What You Need To know

Lucknow is the capital of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and is also the administrative headquarters of the eponymous District and Division. It is the largest city in Uttar Pradesh, the eleventh most populous city and the twelfth most populous urban agglomeration of India. In North India, it is the third largest city after Delhi and Jaipur. Lucknow has always been known as a multicultural city that flourished as a North Indian cultural and artistic hub, and the seat of power of Nawabs in the 18th and 19th centuries. It continues to be an important centre of governance, administration, education, commerce, aerospace, finance, pharmaceuticals, technology, design, culture, tourism, music and poetry.
The city stands at an elevation of approximately 123 metres (404 ft) above sea level. Lucknow district covers an area of 2,528 square kilometres (976 sq mi). Bounded on the east by Barabanki, on the west by Unnao, on the south by Raebareli and in the north by Sitapur and Hardoi, Lucknow sits on the northwestern shore of the Gomti River.

Historically, the capital of Awadh was controlled by the Delhi Sultanate which then came under Mughal rule. It was later transferred to the Nawabs of Awadh. In 1856, the British East India Company abolished local rule and took complete control of the city along with the rest of Awadh and, in 1857, transferred it to the British Raj. Along with the rest of India, Lucknow became independent from Britain on 15 August 1947. It has been listed the 17th fastest growing city in India and 74th in world.

Population: 2.816 million(2011)
Area: 976 sq mi

Currency

The Indian rupee (Rs) is India’s currency, and comes in denominations of Rs1,000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 notes. Coins come in denominations of Rs5, 2 and 1, as well as 50 and 25 paise. There are 100 paise in a rupee.
You can’t exchange Indian rupees outside of the country so if you’re going to need money to get to your hotel, you must head to the airport’s exchange bureau when you arrive.
The best exchange rates are offered by the banks in India, however the cheapest option is to withdraw cash from the ATMs as they are convenient and give the most competitive rates. You’ll find no shortage of unauthorised money changers, but it’s inadvisable to use them as you could be cheated easily.
ATMs are widely available in the big cities across India and they typically accept Cirrus and PLUS. Most ATMs allow you to withdraw Rs10,000 at a time, which is roughly US$200. Credit cards are accepted in the larger restaurants, hotels and shops, with Visa and MasterCard being the most popular; expect a two per cent service change. Traveller’s cheques are accepted at banks, hotels and some restaurants.

Climate

Lucknow has a humid subtropical climate with cool, dry winters from mid-November to February and dry, hot summers from late March to June. The rainy season is from July to mid-September, when the city gets an average rainfall of 896.2 millimetres (35.28 in) from the south-west monsoon winds, and occasionally frontal rainfall will occur in January. In winter the maximum temperature is around 25 °C (77 °F) and the minimum is in the 3 °C (37 °F) to 7 °C (45 °F) range. Fog is quite common from mid-December to late January. Occasionally, Lucknow experiences colder winter spells than places like Shimla and Mussoorie which are situated way high up in the Himalayas.

Language

Although the city’s primary official language is Hindi, the most commonly spoken language is colloquial Hindustani. Indian English is also well understood and is widely used for business and administrative purposes, as a result of India’s British heritage and Commonwealth tradition, as well as globalisation. The Urdu language is also a part of Lucknowi culture and heritage. It is mostly used by wealthier families, the remaining members of the royal family as well as in Urdu poetry and on public signs. The government has taken many innovative steps to promote Urdu. Awadhi, a dialect of the Hindi dialect continuum, has played an important role in Lucknow’s history and is still used in the city’s rural areas and by the urban population on the streets.

Safety

Considering the size of the city and its mini metro nature, Lucknow is quite safe to visit. Just adhere to basic safety rules as applicable to any foreign city and you will enjoy your stay in Lucknow.

