Lucknow, capital of India's most populous state - Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow, is evocative of a lifestyle long gone by - only its vestiges are still to be found in the city's mannerisms and habits. The city probably derives its name from the legend that Rama gave away this part of the country to Lakshmana, his yonger brother. Lucknow was the abode of the Nawabs of Avadh, and their regal pastimes and pleasures were legendry. They refined their formal speech, were fond of song and dance, and nurtured Urdu verse as well as the Kathak school of court dances. The food from the royal kitchens was the result of creative experimentation, exquisite and delicate in taste. Their monuments excelled in the use of arches, pavilions and domes. Many of the royal residences are now crumbling, but the best known of Lucknow's architectural representatives are the Imambaras, and the bhulbhulaiyan. Lucknow also continues to be home to the fine chikan embroidery executed with fine skill on fabrics, sarees and kurtas. .

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