Field Training as FCI Management Trainee in Lucknow: A truly memorable Experience

The imposing ‘Khadya Sadan’ – U.P. Regional Office of FCI

After finishing my operational training at RO Panchkula, I was to report to FCI Regional Office, Vibhuti Khand, Lucknow for cadre based field training. Cadre based training is usually given in domicile region and being from U.P. I was assigned to RO Lucknow. I was to spend the first month of training at RO Lucknow.

FCI duly provided me with a room in its splendidly furnished guest house located in Vineet Khand, Lucknow. It is around 2 kms from FCI RO. And that took care of lodging – the most unpredictable part of any extended stay. The guest house was real good, to say the least. It is located in a neighborhood popularly called as ‘IAS Colony’ after all the bungalows of retired and serving All India Services’ officers it has. A single-seater A/C room with attached bathroom, a policeman guarding the premises 24/7 and the rent per day was only 100 bucks. It can’t get any better…

Once settled, I had a laser-like like focus on only one thing – making the most out of my Lucknow stay !! Just me and my camera…

August of Lucknow Captured in June

I roamed the length and breadth of Lucknow on foot and made sure to take minimum services from Ola and Uber. I preferred sharing auto-rickshaws and local buses. The real Lucknow can only be enjoyed by going spartan.

1. The Bada Imambara

The Bada Imambada – looking outwards from the main building. Entrance of ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ to the right of camera.

A view of Bada Imambada premises from its top roof – looking towards Gomti River. ‘Rumi Darwaja’ – the entrance to the larger Imambada premises-  can be seen in top left corner.

Three floored main building of the Bada Imambada, as captured from the adjoining Asafi Masjid. It houses the large accoustic halls on ground floor and the famed ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ on first and second floors.

The largest hall inside the main Imambada building (ground floor). On both sides of camera are cantilevered passageways of ‘Bhool Bhulaiya’ with wooden parapets (first floor). 

Bada Imambada essentially consists of this main hall, two attached small halls on the sides and the convoluted passages on first and second floor. These narrow, 2.5 feet wide identical passages form the famed ‘Bhool Bhulaiya’.

A passage inside ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’. 

Game of Shadows: Identical 2.5 feet wide passageways make the architecture an amazing maze – the ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’. 

Asafi Masjid inside the Imambada premises, as seen from third floor roof of Imambada.

The spacious roof of Bada Imambada. It can be reached directly by the staircase, containing a flight of 84 steps, located on the corner opposite to the camera location.

A framed aerial photograph of Imambada area hung in British Residency Museum in Kaiserbagh, Lucknow. Gives a clear spatial visualization of Imambada area.

‘Baavli’ an old step well inside the premises of Bada Imambada

Skyline of Lucknow, facing towards Chowk area, as seen from third floor of Bada Imambada.

Entry to Imambada premises is free. But entry to ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ costs Rs. 50/- per person (May 2017). If you carry any bag/backpack etc., it has to be deposited in the cloak room at the very first entry into Imambada premises with a charge of Rs. 5/-. Entry to Imambada hall and ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ is strictly barefoot. Footwear has to be deposited at a counter just outside ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ with a charge of Rs. 2/- per pair.

A panoramic view of Asafi Masjid and Imambada premises.

A matchstick lighted in the opposite corner can be heard at this corner.

Cantilevered alleyways with wooden parapets on first floor of Imambada.

An artistic capture of a passageway in Bhool Bhulaiyaa

Religious cabins inside Bada Imambada main hall

It’s a selfie hotspot.

An underground passageway inside ‘Baavli’ – the step well outside Imambada.

2. Chhota Imambada

Chhota Imambada in all its glory on a clear May evening. Entry to this monument is free.

A little later into the evening…

Close up of the main ‘Chhota Imambada’ building

Truly colourful – the front hall inside the main Chhota Imambada building

The second and innermost hall inside Chhota Imambada building

3. Husainabad Clock Tower 

Husainabad Clock Tower (aka Ghanta Ghar) is the tallest clock tower in India! It is located between Bada Imambada and Chhota Imambada.

Simply majestic… Clock Tower on a clear summer evening.