Education

Lucknow is home to a number of prominent educational and research organisations including Indian Institute of Management Lucknow (IIM-Lko), Indian Institute of Information Technology, Lucknow (IIIT-L), Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET Lko), Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University (RMNLU), Institute of Hotel Management, Lucknow, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI), Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences and King George’s Medical University (KGMU). The prestigious National P. G. College, affiliated to the University of Lucknow is ranked as the second best college imparting formal education in the country by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council.
Educational institutions in the city include seven universities including University of Lucknow, a central university(Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University), a technical university(Uttar Pradesh Technical University), a national law university(RMLNLU) and a large number of polytechnics, engineering institutes and industrial training institutes. Other research organisations in the state include the Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Central Food Technological Research Institute, Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute.
Some of Uttar Pradesh’s major schools are located in Lucknow including City Montessori School, La Martiniere Lucknow, Colvin Taluqdars’ College, Centennial Higher secondary School, St. Francis’ College, Loreto Convent Lucknow, St. Mary’s Convent Inter College, Kendriya Vidyala, Lucknow Public School, Stella Maris Inter College, Seth M.R.Jaipuria School, Lucknow, Cathedral School, Modern School, Amity International School, St. Agnes, Army Public School, Mount Carmel College, Study Hall, Christ Church College, Rani Laxmi Bai School, Central Academy, Delhi Public School.

Economy

The major industries in the Lucknow urban agglomeration include aeronautics, machine tools, distillery chemicals, furniture and Chikan embroidery.
Lucknow is among the top cities of India by GDP. Lucknow is also a major centre for research and development as home to the prominent R&D centres of the National Milk Grid of the National Dairy Development Board, the Central Institute of Medical and Aromatic Plants, the National Handloom Development Corporation and U.P. Export Corporation.
Ranked sixth in a list of the ten fastest growing job-creating cities in India according to a study conducted by Assocham Placement Pattern, Lucknow’s economy was formerly based on the tertiary sector and the majority of the workforce were employed as government servants. Large-scale industrial establishments are few compared to other north Indian state capitals like New Delhi. The economy is growing with contributions from the fields of IT, manufacturing and processing and medical/bio-technology. Business-promoting institutions such as the CII and EDII have set up their service centres in the city.
Lucknow is a growing IT hub with software and IT companies resident in the city. Tata Consultancy Services is one of the major companies with its campus in Gomti Nagar, which also is the second-largest such establishment in Uttar Pradesh. HCL Technologies also started its training program with 150 candidates in April 2016 at HCL Lucknow campus. There are many local open source technology companies. The city is also home to a number of important national and state level headquarters for companies including Sony Corporation and Reliance Retail. A sprawling 100 acres (40 ha) IT city costing 15 billion Rupees is planned by the state government at the Chak Ganjaria farms site on the road to Sultanpur and they have already approved special economic zone status for the project, which is expected to create thousands of job opportunities in the state.
The city has enormous potential in the handicrafts sector and accounts for 60 percent of total exports from the state. Major export items are marble products, handicrafts, art pieces, gems, jewellery, textiles, electronics, software products, computers, hardware products, apparel, brass products, silk, leather goods, glass items and chemicals. Lucknow has promoted public-private partnerships in a major way in sectors such as electricity supply, roads, expressways, and educational ventures.

Getting Around

Taxi and rickshaw drivers in Lucknow are of the more insistent type, although few of them will speak enough English to go to locations that are out of the way.
There are many car rental companies available. One should hire cars with local drivers, as traffic is dangerous for anybody not used to local traffic conditions.
City Buses are available on all major routes. These are a cheap, safe and reliable mode of transport .Two types of three wheeler shared service is also available on most of city routes. Commonly known as “Tempo” and “Auto”. These can be recognized by their distinctive green colour and drivers with grey uniform. These are a cheap and safe option to roam around. Whereas “Tempo” and “Auto” run on fixed specified routes, “Auto” can be hired as a taxi to your destination.
Prepaid Taxi and Auto Service is available at Charbagh Railway station.
Public Trans port in Lucknow is quite safe, however avoid travelling alone in odd hours.