doctrine of Lapse and placed under the control of a chief commissioner. In the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (also known as the First War of Indian Independence and the Indian Mutiny), the garrison based at the Residency in Lucknow was besieged by rebel forces. The famous Siege of Lucknow was relieved first by forces under the command of Sir Henry Havelock and Sir James Outram, followed by a stronger force under Sir Colin Campbell. Today, the ruins of the Residency, and the picturesque ''Shaheed Smarak'' offer reminiscences of Lucknow's role in the stirring events of 1857.

Because of its historical importance, commercial activity, and cultural activity, Lucknow has frequently been a center of political activity, prominent in the independence movement. The Lucknow Pact of 1916 was negotiated there, between the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League to support pressuring the Raj for greater autonomy, a marked shift for the Muslim League.

The Khilafat Movement had an active base of support in Lucknow, creating a united platform against the British rule. In the Khilafat Movement Maulana Abdul Bari of Firangi Mahal, Lucknow actively participated and cooperated with Mahatama Gandhi and Maulana Mohammad Ali.

In 1901, after remaining the capital of Oudh since 1775, Lucknow, with a population of 264,049, was merged in the newly formed United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. However, it became the provincial capital in 1920 when the seat of government was moved from Allahabad. Upon Indian independence in 1947, Lucknow became the capital of Uttar Pradesh, the erstwhile United Provinces.

The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) was formed at the Lucknow session of the Indian National Congress in 11 April 1936 with the legendary nationalist Swami Sahajanand Saraswati elected as its first President, in order to mobilise peasant grievances against the zamindari attacks on their occupancy rights, and thus sparking the Farmers' movement in India.

Geography

Situated in the heart of the great Gangetic plain, Lucknow city is surrounded by its rural towns and villages like the orchard town of Malihabad, historic Kakori, Mohanlal ganj, Gosainganj, Chinhat, Itaunja. On its eastern side lies Barabanki District, on the western side is Unnao District, on the southern side Raebareli District, and on the northern side the Sitapur and Hardoi districts. The Gomti River, the chief geographical feature, meanders through the city, dividing it into the Trans-Gomti and Cis-Gomti regions. Lucknow city is located in the seismic zone III.

Climate

Lucknow has a warm humid subtropical climate with cool, dry winters from December to February and dry, hot summers from April to June. The rainy season is from mid-June to mid-September, when Lucknow gets an average rainfall of 1010 mm (40 in) mostly from the south-west monsoon winds. In winter the maximum temperature is around 25 degrees Celsius and the minimum is in the 2 to 3 degrees Celsius range. Fog is quite common from late December to late January. Summers are very hot with temperatures rising to the 40 to 45 degree Celsius range, the average highs being in the high 30's.

Pollution

According to the World Bank's survey in 2004, Lucknow ranks 7th in the world regarding air pollution, three other Indian cities precede it, they are Delhi at second position, Kolkata at third position and Kanpur at sixth position.

Demographics

{{IndiaCensusPop |title= Lucknow Population |state= |1981= 1607604 |1991= 2669204 |2001= 3645509 |2011= 4645509 |estimate= 6968264 |estyear= 2021 |estref= |footnote= Source: Census of India}} The total population of Lucknow is more than 4.5 million according to the census 2011.It is the third largest city in north and central India after Delhi and Kanpur.The majority of Lucknow's population comprises people from Central and Eastern Uttar Pradesh. However, Bengalis, Punjabis and Anglo-Indians have also settled in large numbers. Hindus comprise about 71% and Muslims about 26%. There are also small groups of Sikhs, Jains, Christians and Buddhists. As per 2001 census literacy rate of Lucknow is 69.39% (61.22% for females and 76.63% for males).

Civic administration

Lucknow is the political and administrative capital of Uttar Pradesh. The city elects members to the ''Lok Sabha'' as well as the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha (State Assembly). Lucknow has two loksabha Constituencies named Lucknow & Mohanlalganj.