‘Satkhandi Talaab’ adjoining the Husainabad Clock Tower. Chhota Imambada is just behind the gate on the middle-right – at a walking distance of few hundred metres.

4. The British Residency, Kaiserbagh

The Residency is a walking distance from Kaiserbagh Bus Station – the nodal intra-state bus terminal of Lucknow. The entry fee was Rs. 15/- per person in June 2017. 

The Residency is more of a park with natural beauty rather than an architectural monument. 

Present day structure is just the ruins of a grand British architecture of pre-1857 era. But the lawns of Residency are well maintained and are pretty as a picture.

The 1857 Memorial Museum. The Residency compound is maintained by Archaeological Survey of India.

A tryst with history…

Inside the 1857 memorial museum. The museum is small, consisting only of this large room and three small galleries on three sides. Not worth the name. 

Am I the only one who finds this portrait comical ?? 

5. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Park

The park architecture looks breathtaking at night. All you need is an eye and a camera !! Entry fee is Rs. 10/- per person (June 2017).

A long exposure photograph of the park architecture. Baba Bhim, immortalized in architecture. And ideas.

Park architecture is a photographer’s delight. Especially at night.

Ambedkar Park is a safe stomping ground for love birds. Till 9 pm in the night, when it does close.

6. The ‘बडा मंगल’ Celebrations

I happened to be in Lucknow in the month of May and June. And there were celebrations of ‘Bada Mangal’ in Lucknow during this time. ‘Bada Mangal’ refers to the four auspicious Tuesdays lying the month of ‘Jyaishtha’, the third month of Hindu calender. And I witnessed all four auspicious Tuesdays!

A spartan meal – ‘भण्डारा’ – ready to commence in Vibhuti Khand on one of the auspicious Tuesdays in May 2017

This is a ritual specific only and only to Lucknow. On these Tuesdays, stalls offering free meals are organised by religiously inclined people. And everything is on the menu!! Poodi-subji, chhole-chawal, pulaav, kadhi-chawal, meethi-boondi, kheer, sooji-halwaa, sharbat and ice-creams are some of the menu items I enjoyed on Tuesdays.

Yes Minister : Brijesh Pathak, Minister of Law & Justice and Additional Energy Resources in Uttar Pradesh, inaugurating the bada mangal festivities at UPNEDA office in Vibhuti Khand.

The joy of giving… And eating !!

Visibly Happy: Ice creams being distributed at a Bada Mangal celebration in Kaiserbagh (June 2017)

Thirsty, eh ?? बड़े मंगल का भण्डारा will take care of your thirst !!

7. Anandi Water Park

Located around 22 km. from city center (Charbagh), Anandi Water amusement park is a delight on a hot summer afternoon. Entry for an adult costed Rs. 700/- (without lunch) and Rs. 500/- for minors, in June 2017. Free snacks (choose between a plate of chowmein or pav-bhaaji), a soft-drink bottle and a small ice-cream are included in the ticket.

Sharda Canal located on the eastern outskirts of Lucknow. Anandi Water Park’s entrance can be seen on the right.

The 100 feet high water slide inside the park. Once started downslope, newbies (like me) had no clue where they were heading and where they ended !! All I got in the end was a mouthful of pool water!

The park is a real thrill in summers…

8. It’s Always Magical in Lucknow…

While in Lucknow, I saw two delightful magic shows. One by Magician O.P. Sharma Sr./Jr and other by a young girl magician Anchal Kumawat. Father-son duo of O.P. Sharma Sr./Jr. performed at Ravindralaya, Charbagh in May-June 2017. While young Rajasthani girl magician Anchal performed at Gomti Nagar in May 2017 and again near Kaiserbagh Bus Terminal in June 2017.

Outside the Ravindaralaya Auditorium where O.P. Sharma show was held. In photo, my colleague.

Magician O.P. Sharma Jr. on stage.

Magician O.P. Sharma Sr. on stage

23 year old, Limca book record holder, girl magician Anchal Kumawat from Udaipur, Rajasthan performed at Kaiserbagh.

O.P. Sharma Sr. doing the ‘hanging in the air’ act

Showmanship… A gala ending to the O.P. Sharma’s show.

