Any discourse on the lost (or fast losing) heritage of a city, praising or glorifying its past and describing it intellectually as well as emotionally, becomes a soulful task; one invariably experiences sorrow for the days gone by. Lucknow - Ode To A City, is not a history book; it is more of a tribute to the lost heritage of Lucknow, it's palaces, gardens and architectural marvels which no longer exist. It's about people (other than the famed Nawabs and their Begums) across a wide spectrum of society, who had contributed to the uniqueness of Nawabi and colonial Lucknow. The book is not written in a lyrical style with stanzas; and yet, the sentiments expressed are similar to a formal ode: an exaltation of feeling and style, varying length of line, and complexity of form. It chronicles the writer's thoughts and feelings about a city, through deeply researched details, brought painstakingly together in concise form, for the general reader, as well as the heritage enthusiast. CONTENTS: Foreword 9 Acknowledgements 13 Introduction 15 Lost Marvels 21 Chapter - 1 Dara Shikoh Mahal (Shahjahanabad 23 Chapter - 2 Jalalabad Fort 29 Chapter - 3 Macchi Bhavan 35 Pleasure Gardens and Imposing Gateways 47 Chapter - 4 Pleasure Gardens 49 Chapter - 5 Imposing Gateways 69 Architecture of Lucknow 85 Chapter - 6 Euro-Islamic Fantasies 87 Chapter - 7 Historiographic Battles (and Indo-Saracenic Styles)103 Of Men and Menageries 117 Chapter - 8 Animal Farm 119 Dramatis Personae 137 Chapter - 9 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor 139 Annexures 165 Annexure I. The Gateways 167 Annexure II. Monuments, Localities and Their Builders 168 Annexure III. Lingua Franca 173 Afterword: Idle Musings of the Author199 Select Bibliography.205 Plates 221 Index 251