The city is under the jurisdiction of a District Magistrate, who is an IAS officer. The Collectors are in charge of property records and revenue collection for the Central Government, and oversee the national elections held in the city. The Collector is also responsible for maintaining law and order in the city. The city is administered by the Lucknow Municipal Corporation with executive power vested in the Municipal Commissioner of Lucknow, who is an adminsitrative officer. The corporation comprises elected members (corporators elected from the wards directly by the people) with City Mayor as its head. An Assistant Municipal Commissioner oversees each ward for administrative purposes.

The Lucknow Police is headed by a Deputy Inspector General, who is an IPS officer. The Lucknow Police comes under the state Home Ministry. The city is divided into several police zones and traffic police zones, each headed by a Deputy Inspector General of Police. The Traffic Police is a semi-autonomous body under the Lucknow Police. The Lucknow Fire Brigade department is headed by the Chief Fire Officer, who is assisted by Deputy Chief Fire Officers and Divisional Officers. Former Prime Minister A.B.Vajpayee had been member of Parliament for the Lucknow Parliamentary constituency until recently where he has been replaced by Lalji Tandon in elections of 2009.

Economy

Ranked 6th among all the cities in India (2nd among non metro) for fastest job-creation, Lucknow is not only a major market & trading city in Northern India, but is also an emerging hub for producers of goods and services. Being the capital of Uttar Pradesh state, the Government departments and the public sector undertakings are the principal employers of the salaried middle class. Liberalization has created many more opportunities in the business and service sector and self-employed professionals are burgeoning in the city.

Lucknow also provides a good catchment area for the recruitment of quality personnel by information technology companies for the BPO. The city is the headquarters of both the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and the Pradeshiya Industrial and Investment Corporation of Uttar Pradesh (PICUP). The Regional office of the Uttar Pradesh State Industries Development Corporation (UPSIDC) is also located here. The other business-promoting institutions that have a presence in Lucknow are the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII).

Manufacturing and Processing

Among the bigger manufacturing units, Lucknow has Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Tata Motors, Eveready Industries and Scooters India Limited. Processing industries include milk production, steel-rolling units and LPG bottling. The Sahara India Parivar, one of the largest business houses of the world is headqaurtered in Lucknow.

Lucknow is also famous for Indian Hukha Tobacco Paste or Khamira in local language, manufacturer's exporter of Hukha Tobacco.The city's small-scale and medium-scale industrial units are located in the industrial enclaves of Chinhat, Aishbagh, Talkatora and Amousi.

Real estate

Real estate is one of the many booming sectors of the economy. There are several malls, residential complexes and business complexes throughout the city. Real estate giants like Parshvanath, DLF, Omaxe, Sahara, Unitech, Ansal API, Emaar MGF are here.

Prominent under-construction buildings include the Signature Tower, Golf City which will have 65 floors, Sahara Hospital, which will have 30 floors, followed by Metro City, Parshvanath Planet and Omaxe Heights, all 25 floors.

Pharmaceuticals

Organic India has its head office in Lucknow. Span Laboratories, is also based in Lucknow. Pharmakeutes has its head office located at Lucknow.

Traditional Trade

Traditionally, Lucknow has been a ''mandi'' town for mangoes, melons, and grains grown in the surrounding areas. Sugarcane-growing plantations and sugar industries are also in close proximity. This attracted Edward Dyer to set up a unit based on molasses in the city. Dyer Breweries was incorporated in 1855 and was Asia's first commercial brewery.The company name was changed to Mohan Meakin Brewery in 1967 (the word "Breweries" was dropped in the eighties as the company diversified into other industries).

Lucknow is famous for its small scale industries that are based on unique styles of embroidery, namely, Chikan and ''Lakhnawi Zardozi'', both of which are significant foreign exchange earners. Chikan has caught the fancy of fashion designers in Bollywood and abroad.

During the period of the Nawabs, kite-making reached a high level of artistry, and is still a small-scale industry. Lucknow has also been an industrial producer of tobacco products like 'Kivam', edible fragrances like 'attars' and handicrafts such as pottery, earthen toys, silver and gold foil work, and bone carving products.