Magician Anchal on stage

My colleague (extreme right) called on stage as a part of act.

Lucknow… A Living Entity…

The ‘laid-back’ city: A snap taken at Charbagh Railway Station

To call Lucknow ‘Nawaabon ka Sheher’ or simply treat it as the capital city of U.P. will not only be clichéd but will also be a great disservice to the city which is much much more than that. I have had extended stays in New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Bangalore but I found Lucknow to have a class of its own. The general outlook of Lucknow is eclectic. And the locals are friendly towards outsiders. And people are generous too.

Thrifty

Firstly, I found Lucknow to be very cheap. Food, lodging and commuting in Lucknow are quite thrifty. I belong to West U.P. and I can say with authority that Lucknow is much cheaper than the cities of western U.P. and NCR. I’ll be empirical.

• One can travel to any place in Lucknow in Rs. 50 !! Sharing autos, local buses, Vikrams and e-ricksahws are readily available for commuting. The maximum fare I paid for a sharing auto in Lucknow was Rs. 30/-, for going from Charbagh to Hahnemann Chowk in Gomti Nagar. The average fare for journey by a Vikram (for it’s complete route) varies from Rs. 7 to Rs. 8.
• A plate of ‘dahi bataashe’ in Saharanpur costs Rs. 40 for a plate of 5 bataashe. In Muzaffarnagar it costs Rs. 30. But, in Lucknow it costs only Rs. 15 for a plate of 6 !! Paani puri in Lucknow costs Rs 10 for 6 pieces. You are free to compare that to any metro city.
• To watch a Hollywood flick in 3D you will have to shell out anywhere between Rs. 250-400 in a theater of Delhi or Gurgaon. I watched ‘Guardians of the Galaxy-2’ in Gurgaon for Rs. 375/-. In Lucknow I watched ‘Alien Covenant’ and ‘PotC: Dead Men Tell No Tales’ for 160 bucks each and ‘The Mummy’ for 210 bucks, all in 3D.

Commuter Friendly

Secondly, getting from one place to another in Lucknow is quite easy. And cheap. One only needs to know the nodal points from where to catch the conveyance options. Charbagh, Chowk, Polytechnic, Kaiserbagh, Husariya Chowk and Chinhat are major nodes from where one can board a shared autorickshaw/Vikram to any other place inside Lucknow. If stuck in Lucknow, all we need to know is the nearest node from where to find a conveyance.

A long exposure snap of the Charbagh Railway Station main building (around 9 pm in June).

Argumentative yet Friendly

“पानी हमेशा बैठ के पिया कीजिये”, was the instruction given to me by a lady in Regional Office when I barged into office from hot Sun and jumped upon that jug of cold water!! I found it pettifogging at that moment but as I advanced into my stay in Lucknow, I realized this is the norm.

Well, Lucknow surely as hell cares for you… It caresses you, guides you, teaches you, judges you, corrects you and at times goes all bristly on you. But isn’t that the beauty of a friend. In Lucknow, people are happy to help. They will tell you the elaborate details of stuff they know. You can never feel unattended in Lucknow.

And if you give a value-loaded statement in a closeted public space (an autorickshaw, a chai shop etc.), you better get ready for some action !! Coz it’s always political in Lucknow.

Pure Happiness: I asked them to strike a pose for the camera. They just….. obliged !!

Eclectic

Something is always happening in Lucknow. Well, something or other is always happening everywhere on planet but in Lucknow it’s different. Or it’s just me who is in love with the place. Whichever is the case, I always had a thing to visit in Lucknow.

A good piece of counselling. Ain’t it ? And it’s free!

I was in Lucknow in May-June 2017. It’s a no-brainer that Sun is beating down on the city real hard during this time of year. I struggled with sweating and squishy clothes all along my travels. The ideal time to visit Lucknow should be from November to mid-March. Anything outside that time period, and heat is bound to play spoil-sport.

Hey look! a street photographer…

I enjoyed Lucknow. I truly did. To the hilt. And I want to thank FCI for giving me the chance to have an extended yet comfortable stay in Lucknow…

It’s to you Lucknow. One gem of a city….