Residency

The Residency located on the banks of Gomti river on a small hillock near Hazratganj area is a famous historical landmark of Lucknow. It was built between1780 and 1800 AD by the then Nawab of Oudh, Nawab Saadat Ali Khan for the British Resident. The Residency is now in ruins and remains as a witness of the 1857 Mutiny. One can found the bullet-ridden walls and roofless halls here. The Archaeological Survey of India declared it as a protected monument. Spreads over an area of 30 acre, it houses a group of beautiful red buildings surrounded by flowerbeds, lawns and shady green trees.

The Residency has been now converted into government offices and a museum. The museum in the ground floor exhibits a model of the layout of the whole area in 1857. The walls of the Residency still have the graves of around 2000 British soldiers who died in the Revolt of 1857. The gardens around the Residency are very beautifully maintained. Daily light and sound show is held here against the romantic backdrop of the Residency, which recounts the history of Awadh through the character of the river, Gomti. The skillful use of light and shade, with a reminiscent narration, brings alive the history of Lucknow.

The Residency complex consists of various other monuments like the Kaisarbagh Palace; a white obelisk in honour of Indians who died during the mutiny of 1857 ; graves of British soldiers who died fighting the Indian troops; the tombs of Sadat Ali Khan ,the first Nawab of Oudh and his wife; the Nur Baksh Kothi and Tarawali Kothi and the observatory built for Colonel Wilcox, the British astronomer. The picture gallery which contains the portraits of Nawabs of Oudh is the other attraction. The Residency is open from 9am to 5.30pm.