Emerging businesses

Lucknow, with its excellent education, commercial, banking and legal infrastructure, is witnessing rapid growth in information technology, banking, retailing, construction and other service sectors. Private coaching institutions for preparing aspirants of competitive exams and services is another business that is flourishing in Lucknow.

Lucknow houses hundreds of established real estate brands and dozens of niche and specialised developers like high-end premium residential projects, malls, IT parks, commercial property, SEZs, plots, business centres, multiplexes, clubs, banks, food courts, entertainment centres and finance institutions. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and foreign banks like Citibank, Standard Chartered Bank, ABN-AMRO, RBS and HSBC have their presence in the city. The big oil marketing companies like Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum, Bharat Petroleum, and Reliance have their offices in Lucknow. Leading IT companies like TCS operate in Lucknow. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology set up Software Technology Parks of India in 2001 which is playing an important role to promote IT/ITes Units in the region. Even Tata Motors, world's leading automotive brand has it's manufacturing plant in Chinhut,Lucknow. Currently, biotechnology and information technology are the two focus areas to promote economic development in and around the city. The Ministry of Science and Technology is setting up a biotech park in the city. Lucknow is also one of the selected cities for the Smart City project of STPI, under which IT is being used to promote economic development.

Cityscape

Cultural sights

The Asafi Imambara (popularly known as Bara Imambara) which includes Bhool Bhulaiya (Labyrinth) and Bouli, the Chhota Imambara, the British Residency (also includes Shaheed Samarak), and Shah Najaf are monuments of architectural importance at Lucknow. The famous 'Bhul Bhulaiyan' (Labyrinth) is part of Asafi Imambara complex. Some other places of interest are the Picture Gallery, Chattar Manzil (which houses CDRI), Constantia (La Martiniere Boys School), State Museum / Lucknow Zoo, Dilkusha, Ambedkar Memorial, Planetaurium, Baradari, Kanshi Ram Memorial and Ram Krishna Math.

The British-built architectural sights in Lucknow include the ''Vidhan Sabha'' (State Legislative Assembly), the Clock Tower and the Charbagh Railway Station, with its distinctive domes, arches and pillars. St Joseph's Cathedral in Lucknow is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lucknow.

Lucknow has several well-kept parks that attract the citizenry in large numbers on evenings, holidays and weekends. The bigger parks are Ambedkar Memorial and Lohia park in Gomti Nagar, Swarn Jayanti park and Aurobindo Park in Indiranagar, Dilkusha Park, Begum Hazrat Mahal Park, Globe Park, Mukherjee Phuhaar, Haathi Park, Buddha park, and Neebu Park. The sprawling National Botanical Garden at Sikandarbagh on the banks of Gomti river is also worth visiting.

The city also has a Reserve Forest, Kukrail Reserve Forest (a picnic spot and Gharial rehabilitation centre). Moosa Bagh and Utretia are other popular picnic spots. Natural attractions accessible from Lucknow are Katarnia Ghat, Dudhwa National Park, Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary and Samaspur Bird Sanctuary.

Urdu literature

The City Homed the Great legends of Urdu poetry, especially in Marsiya Nigari like Mir Anees and Mirza Dabeer. Marsiya is elegy composed in aspects of the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Husaain(as) grandson of Prophet Muhammed in Kerbala Iraq in 61ah. Mir Anees and Mirza Dabeer composed most of the renowned marsiya in the history of Urdu language and are still being recited during Muharram in various Majalis and other Azadari events. Lucknow is famous for Azadari because of its history of Shia Kingdom of Nawabso f Oudh who promoted Muharram and its religious events on very high regards. The culture of Urdu poetry is still popular, especially in Muharram and other occasions related with Islamic lunar calendar. Lucknow hosts the most number of poetic events in India, and poets from various parts of the world come to participate in these events. Some of the famous poets of recent times are Kazim Jarwali, Sarwar Nawab Sarwar, Arif Lucknowi etc.

