A walk through Hussainabad & its bygone era

Lucknow: The Hussainabad picture gallery, which also houses the office of Hussainabad Allied Trust, doesn't resemble the original structure made during the reign of Nawab Mohammad Ali Shah, third king of Awadh, said scientist and historian PC Sarkar. Sharing several nuggets of history on a bright Sunday morning, Sarkar took many history enthusiast on a heritage walk.Organized by Citizens of Lucknow group, Sarkar said the ground and first floor of the building, made in hybrid style of architecture, were constructed in different eras.“The ground floor of the gallery was constructed during the reign of Nawab Mohammad Ali Shah in Nawabi style of architecture without any usage of iron. However, the first floor was constructed during the colonial period with usage of iron rods,” said Sarkar. Describing the Clock Tower, Sarkar said it was made with a political message to depict the dominance of the colonial government in Moorish style of architecture. The facts related to Hussainabad baoli, Satkhanda and Sheesh Mahal were also shared during the walk."Satkhanda was made in such a way that each floor of the building has its own pillars," said Sarkar. Nawab Masood Abdullah, while providing information about Sheesh Mahal, said that it was initially named after Paigambar Hazrat Shees and was spread in about 24 acres of land.Adding to which he said that with time people began calling it Sheesh Mahal due to the mirror decorations used in the buildings. “Some historical buildings in Sheesh Mahal area have been razed to ground while others are still facing deterioration due to negligence of the owners, government and the public. We need to collectively work to preserve it,” said Abdullah.