5/5 saurabh t. 1 year ago on Google • 21 reviews
This
place
is
well
preserved
memorial
of
the
first
struggle
for
independence
1857,
wherein
one
can
easily
see
the
imprints
of
the
struggle
between
the
british
army
and
Indian
fighters.
The
ASI
(Archaeological
survey
of
India)
has
done
a
tremendous
job
to
conserve
the
ruins
of
the
memorial
for
future
generations.
The
evidence
of
the
siege
of
the
Residency
in
1857
can
be
easily
seen
on
the
walls
of
each
and
every
building
of
the
Residency
which
were
exposed
to
heavy
cannonades
for
five
months.
Many
of
the
buldings
iether
suffered
heavy
damage;
or
completely
razed
to
the
ground
and
are
in
ruins.
Each
ruin
in
the
complex
has
its
own
story
to
tell
about
the
events
of
1857.
The
Residency
complex
today
consists
of
ruins
of
many
buildings.
During
its
historic
siege
in
1857,
these
buildings
and
the
fortified
posts
were
named
usually
after
those
who
lived
there.
They
were
also
named
after
the
commanding
officer
of
the
post.
We
thus
find
names
like
Gubbin's
Garrison,
Sago's
House,
Dr
Fayrer's
House,
Brigade
Mess,
Kanpur
Battery,
Sikh
Square
and
Anderson's
Post,
etc.
Main
Attractions
-
1.
Main
Residency
Building:-
Originally,
it
was
a
grand
building
with
three
floors
by
which
name
this
area
is
known.
The
credit
of
construction
of
this
building
goes
to
Nawab
Saadat
Ali
Khan
(1798–1814),
which
was
used
by
the
British
Resident
and
Chief
Commissioner
of
Awadh
till
1857.
This
building
with
two
upper
floors
and
gardens
was
very
beautiful.
The
main
entrance
of
the
building
was
equipped
with
a
huge
portico
with
double
pillars
on
the
east
side.
There
was
a
huge
verandah
with
tall
pillars
on
the
west
side.
The
architecture
of
the
building
as
a
whole
was
neither
Indian
nor
European.
This
building
cannot
be
called
satisfactory
from
the
point
of
view
of
architecture.
Henry
Laurence
was
mortally
wounded
by
a
cannonball
in
his
bedroom
in
the
same
building
on
2
July.
2.
Church
and
graveyard-
In
the
north-west
of
the
Residency,
the
remains
of
a
church
only
two
to
three
feet
high
exist,
surrounded
by
a
graveyard.
This
building
was
built
only
after
1845.
It
was
constructed
in
the
Gothic
style.
It
was
also
used
for
grain
storage
during
the
siege
of
the
Residency.
The
area
around
the
church
was
first
used
as
a
cemetery
during
the
siege.
While
unsanitary,
the
sheer
number
of
casualties
required
the
dead
to
be
buried
in
a
residential
area.
It
also
contains
the
graves
of
Henry
Lawrence,
Major
Banks
and
General
Neill.
3.
Begum
kothi,
mosque
and
Imambara
-
Originally,
begum
kothi
was
built
by
Nawab
Asifuddaula.
After
many
time
sale
and
resale
the
bulding
was
finally
transferred
to
John
Caludon.
Emperor
Nasiruddin
Haider's
European
wife,
Mukhtar
Alia
or
Vilayati
Begum,
was
Caludon's
granddaughter.
After
the
death
of
Nasiruddin,
Mukhtar
Alia
and
her
step-sister
Asharfunnisa
started
living
in
this
Kothi.
Ashrafunnis
built
an
Imambara
and
a
mosque
near
Begum
Kothi.
Unlike
other
buildings
of
the
Residency
this
is
the
only
building
built
in
the
traditional
architecture
of
Awadh.
The
Imambara
does
not
have
a
roof,
but
the
mosque
is
comparatively
in
good
condition.
4.
1857
Memorial
Museum:
The
ruins
of
the
Residency
are
preserved
in
the
condition
as
it
came
under
central
protection
in
the
year
1920
which
still
reminds
us
of
the
great
uprising
of
1857
in
Lucknow.
There
is
the
history
of
the
freedom
struggle
of
1857
inscribed
on
every
brick
of
its
structures.
It
conveys
to
us
the
feeling
of
patriotism
and
the
sacrifices
of
the
lakhs
of
people
who
participated
in
the
freedom
struggle
of
1857
in
the
country
and
Awadh.
It
also
echoes
the
heroic
deeds
and
sufferings
of
many
Britishers
and
natives
who
defended
the
Residency
when
it
was
besieged
by
the
freedom
fighters.
Suggestions
to
the
visitors
-
It
is
requested
to
feel
the
heritage
and
historical
legacy.
Monuments
are
one
of
the
precious
gifts
passed
on
to
us
by
our
ancestors
and
thus,
it
not
only
happens
to
be
our
karma
but
it
is
also
our
dharma
to
keep
them
protected
and
conserved.
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