Shopping

Aminabad, a quaint bazaar like Delhi's Chandni Chowk, is situated in the heart of the city. It is a large shopping centre that caters to a wide variety of consumers. Chowk and Nakhhas are markets in the old Lucknow area where you can get a feel of traditional Lucknow. Some other important shopping centres are Alambagh, Kapoorthala, Indiranagar, Mahanagar and Nishatganj. The Hazratganj area is an upscale shopping market with colonial- style buildings. Interestingly, a popular pastime among the locals is window-shopping in the Hazratganj market. It is popularly referred to in Hinglish as ''Ganjing''. The Janpath market, Rovers, Lovers Lane, Mayfair building, Kwality, and Universal book store are some popular landmarks of the area.

Lucknowites are also fond of eating sweets and chaat.

Lucknowites are also experiencing the new waves of shopping malls and multiplex culture in India. The first shopping mall-cum-multiplex to open in Lucknow was the East End Mall in Gomti Nagar. Now Lucknow has many Mall-cum-multiplexes like Saharaganj (PVR Cinemas), Fun Republic Zee Mall (Fun Cinemas), Riverside Mall (Inox), East End Mall (Wave Cinemas) and Phoenix United Mall (PVR Cinemas)

Hazratganj, the main commercial area of Lucknow has completed its 200 years in 2010. On this occasion the district administration had given a facelift to Hazratganj. It is renovated on the lines of Connaught Place in Delhi, and done as per the recommendations of the famous architect Naseer Munji. Pebbled pathways, piazzaz, green areas, fountains, rows of cast-iron lamp-posts now add to the Victorian style of Hazratganj.

Hotels & Resorts

Lucknow has multiple 5, 4 & 3 star hotels to cater the need of emerging corporates & tourists in the city. Following are the list of 5 star hotels in Lucknow:

Hotel Taj Residency

Hotel Clark's Awadh

The Piccadily

Other under construction 5/7 star hotels are:

Radisson Hotel

Courtyard by Marriott

Hyatt Place

Hyatt Regency

Localities

The urban area is spread equally on both sides of the Gomti River. The commercial and residential areas on Cis-Gomti side are Hazratganj, L.D.A. Colony, Alambagh, RDSO Colony (Research Design and Standard Organisation), Charbagh, Aishbagh, Qaiserbagh, Aminabad, Husainganj, Model Houses, Lal Bagh, Golaganj, Wazirganj, Rajendra Nagar, Malviya Nagar, Sarojini Nagar, Tikait Ganj, Aishbagh, Rajajipuram, Haiderganj, Thakurganj, Chowk, Nakkhas, Turia Ganj, Mansoor Nagar, Hasanpuria, Victoria Street, Campbell Road, Asharfabad, Kashmiri Mohalla, Akbari Gate and Saadatganj.

The residential settlements in the Trans-Gomti area are Nirala Nagar, Aliganj, Daliganj, Mahanagar, Old & New Hyderabad, Nishatganj, Indira Nagar, Manas Enclave (near Kukrail picnic spot), Gomti Nagar and Gomti Nagar Extn., Nilmatha Cantt., Vikas Nagar, Khurram Nagar, Janakipuram and South City (on Raibareli road). Aminabad is the heart of the city and the oldest traditional marketplace after Chowk. It is one of the most crowded places of Lucknow.

Southcity, Eldeco, Omaxe city are coming up as the newly inhabited places of Lucknow. It has Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute, Sardar Patel Institute of Dental and Medical Sciences, Lucknow and Ambedkar University nearby.

Culture

Lucknow is bravely struggling to retain its old world charm while at the same time acquiring a modern lifestyle. Regarded as one of the finest cities of India in 1950s, Lucknow represents a culture that combines emotional warmth, a high degree of sophistication, courtesy, and a love for gracious living. The ''Pehle-Aap'' (after you) culture, popularised as a tagline for the society of Lucknow, is waning. But a small part of Lucknow's society still possesses such etiquette. This sublime cultural richness famous as ''Lakhnawi tehzeeb'' blends the cultures of two communities living side by side for centuries, sharing similar interests and speaking a common language. Nowadays this culture is empowring itself as many peoples are migrating from different places of UP and also from the different states of India.

