Lucknow

The Rumi Darwaza is an imposing gateway and acts like a gateway to the city. It was built under the patronage of Nawab Asaf-Ud-daula in 1784 and is an example of Awadhi architecture. I’ve seen a lot of gateways in India and This is stands out mainly because of how it is proportioned. It feels like it was scaled to a larger size maintaining the same proportions of a smaller gateway. It’s 18m tall.

A Imambara is a religious complex used by Shia Muslims during Muharram. Bada stands for big. There is another Chotta(small) Imambara in the city. The complex had three structures,  Asfi mosque, bhul-bhulaiya (the labyrinth), and bowli (stepwell).

It is a modern construction, however, the scale is huge. Actually it is one of the biggest modern building complexes I’ve seen. The whole complex is made of red sandstone. Symmetrical, monumental buildings make up the complex.