Bara Imambara in Lucknow with a Rice Husk Ash Roof
Bara Imambara is notable for its roof, made of rice husk ash.
In 1784, Asaf-ud-Daula, Nawab of Awadh, built the Bara Imambara, also known as Asfi Imambara, a complex in Lucknow, India. An Imambara is a shrine created by Shia Muslims for Azadari, and bara means large. The Nizamat Imambara in Murshidabad is the largest Imambara, followed by this one. Along with the step well with running water, the structure also houses the large Asfi mosque, a Bhul-Bhulaiya (the labyrinth), and more. One can reach the main hall via two imposing gateways. There are 1024 ways to get to the terrace but only two ways to exit; either through 1st gate or the exit gate.
Asaf-ud-Daula wanted to employ locals for nearly ten years while the devastating famine continued, so he started construction on Bara Imambara in 1780, the same year the famine began. As recorded in history, while noblemen and the elite worked at night to demolish anything built during the day, ordinary workers worked during the day to construct the complex. The Imambara’s construction cost was between 500,000 and 1,000,000 rupees at the time, it was completed in 1794. The Nawab continued to decorate it for 400,000 to 500,000 rupees annually.
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Unintentional Architecture
The Badshahi Mosque is one of the complex’s main structures that lacks any European influences or use of iron, and its architecture demonstrates the evolution of ornamented Mughal design. The tomb of Asaf-ud-Daula is housed in a large central chamber with a vault in the main Imambara. It is one of the world’s most extensive arched structures, measuring 50 by 16 metres and standing more than 15 metres tall with no beams supporting the ceiling. Eight surrounding chambers with varying roof heights allow for the restoration of the space above them as a three-dimensional labyrinth with 489 identical doorways interconnecting the passages.
This area of the structure, as well as the entire complex, is known as the Bhulbhulaiya. It was unintentionally designed to support the weight of the building, built on marshy land. It is now a popular tourist attraction as India’s only maze. Asaf-ud-Daula also built the nearby 18-meter (59-foot) Rumi Darwaza. This ornately decorated portal with lavish decorations served as the Imambara’s west-facing entrance. The Bara Imambara is a magnificent structure in Lucknow, and its design plan was picked, through a competitive process. Kifayatullah, an architect from Delhi, was the winner and is also buried in the Imambara’s main hall right next to the investor himself.
Do visit this monumental landmark whenever you find yourself in Lucknow.
Address: Husainabad Trust Rd, Machchhi Bhavan, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226003 (Open from morning until evening)
Entry Fee: Rs. 25 for Indians and Rs. 500 for foreigners