Many of the cultural traits and customs peculiar to Lucknow have become living legends today. The credit for this goes to the secular and syncretic traditions of the Nawabs of Awadh, who took a keen interest in every walk of life, and encouraged the traditions to attain a rare degree of sophistication. The Raja Sahib of Mahmudabad, popularly known as Suleiman Mian, is a living example of all the great traditions of this region and has been written about by authors like V.S. Naipaul, William Dalrymple and many others.

Language and poetry

Lucknow is one of the world's great cities for Muslim culture. Two poets, Mir Anis and Mirza Dabeer, became legendary exponents of a unique genre of Muslim elegiacal poetry called ''Marsia'' centred on Imam Husain's supreme sacrifice in the Battle of Karbala which is commemorated during the annual observance of Muharram.

In recent years the use of Urdu has reduced significantly. Day-to-day transactions in the city are typically performed in Hindi or English. Nevertheless, Lucknowites are still known for their polite and polished way of speaking which is noticed by visitors to this city. The revolutionary Ram Prasad Bismil, who was hanged by the British at Kakori near Lucknow, was largely influenced by poetry and wrote verses under the pen name of "Bismil". The surrounding towns like Kakori, Daryabad, Tehseel Fatehpur, Barabanki, Rudauli and Malihabad produced many eminent poets and littérateurs of Urdu like Mohsin Kakorvi, Majaz, Khumar Barabankvi and Josh Malihabadi. Recently in 2008 which is the 150th year of 'mutiny' of 1857 a novel has been released which uses 1857 as a backdrop. 'Recalcitrance' is the first English novel by a Lucknowite on the 'mutiny' of 1857.

Cuisine

The Awadh region has its own distinct Nawabi style cuisine, the most famous cuisine of Awadhi Region is Tunday Kabab with various kinds of biryanis, kebabs and breads. Kebabs are also of different types - Kakori Kebabs, Galawati Kebabs, Shami Kebabs, Boti Kababs, Patili-ke-Kababs, Ghutwa Kababs and Seekh Kababs are among the known varieties.

The city has a range of fine restaurants catering to all tastes and budgets.

''Makkhan Malai'', 'Malai Ki Gilori' of Ram Asrey (an oldest shop of pure ghee sweets, established in 1805) Chowk, the famous ''Tundey Kebabs'', named after the one-armed chef Haji Murad Ali, and 'Kakori kebabs' are very popular with food lovers. The of Tunday Kababi, with their melt-in-the-mouth.

Situated in a small lane in the bustling chowk area, more than 100 year old 'Tunday Kababi' original shop serves only its special 'Galavati Kababs' and 'Parathas'.

The ''Chaat'' in Lucknow is one of the best in the country. There are quite a few places serving outstanding ''chaat'', like ''Shukla Chaat'' and ''Moti Mahal'' in Hazratganj, ''Radhey Lal'' in Aliganj and gomti nagar, ''Chhappan Bhog'' in Sadar and ''Neel Kanth'' in Gomti Nagar, and famous ''Jagdish Chaat House'' in old lucknow Chowk. And among sweets lucknow's rewadi is famous in all INDIA

After a delicious dinner, one can have ''Paan'' at any of the innumerable Paan vendors.

Muharram

Lucknow is known as a seat of Shi'ism and the epitome of Shia culture in India. It is famous for Muharram and associated ''azadari movement''. All the communities including Hindus, observe the Moharram on the 10th of Moharram in the memory of Imam Husain (the grandson of the prophet Muhammad). Fourteen hundred years back in Karbala Iraq Yazid's forces killed Immam Hussain and his family on the day of Ashura and imprisoned remaining family.

The processions of Muharram in Lucknow have a special significance. They were started during the reign of the Awadh Nawabs. The Majalises, processions and other rituals that are observed by the Shia community to commemorate the sacrifice of Husain are known as Azadari.

