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| Bara Imambara Lucknow |
Among the major landmarks of Lucknow, Bara Imambara is the major attraction for tourists who visit Lucknow for the first time. Bara Imambara is popularly known as Bhool Bhulaiya (labyrinth) due to it having thousands of ways but only a single right way to reach the destination so people who enter it are unable to find the way to get out. It is only the type of labyrinth in India.
Its name Bara means big and Imambara means shrine. Imambara refers to the place where Shia Muslims celebrate their various ceremonies such as Muharram. It’s another unpopular name is Asafi Imambara due to its construction being done by Nawab Asaf-Ud-Daula.
Bada Imambara or Bhulbhulaiya is the pride of Lucknow and people know Lucknow by the name of Bada Imambara. Bada Imambara is situated in the Hussainabad area of Lucknow where lots of monuments are present to see.
You Should Read: Tourist Places to Visit in Lucknow
Bada Imambara Lucknow History
As per records, its construction
was started in the year 1784 by that time Awadh’s Nawab Asaf-Ud-Daula, and the
architect was Kifayat-Ullah. At that time there was a devastating famine in the
Awadh region and the people of Awadh suffering from it. So Awadh’s Nawab
Asaf-Ud-Daula planned to employ people for the construction of a building.
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| Second gateway of Bada Imambada |
Bada Imambara Lucknow Architecture
The architect of Bara Imambara was
Kifayat-Ullah who win this project through a competition. This huge complex
reflects the mixture of Mughal and Rajput architecture which shows the
maturation of Mughal design with strong Islamic influences. There is the
Badshahi Mosque which is the major project constructed at that time without the
use of iron. The main hall of the Imambara has the tomb of Asaf-Ud-Daula which
is the largest arched construction in the world without the use of supporting
beams or iron rods. It is 50 by 16 meters in length and width and more than 15
meters in height.
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| A view of Asfi Mosque from Bada Imamabada |
There are nine halls in the Imambara, in which the central hall is the largest and is surrounded by other eight halls. Due to the different roof heights of the halls, there is space on the roof to create such a beautiful three-dimensional labyrinth where zig-bag passages are interconnected with each other and confusing to people in choosing the right way. There are lots of dead ends so without knowing the exact way it was unable to get out from this building so popularly called Bhul Bhulaiya.
As per saying there were lots of
underground passages which open in nearby cities of Lucknow such as Faizabad,
Agra, Kanpur, etc. but now all underground passages are blocked. The wall thickness of the Imambara is 10 to 16 feet which provides space for the
passages and there were stairs to go up but all are now closed.
There is Shahi Bawli which is a five-storied building around a well. This is a very interesting building it designs in such a way if you stand at the main gate of the entrance of Bawli your clear image will be displayed in the well as people inside the Bawli easily see who is coming inside the Bawli. This Bawli well is connected to the Gomti River. There is Asafi Masjid which is a mosque and it’s named after Asaf-Ud-Daula.
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| Asafi Masjid |
TouristBug’s Tips for Tourists
- For couples, it is compulsory to take government-authorized guides, and also for husband-wife who have no kids with them.
- Others have the option to take a guide or not but I will recommend taking a guide or joining a group who take a guide under sharing for better knowing this historical place and stories related to this place.
- The maximum time for visiting this place will be around 3 to 4 hours so reach in the morning to enjoy the full day.
- In the main building shoes or slippers are not allowed so you can use shocks for visiting the Imambara.
- If you have DSLR cameras then there will be an extra charge for the camera.
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| Corridors Inside the Bada Imambada |
Facilities Inside the Bada Imambara Lucknow
- There is a very big park to rest and enjoy.
- Cars and bike parking stands are available.
- Washrooms are available for gents and ladies.
- Old and antique item shops for purchasing.
- Small canteens are available for snacks, cold drinks, water, etc inside the campus.
- There are all facilities for tourists at Bara Imambara.
- Many photographers are there who will take your photo and give print immediately.
You Should Read: Oldest
Shiv Mandir of Lucknow
Visit Timing of
It opens in the early morning at
06:00 am and closes at 05:00 pm in the evening. Bhul Bhulaiya opens daily and closes during some festivals of Muslims so check the status before reaching there.
To completely visit the Bada
Imambara or Bhulbhulaiya you have to spend 2-4 hours here.
Entry Fee of
Bhul Bhulaiya Lucknow ticket
price is different for Indian and foreign tourists. For Indians Rs.
50.00/person and for a foreigner, it will be Rs. 500.00/person. There is a single ticket for all including Bara Imambara, Chhota Imambara, Picture
Gallery, Shahi Hamam, and Bawli.
Best Time To Visit
You can go to see Bara Imambara or Bhul Bhulaiya at any time of the year. But
as per season, March to April and August to November will be the best time to
visit Bara Imambara.
As per timing the best time to go to Bhul Bhulaiya would be early morning because you get sufficient time to explore this place calmly.
During weekends and public holidays here lots of tourists come to visit this place, so if you want to avoid the crowd then the best time to go here for you to avoid these days.
How To Reach Bhool Bhulaiya Lucknow
Bada Imambara is the symbol of grandeur and pride for hundreds of years so everyone knows about the
Bada Imambara in Lucknow. Then if you ask local people about the Bhulbulaiya
they can easily guide you better.
You can reach easily the
Lucknow Charbagh railway station to Bada Imambara or Bhulbhulaiya in 15 minutes
only. Bada Imambara is only 5 km from the Lucknow Lucknow Charbagh railway
station. For the Bada Imambara, you can get buses, Vikram, and auto from
Alambagh, Charbagh, and Nisatganj also easily.
For Bada Imambara you can easily
get local Auto, Vikram, and city buses also at a very cheap rate. If you have your own vehicle then it is the best option to reach Bada Imambara from anywhere in
Lucknow.
Lucknow is well connected to
the many states by airway, railway, and roadways buses. So reaching Lucknow
from any city is very easy.
Bada Imambara Lucknow Address
Bada Imambara is situated at
Macchi Bhawan, Hussainabad Trust Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
TouristBug’s Recommendations
- If you are coming to visit Bara Imambara here then you must visit the Rumi Darwaza near the Bada Imambara. Rumi Darwaza is only 100-200 m far away from the Bada Imambara and free of cost to visit. There is no ticket to see it and Rumi Darwaza is a symbol of Lucknow.
- Many years ago tourists were unable to go downwards and find a way to get out of the Bhul Bhulaiya then the government built direct stairs from the ground floor to the top floor. So if you forget the way to get out, then you just go to the top floor and you will get the stairs downwards.
- Lucknow is popular for its exclusive Chikan embroidered clothes and dress. So you can purchase these for you and your family members as a sign of Lucknow.
Nearby Places to Visit in Lucknow
Lucknow has lots of tourist places to visit such as Nakstrashala, Chhota Imambara, Rumi Darwaza, Lucknow Zoo, Regional Science Centre, Residency, State Museum, Chandrika Devi Mandir, etc. Outside Lucknow city, nearby tourist places are Ayodhya Ram Mandir, Hanumangarhi temple in Ayodhya, Mahadeva in Barabanki, Kalpavriksha in Barabanki, etc.
I mentioned these names because I personally traveled to all these places.