Children's Literature

It is commonly seen that children do not like studying history of any sort. But they are also the future citizens of India, and Lucknow, and need to be aware of their rich heritage. Keeping this in mind three short stories were written by Neeta Das about the heritage buildings of Lucknow in a simple but interesting manner. Care was also taken to bring about awareness towards their condition today and their conservation too. They are colourful and beautifully illustrated by Shubhrajit Das.

Hap'pant meets Asfu Dadu is a story about how a small boy, Hap'pant, meets Nawab Asaf-ud-daula and takes him on a tour of the Hussainabad area. The Hussainabad area has several important historical buildings including the Imambara and the old city of Chowk. They were both developed by Nawab Asaf-ud-daula during the late eighteenth century as was his palace which lies in ruins today. The book was published jointly by Mansara and INTACH in 2001.

Where is my mother is the second book which recreates for the reader, the elaborate Kaiserbagh palace, which was partially destroyed during the first war of independence, through the flight of a baby bird named Ghu-Ghu. Kaiserbagh was one of the most beautiful palaces of Lucknow built by Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. However, after its destruction it is very difficult to recreate its original form. Not most people know about it too. Through the existing structures the book attempts to recreate it spatially. A small sketch plan also accompanies the story. It was published by Mansara in 2004. The third, and last book in the series, Slowly down the Rajpath, makes the children aware of the large kothis built during the Nawabi era. All three together deal with nearly all the important monuments of the Nawabi period.