The processions like ''Shahi Zarih'', ''Jaloos-e-Mehndi'', ''Alam-e-Ashura'' and that of ''Chup Tazia'' have special significance for Shia community, which are taken out with great religious zeal and fervour. These processions which started during the reign of the Awadh Nawabs continued till the year 1977 when Government of Uttar Pradesh banned the Azadari processions in public. For next twenty years processions and gatherings were carried in private or community space like, Talkatora karbala, Imambara Asifi(Bara Imambara), Imambara Husainabad(Chhota Imambara), Dargah Hazrat Abbas, Shah Najaf, Ghufra'ma'ab etc. Ban was partially lifted in 1997 and Shias were successful in taking out the first Azadari procession in January 1998 (21^st of Ramzan). Today the Shias have been given nine processions out of nine hundred that are registered in the festival register of the Shias.

Dance, drama and music

''Kathak'', the classical Indian dance form took shape here. Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh, was a great patron and a passionate champion of ''Kathak''. Lachhu Maharaj, Acchchan Maharaj, Shambhu Maharaj and Birju Maharaj have kept this tradition alive.

Lucknow is also the city of eminent Ghazal singer Begum Akhtar. She was a pioneer in Ghazal singing and took this aspect of music to amazing heights. ''"Ae Mohabbat Tere anjaam pe rona aaya"'' is one of her best musical renditions of all times.

The Bhatkande Music Institute University at Lucknow is named after the great musician Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande. People from Sri Lanka, Nepal and other countries come to Bhatkhande to study music or dance. The Krishna Kumar Kapoor Sangeet Research Academy is latest entrant on the horizon and it is imparting free training to the aspirants of Hindustani Classical Music. Academy trains disciples who want to become performers of Music.

Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts (BNA), also known as Bhartendu Natya Academy, a Theatre Training institute situated at Gomti Nagar in vikas khand-1, is deemed university and an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture, Government of Uttar Pradesh, set up in 1975 by the Sangeet Natak Akademy (Government of Uttar Pradesh), and became an independent Drama school in 1977. Official Website of The BNA

Lucknow has given music stars like Naushad Ali, Talat Mehmood, Anup Jalota and Baba Sehgal to the entertainment industry. It is also the birthplace of British pop star Sir Cliff Richard.

Sports

Lucknow has traditionally been a sports-loving city. In the past pehlwani, kabbadi, chess, kite flying, pigeon flying, and cock fighting were popular pastimes. For decades Lucknow hosted the prestigious Sheesh Mahal Cricket Tournament. Today cricket, football, badminton, golf and hockey are among the most popular sports in the city.

The city has a good record in modern sports and has produced several national and world-class sporting personalities. Lucknow sports hostel has produced international-level cricketers such as Mohammed Kaif, Piyush Chawla, Suresh Raina, Gyanendra Pandey and R. P. Singh. Other famous sports personalities include hockey Olympians K. D. Singh, Mohammed Shahid and Ghaus Mohammad Khan, the tennis player who became the first Indian to reach the quarter finals at Wimbledon. There has been a proposal by the Indian Olympic Association to make joint bid from Lucknow - Delhi for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Stadiums

The main sports hub is the K. D. Singh Babu Stadium which also has a world-class swimming and indoor games complex. The other stadiums are at Babu Banarsi Das engineering college, Charbagh, Mahanagar, Chowk and Sports College and at Integral University.

The Lucknow Golf Club, on the sprawling greens of La Martinière College, is a famous golf course.

An inspiration for films

Lucknow has been a major influence on the Hindi film industry of India and it would be true to say that without the Lakhnavi touch, Bollywood would not have been what it is today. Many script writers and lyricists hailing from Awadh like Majrooh Sultanpuri, Kaifi Azmi, Javed Akhtar Ikram Akhtar (Writer of Films Like Ready, Thank you No problem And many more )Ali Raza, Bhagwati Charan Verma, Dr. Kumud Nagar, Dr. Achala Nagar Wajahat Mirza (writer of ''Mother India'' and ''Ganga Jamuna''), Amritlal Nagar, Ali Sardar Jafri, K. P. Saxena and music famous music director Naushad Ali (Urdu: نوشاد علی, Hindi: नौशाद अली) (25 December 1919 – 5 May 2006) have enriched Indian Cinema. Veteran Bollywood and bengali film actor Pahadi Sanyal also hailed from Lucknow.

