[shashanka]

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

Please do write about Lucknow sir. What I experienced in 1.5 days cannot be compared to the experiences of a true Lucknowite. And invite us when you
re-establish communications with Lucknow food!

Hello Predatorwheelz, SST, I thought I'd let you know - in case you're not already aware - that Lucknow has a major festival/celebration called "Lucknow Mahotsav", usually held from the 25th of Nov. till the 10th of Dec. each year, though the period may differ by a couple of days plus/minus. Its a major affair with stands/stalls put up by most of the leading lights of UP state - culinary/cuisine establishments (yeah I know, I'm drooling already!), handicrafts of all kinds of course, genuine/fake antique furniture, and of course the usual mix of local ethnic ready-to-wear, fabrics, chikan work, Moradabadi mina metalwork and so on. For the duration there is usually a steady stream of well-known artists - singers, poets, musicians, qawwaals - who grace the occasion every evening, performing live and, of course, free of cost!

So, if you have time during that period you can come down to Lucknow for a couple of days. And being Delhi-ites, you probably know that winter is the best time of year for savouring Lucknow too!
Cheers, Shashanka

Originally Posted by dr. sen

Congrats to both of you, for such a great write up, backed with relevant pictures. Actually i had done a delhi, agra, kanpur - lucknow - bareilly - kathgodam, bhmtal, almora, kausani, ranikhet, nainital, kaladhungi, moradabad - delhi, somewhere in late winter 2003. The visit was actually agra to kumaon, and back. But the pull of legendary tunde ke kabab was too much, and hence the detour via kanpur to lucknow and bareilly to bhimtal !

Hello Dr. Sen,
I read the other day in the local (Lucknow edition of Times of India) paper that Akhilesh Yadav, the CM, had just inaugurated the new 4-lane highway from Bareilly to Haldwani.

Since this was the most pathetic stretch of the journey from Lucknow to Naukuchiatal during all these years (we have been doing this run for the past 18 years & my thread 'Naukuchiatal - far from the madding crowd' of 13th March '15, is my own ode to the place) a proper 4-laner is really something we have all been looking forward to.

Our usual route : Lucknow>Sitapur>Shahjahanpur>Bareilly via NH24.
From Bareilly to Haldwani was a truly pathetic affair via Baheri, Kichha and Lalkuan on the SH37.

As you have mentioned the distances and times were not greatly different from each other, by these routes. I am hoping that with this new 4-lane stretch (as per the TOI report) driving time should be significantly reduced.

[AtifShamim]

Excellent Travelogue !

Although, being a Lucknowite myself and living here, I fell in love with my city all over again, all thanks to your candid photographs...

Did you guys visit Hazratganj (heart of Lucknow) and Gomti Nagar (New Lucknow) ?

If not, I will surely recommend you these two spots, where you will get to see the unique amalgamation of tradition with modernization.

Cheers !

[Udai.Sharma]

Originally Posted by shashanka

Hello Predatorwheelz, SST, I thought I'd let you know - in case you're not already aware - that Lucknow has a major festival/celebration called "Lucknow Mahotsav", usually held from the 25th of Nov. till the 10th of Dec. each year, though the period may differ by a couple of days plus/minus.

The four lane from Bareilly to Lalkuan is indeed operational but if going from Lucknow to Kumaon, the Sitapur to Bareilly stretch, particularly around Shahjahanpur is still pretty bad specially the railway crossings. Also there is a bad patch around Lalkuan worsened by heavy traffic around Century paper mill. The route we take is Lucknow-Lakhimpur-Madhotanda-Majhola-Sitarganj-Chorgallia-Kathgodam. Good road with many patches through forest so advisable to avoid night driving.

[shashanka]

Originally Posted by Udai.Sharma

The four lane from Bareilly to Lalkuan is indeed operational but.......The route we take is Lucknow-Lakhimpur-Madhotanda-Majhola-Sitarganj-Chorgallia-Kathgodam. Good road with many patches through forest so advisable to avoid night driving.

Thanks for the suggestion, Udai - we shall take your advice on our next trip to Naukuchiatal and take the Lakhimpur - Sitarganj - Kathgodam route. And yes, we avoid night driving so we look forward to the many forested patches enroute.