October 25, 2021

Prateek Hira’s interview in Times of India on Lucknow as a tourist destination

Filed under: News — @ 5:48 am

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/lucknows-speciality-culture-craft-and-cuisine/articleshow/87251815.cms

  • Lucknow is a ‘Tourist Perfect’ city….

I would say Lucknow is a ‘tourist perfect’ destination with all three Cs – Culture, Craft & Cuisine required for any top of the line destination. Culture here is existent in both tangible and intangible forms with architecturally unique living monuments, performing arts, unique traditions dance forms and layers of history from pre-Nawabi to Nawabi and then further on to the British. Lucknow has unpretentious usable craft and then it has a unique array of heritage cuisine that is not only unique in taste, style of preparations but also backed by loads of stories and history to regale the diners. Even the new areas of Lucknow, particularly Gomti Nagar, which we call modern Lucknow, is no less an attraction and is now an indelible mark in its own right, as if it was not newly constructed but existed here as a part of new Lucknow.  

  • Lucknow promises loads of interesting experiences to any traveller….

The very mention of ‘Lucknow’ conjures one to dive into the glorious past of the Nawabi era – the mention brings alive Lucknow’s bygone era and visualization the past happens so naturally. The modern tourist is much more informed traveller and wants to experience a destination beyond its concrete structures. Stories come in handy to understand a destination more intricately and to relate to it. Lucknow promises loads of experiences for all interests and each interest is backed by many mesmerizing stories that unfold a new chapter each time. Many destinations do not have the power of stories or at times stories are not powerful enough as Lucknow’s.  

  • Lucknow lives in its innate image of sophistication….

Lucknow is unique in all aspects and beyond compare.  The best proposition is that it is one destination that still lives to its innate image of sophistication and style. All of it still reflects in its monuments, culture and above all in its people. Lucknowites can be easily identified by their language, customs and beliefs which are very unique to them. ‘Aap-Janab’ is not a part of ‘dialect history’ but very much our daily dialect. On another thought, Lucknow is a modern neo-metropolitan that has a delicate blend of old and new and both the worlds coexist in utter harmony, not imposing on each other. Lucknow as a destination has all the capacity to hold a tourist for long stays and then attract repeat visitors as well. The more you see it, the more you want to see it and that calls for another visit.     

Prateek Hira's interview in Times of India

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/lucknows-speciality-culture-craft-and-cuisine/articleshow/87251815.cms

 

October 17, 2021

Baghs of Lucknow

Filed under: Lucknowledge — admins @ 7:47 am

Ever wondered how there seem to be no end to the baghs in Lucknow? We bring to you the untold stories behind some of the city’s landmarks.

Wander through the streets of Lucknow and you are bound to find a number of areas with a suffix bagh meaning garden, attached to its name. Though the suffix may have no relevance today but there was a time when the city of nawabs was known to be home to no less than 400 such royal gardens.

Says city based historian Anwer Abbas, “In those days huge gardens and orchards dotted the city’s landscape. It was customary to name areas by flora that grew there.

For example Martinpurva used to be known as Lakhpeda as it had more than a lakh trees of guava and mango. Similarly, Hussainabad area was formerly called Jamuniya Bagh as this area was covered with jamun trees.”

Avers Yogesh Praveen, another historian, “Lucknow was called the city of palaces and gardens. A number of these localities were erstwhile residential colonies for the royalty, with kothis and huge gardens.

Once stripped of their titles it became difficult for the nawabs to maintain such huge gardens, so most sold them off. But the names remained.”

SECUNDER BAGH: Nawab Wajid Ali Shah fell in love with a lady named Secunder Begum but married her only when she was on her death bed, suffering from an incurable disease. He constructed a palace, a masjid and garden pavilion for the begum in the area which is now with the National Botanical Research Institute. The garden extended till the Gomti banks and was called Secunder Bagh.

MUSA BAGH: Huge gardens laid by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah existed in this area located near Hardoi road. Legend says that the nawab killed a rat (mushik) here hence the name. Some also believe it took its name from a French word Monsieur during Lord Martin’s period.

ALAM BAGH: This garden was named after Alam Ara, the first wife of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. The young couple harboured a love for ghazals, and used to compose couplets sitting in these gardens.

CHAR BAGH: The area got its name from the four huge Mughal style gardens here during the time of Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah. A garden called Bagh Sher Jung named after his uncle Sher Jung, Governor of Kashmir, existed where the city station stands now, built along with Buland Bagh laid near Rakabgunj.

KAISER BAGH: Set up by Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, it was a huge complex with small gardens dotting the area. It got its name from Urdu word qaiser meaning king, hence Qaiser’s Bagh.” Another story goes that the nawab was besotted with a beautiful lady, who was referred to as qaiser pasand (the king’s choice). He laid the garden for her and called it Kaiserbagh.

BADSHAH BAGH: Laid by Nawab Naseer-ud-Din Haider for his wife Kudsia Begum, it was a ladies garden, where even the gardeners were all women. The nawab visited this garden on a steamer which cruised from Chatr Manzil (CDRI) to Badshahbagh (Near Kailash Hostel). It was the badshah’s garden hence its name.

VILAYATI BAGH: Historians believe this garden, situated near Dilkusha gardens in present day cantonement area, got its name because of the two foreign wives, one of whom was a Christian and another, an Armenian (vilayati begums) of Nawab Ghazi-Ud-Din Haider. According to another story, the varieties of flower planted here were of foreign origin, hence the moniker Vilayati Bagh.

October 6, 2021

Prateek Hira and Tornos awarded by UP CM Yogi Adityanath

Filed under: News — @ 8:22 am

Prateek Hira awarded by UP Government

Uttar Pradesh government on the occasion of World Tourism Day and to mark 50 years of the Department of Tourism in Uttar Pradesh Government recognised the efforts of Prateek Hira in the field of Tourism. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath on 27 September conferred the State Award to Prateek Hira and his company Tornos, declaring it as the best tour company in the state of UP. Prateek has been in the travel trade for the last 27 years and apart from being in the business of operating tours he also chairs the FICCI’s Tourism Committee in Uttar Pradesh and UP Chapter of IATO.

award certificate

The government of Uttar Pradesh in its citation has recognized his efforts in promoting the state of Uttar Pradesh and taking it to new heights in the field of Tourism. His cooperation with the department of tourism and involvement with tourism academia and researches is commendable.

FICCI’s report on the potential of Culinary Tourism in Uttar Pradesh authored by Prateek Hira, Manish Ahuja and Anirban Chaterjee was also released and launched on this occasion by the Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, in presence of Urban Development Minister, Mr. Ashutosh Tandon , Jal Shakti Minister , Dr. (simplyearth.com) Mahendra Singh, Mayor of Lucknow, Mrs Sanyukta Bhaita and the Principal Secretary Tourism & Culture Mr. Mukesh Meshram. 

Prateek Hira awarded by UP Government