Moreover, several famous movies have used Lucknow as their backdrop, such as Shashi Kapoor's ''Junoon'', Muzaffar Ali's ''Umrao Jaan'' and ''Gaman'', Satyajit Ray's ''Shatranj Ke Khiladi''. Ismail Merchant's ''Shakespeare Wallah'' was also partly shot in Lucknow.

''Bahu Begum'', ''Mehboob ki Mehndi'', ''Mere Hazoor'', ''Mere Mehboob'', ''Chaudhvin Ka Chand'', ''Pakeezah'', ''Main Meri Patni Aur Woh'', ''Seher'', ''Anwar'' and many more films have either been shot in Lucknow or have Lakhnavi backdrops. In the movie ''Gadar: Ek Prem Katha'' Lucknow has been used to depict Pakistan. Places like Lal Pul, Taj Hotel, Roomi Darwaza (or Roman Gate) has been used.

Education and Research

Lucknow is a hub of education and research and many premier institutions are located in and around city. City has many universities, most prominent is King George's Medical university, Engineering Colleges, Management Institutes, Research Institutes and Schools. Prominent institutes of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research like Central Drug Research Institute, Indian Toxicological Research Center, National Botanical Research Institute, Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants are located here. There are few old and reputed schools affiliated with State or Central Boards like St. Francis' College, La Martiniere, Loreto Convent, Mahanagar Boys' Inter College, Carmel Girl's School. There are also the premier management colleges in the city like IIM Lucknow and Jaipuria Institute of Management.Sainik School Lucknow is also located in the outskirts.

Transport

Road transport

From Hazratganj intersection in Lucknow city, four Indian National Highways originate, viz, NH-24 to Delhi, NH-25 to Shivpuri, Jhansi (M.P. Border), NH-56 to Varanasi and NH-28 to Mokama (Bihar).

The available multiple modes of public transport in the city are taxis, city buses, cycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws and CNG Low Floor AC or Non AC Buses. CNG has been introduced recently as an auto fuel to keep the air pollution in control.

City bus service

The city bus service is run by Lucknow Mahanagar Parivahan Sewa a division of Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (JNNURM of UPSRTC). It has a fleet of 300 buses. All are CNG. Off them 20 are A/C Low floor, 90 are non A/C Low floor, 60 are semi low floor and 120 are mini buses. At present there are around 35 routes in the city. Terminals for city buses are Gudamba, Virajkhand, Alambagh, Scooter India, Engineering college, B.B.D., Pasi qila, Charbagh, Andhe ki chowki, Budheshwar choraha. There are 4 bus depots for city bus that are Gomti nagar, Charbagh, Amausi, Dubagga.

Suburban bus service

The suburban bus service is run by Lucknow upnagariya parivahan sewa. Its fleet is around 120 buses. These buses cater the need of suburban towns and tehsils in Lucknow and neighbouring districts. Suburban services is from Charbagh and Kaiserbagh. Towns connected by Charbagh are Barabanki city, Nigohan, Nayi jail, Nagram, Mohanlalganj, Subeha, Bachhrawan.Towns connected by Kaiserbagh are Malihabad, Itaunja, Mahmudabad, Amaniganj, Haidergarh, nayi jail. It is a division of Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation.

Inter-state bus service

One of Lucknow's major bus terminals is Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar bus station at Alambagh. It has very modern facilities and is the main inter- and intrastate terminal in Lucknow. Another important bus station is at Qaiserbagh. Earlier, another bus terminal operated at Charbagh, directly in front of the main railway station, but this has now been reestablished as a City bus depot. The move was taken to remove congestion in front of the railway station. Kanpur Lucknow Roadways Service is a very important service for commuters. The cities outside Uttar Pradesh that are covered by bus service are Jaipur, New Delhi, Gwalior, Bharatpur, Singrauli, Faridabad, Gurgaon and Dausa.

