A morning exploring the British Residency and Bara Imambara, followed by a long, chaotic journey to Varanasi during a once‑in‑144‑years festival, ending with a late arrival at the Radisson.
Lucknow to Varanasi.
We left Lucknow today, but before departing in the afternoon, we visited the British Residency and the Bara Imambara. Our coach picked us up and took us through the busy streets of Lucknow to our first stop, the British Residency complex.
British Residency.
The British Residency was only a short drive from our hotel. Once we got off the coach and Digamber had obtained our tickets, we entered the complex. He shared some of the Residency's history with us. The stories reminded me of my Aunt Molly, who had lived in India with her husband, Ernie, and would sometimes tell me about her experiences and the people she met. I don’t think she would have enjoyed this visit, but I loved it and found the uprising's history fascinating.
We were given forty minutes to explore, but I could easily have spent all day wandering through the peaceful, tranquil grounds. At one point, I thought I was rudely told off by another tourist for walking on the grass, until I turned around and saw a “keep off the grass” sign that had been on my blind side. I made my way back to the entrance and rejoined the group.
After leaving the Residency, we boarded the coach again and were taken across Lucknow to the Bara Imambara.
Bara Imambara.
When we arrived, we were dropped off outside the complex and followed our guide inside while he collected our tickets. I was disappointed to see that the entry fee for tourists was ten times higher than the fee for locals. Indian tourists were included in this inflated rate; it wasn’t just foreigners. I felt that giving locals a free pass would have been a better approach; it would have avoided tourists feeling taken advantage of, and they wouldn’t have needed to advertise the vast price difference so boldly.
We first walked through the grounds to the Shahi Baoli Stepwell. Compared to the Abhaneri Stepwell, it was small but still impressive. Some members of the group walked down the steps, but I stayed around the upper level and explored the surrounding building, which had been used for sleeping and storage.
We then walked to the Main Hall. We had to leave our footwear outside before entering the impressive building, which is now mainly used to store ceremonial floats. After leaving the hall, we walked back towards the entrance, passing the Asfi Mosque. I sat on the steps in the warm sun until the rest of the group gathered, and then we left the complex.
We walked a short distance, passing under the Rumi Gate, to where our coach was waiting. From there, we began our long journey to Varanasi.
Journey to Varanasi.
The journey was a long one. Our driver changed routes several times to avoid the hundreds of thousands of people travelling to Varanasi for the Aarti rituals being held this week. This particular year was special, an event that would only be repeated every 144 years, which explained the crowds.
The only place we stopped was a filthy truck stop. I used the toilet, though I dread to think what the ladies’ facilities were like. I didn’t buy anything from the food stalls, and most people on the coach stuck to crisps and packaged snacks.
Back on the road, the driver changed route again, but it soon became clear we wouldn’t reach Varanasi in time for the Aarti ceremony on the Ganges that evening. As we approached the city, the police closed the roads, and we were turned around. The driver tried another route, but the road through the airport had a height restriction barrier that was too low for the coach. He had no choice but to abandon the attempt.
He turned the coach around and parked on the roadside, then called the coach company. They sent three small minibuses to transfer us through Varanasi to our hotel. We waited for about an hour, and by the time the minibuses arrived, it was dark, and everyone was tired. Eventually, we were transferred into the city and taken to our hotel.
Radisson Hotel Varanasi.
Our hotel for the night was the Radisson Hotel Varanasi. As we approached, it looked like a building site, but the hotel was actually next to it. The minibuses had to cross the site to reach the entrance.
I remember very little else about the evening, but I suspect I went straight to bed; we had a very early start planned for our sunrise boat trip on the River Ganges.
Add comment