By Godhooli Sharma
LUCKNOW: Did you know that Safed Baradari in Kaiserbagh was originally an Imambara which was auctioned by the British after the annexation of Awadh?
Such nuggets about the monuments of Lucknow came to the fore during the relaunch of city-based historian Saiyed Anwer Abbas book at the Sanatkada festival.
“During the construction of Safed Baradari there was a man who had visited Karbala, Iraq and brought back a miniature of Imam Husain’s mausoleum. The Nawabs moved across the city to showcse it to the natives, especially for those who could not visit Karbala,” shared Abbas.
“Though there are no traces of its disappearance afterwards, the Baradari was constructed as an Imambara where Muharram rituals were held. When the British annexed Awadh, they auctioned the Baradari which was later also used once as an assembly for Taluqdars,” he added.
“I once visited the Bada Imambada where a guide was explaining the history of Imambara to the tourists. He made an outrageous remark about one of the Nawabs. I checked him right away. It was also a turning point in my life and I started researching about our history and monuments and share the knowledge with others.”