Rail transport

The city is served by several railway stations at different parts of the city. The main railway station is Lucknow Railway Station at Charbagh. It has an imposing structure built in 1923. The main terminal belongs to Northern Railway (NR) (station code: LKO) division of Indian Railways and the second terminal is run by the North Eastern Railway (NER) (Station Code: LJN). Lucknow is a major junction with links to all major cities of the state and country such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Pune, Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Jaipur and many more. Lucknow has a further thirteen railway stations viz. Alamnagar, Malhaur, Utretia, Transport Nagar, Dilkhusha, Gomti Nagar, Badshahnagar, Manak Nagar, Amausi, Aishbagh junction, Lucknow City, Daliganj and Mohibullapur. Now meter gauge services originate from Aishbagh and connect to Lucknow city, Daliganj and Mohibullapur. Except Mohibullapur all the stations are also connected to Broad gauge. All the stations are within city limits and are well connected with each other via road networks and public road transport. Other suburban stations include Bakshi Ka Talab and Kakori.Many stations are covered by Lucknow-Kanpur Suburban Railway. It serves daily commuters. Some of the trains are operated from Barabanki city.

Air transport

The Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Amausi serves as the city's main airport and is located about 20 km from the city center. Lucknow is directly connected by air with New Delhi, Patna, Kolkata, Mumbai and Hyderabad. Oman Air, FlyDubai, Buddha Airlines, Saudi Airlines, Indian Airlines and IndigoAir and many more international airlines that are operating international flights from Lucknow. International destinations include Dubai, Muscat, Sharjah, Dammam, Jeddah, Riyadh and Kathmandu (Nepal). During Haj special flights are also operated from Lucknow.

Metro/Mono Rail service

Plans for high capacity mass transit system, The Lucknow Metro and Mono rail Services have been finalised. Delhi Metro rail (DMRC) is preparing plans for its constructions.

Media

Press

Lucknow has historically been a major center of journalism. The ''National Herald'', the newspaper started by India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru before World War II was published from Lucknow and edited by Manikonda Chalapathi Rau.

The prominent English dailies of the city are ''The Times of India'', ''The Hindustan Times'', ''The Pioneer'' and ''Indian Express''. Several daily newspapers in Hindi and Urdu are published in the city. Among the Hindi papers are ''Dainik Jagran'', ''Amar Ujala'', ''Dainik Hindustan, ''Rashtriya Sahara'', Jansatta, ''I Next'' and ''Swatantra Bharat''. The main Urdu papers are ''Rozanama Rashtriya Sahara'', ''Sahafat'', ''Qaumi Khabrein'', ''Aag'',''Rojnama Urdu'' and ''Jayeza Daily'',.

The Press Trust of India and United News of India have their offices in the city and all major Indian newspapers have correspondents and stringers in Lucknow.

Radio

One of the earliest stations of All India Radio has been operational in Lucknow for quite some time.

FM radio transmission started in Lucknow in 2000, and the city today has following FM radio stations.

Radio City 91.1 MHz

Red FM 93.5 MHz

Radio Mirchi 98.3 MHz

AIR FM Rainbow 100.7 MHz

Gyan Vani 105.6 MHz (Educational)

CMS FM 90.4 MHz (Educational)

Internet

The city has broadband internet connectivity and video conferencing facilities. Major players like BSNL, Bharti Airtel, Reliance Communications, Tata Communications & STPI, have a wide infrastructure to provide broadband Internet Bandwidth to home users, corporates etc. There are many cyber cafes in the city.

References

Further reading

Rosie Llewellyn-Jones. ''City of Illusion''. Prestel Verlag, 2006, 295pp. ISBN 3-7913-3130-2. ISBN 978-3-7913-3130-0.

Rosie Llewellyn-Jones. ''Lucknow Then and Now. Marg Publications, India, 2003. ISBN 81-85026-61-0. ISBN 978-81-85026-61-9.

Anurag Kumar. ''Recalcitrance- a historical novel on events of Great Uprising of 1857 AIP Books, India, 2008.

External links

The India of the Nawabs, The New York Times, Published: February 25, 1990

Category:Cities and towns in Lucknow district Category:Indian capital cities Category:Places of Indian Rebellion of 1857 Category:Lucknow NR railway division Category:Lucknow NER railway division Category:Divisions of Indian Railways Category:Northern Railway (India) Zone

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