My Visit to Chota Imambara ( Imambara Hussainabad Mubarak), Lucknow

The metal figure at the entrance

                           

                                                         Entrance Gate to Chota Imambara

                               

Inside View of the Central Hall

Various Tazias in the hall

   

                                                  Beautiful carvings and calligraphy on pillars and walls

Chota Imambara - Inside View

The beautiful View of Chandliers

Chota Imambara-- front view with flowing stream and garden

Tazias on the platform in the main hall

                                                          The throne of Mohd. Ali Shah

                      

                   

              

                                                                      Crown of Mohd. Ali Shah

Mausoleum of Zinat Asiya, Nawab's daughter

Treasury facing Zinat Asiya's Mosque

Just two kms away from Bada Imambara on the west side, Chota Imambara is seen which is admired for its artistic beauty as Palace of Lights. It is located on Husanabad Road in Daulaganj in Lucknow. This was built by Mohd.Ali Shah, the Nawab of Awadh in 1838 as a congregation hall for Shia Muslims to celebrate Muharram and other festivals. Azim-ullah-Khan, Superintendent of ordnance and Buildings, supervised the construction of this gold-plated building with many large and smaller domes with ribbed design. The Nawab in order to provide employment to workers during the severe drought period undertook the construction of this monument.

 The significance of the holy five is symbolized here by five main doorways. There are two halls and a platform (Shehnasheen) on which the Zarih(the replica of the protective grill that is kept over the grave of Imam Hussain at Karbala, Iraq) is seen. The main hall or Azhakhana is a large green and white bordered hall with a gilded dome decorated with chandeliers imported from Belgium, golden edged mirrors and crystal glass lamp stands. On the south of the main hall is the main platform with arches where the banners and flags of the small army of Imam Hussain are seen. A number of Tazias made of silver, ivory and sandalwood are kept on the main platform or Shahnasheen. There is also a big Tazia that is made of wax and tinsel paper kept in the main hall. 

The tombs of Nawab Mohd. Alishah and his mother are seen in the central hall. Their bodies are buried below the floor in the basement of the central hall. In the central hall the royal throne, the red crown of the king and the silver Mimbar or pulpit on which the orator is seated when he addresses audience are also seen. On the walls and pillars of the hall, Quran verses are written in Islamic calligraphy in the shape of a tiger, a horse and a bird, fixed in wooden frames. An antique Persian clock and a glass fish tank from Japan are other curious objects found in this spacious hall.

 The way to this Imambara is embellished with a flowing stream flowing through the center of the garden. Water for fountains and other water bodies is channelized from Gomti River. This building constructed in Indo-Islamic and Persian style has a Charbagh pattern—a single stream running through the center of the garden.

 There are two triple-arched gateways on the east and west as entrances. In between them is the main gate with a heavy door. . The three-storied main entrance gate is seen with a bronze fish fixed at the top of the arched gateway. This bronze fish works as a weather vane one finds the sacred five emblems mounted atop the main gate to signify the holy five members of Prophet Mohammad’s family. Opposite the main gate is Naubat Khana where large drums were beaten to announce the hours of the day. Two metal Grecian figures in bronze connected to spikes on the top of the gate act as lightning conductors.

 On the left side of the main building is seen a mosque with two minarets , a replica of Taj Mahal, where the tombs of Nawab’s daughter, Zinat Asiya, his son and her husband along with the tomb of Nawab’s consort are found. Non-Muslims are not allowed inside the mosque. On the other side a similar structure facing the mausoleum was built to maintain architectural symmetry and balance. This building was used as treasury. Outside the Imambara is a watchtower called Satkhanda or tower of seven stories. But only four stories were seen as the king passed away and the construction work was stopped. This tower was built between 1837 and 1842. On the model of Qutub Minar and the tower of Pisa this tower was constructed in Indo-Islamic style and was meant for lunar observation.

Mohd.Ali Shah and his queen Malka Afaq Jahan deposited 26 lakhs with East India Company to form Hussianabad Endowment Trust to look after the religious buildings they had built and for observance of Muharrum and other connected functions. To the left of the main gate, Shahi Imam (Royal bath) with a complicated system of drainage is seen which supplies hot water to the gigantic bath tub. This building has been renovated in later times. Tickets purchased at Bada Imambara gives one access to Chota Imambara and Picture Gallery. Alexis Soltykoff, the Russian prince, who visited this place in 1841, described this monument as the “Kremlin of India.”Really as someone said, this monument is “ small in name, but big in wonder.” There are many worth seeing monuments nearby such as Jama Masjid, Clock Tower and Rumi Dawaja. The opening hours of this Imambara are from 8.00 a.m. to 6.30 p.m.           

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  13th November, 2019                                         Somaseshu Gutala