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Alan Morris at the Archaeology 1857 Memorial Museum.
Alan Morris at the Archaeology 1857 Memorial Museum.

Before we left Lucknow in the afternoon, we visited the British Residency and the Bara Imambara to have a look around.

British Residency.

The British Residency in Lucknow was only a short drive from our hotel.

After leaving the British Residency, we boarded our coach and were taken through Lucknow to the Bara Imambara.

Bara Imambara.

When we arrived, we were dropped off outside the Bara Imambara complex and then followed our guide inside, where we waited while he got our tickets to enter. I was very disappointed to see that the fee for tourists to enter was 10 times higher than the fee for locals. Indian tourists were included in this hiked-up charge; it wasn't just for foreign tourists, but I felt simply giving locals a free pass would have been a better option and showing their local pass wouldn't have made tourists feel so ripped off.

Aarti Ceremony.

The Aarti ceremony is a significant Hindu ritual that involves offering light to deities. The ceremony involves waving a lighted lamp (usually with ghee or oil) in front of the deity. The light symbolises the removal of darkness and ignorance. Devotees chant mantras and sing hymns in praise of the deity during the ceremony. Along with the light, offerings such as flowers, food, and water are presented to the deity.

One of the most famous Aarti ceremonies takes place on the ghats of the River Ganges in Varanasi. We were supposed to see this tonight, but because of the number of people trying to get to Varanasi, we were turned back by the local government, who had shut the road because of concerns over the number of people visiting the area.

Radisson Hotel Varanasi.

The hotel for my stay in Lucknow tonight was the Radisson Hotel Varanasi.