Located in north-central India 260 mi/420 km southeast of Delhi and not far from the border with Nepal, Lucknow has gardens, parks and the beautiful Bara Imambara tomb (an enormous tomb of a Shiite holy man).

Lucknow was the site of the Uprising of 1857 against the British. Although it was ultimately unsuccessful, it was the first dramatic act of rebellion against the Raj, and it served to fan the desire for independence (a desire that would take 90 years to fulfill). The British Residency itself is in ruins—it was not restored after the siege—which gives it a ghostly quality. Since Poonjaji, one of the more fashionable Indian gurus, made the town his base, Lucknow has been visited by many Westerners interested in Eastern religion and meditation.

The Wajid Ali Shah Festival takes place in Lucknow during February, and as a part of it a classical opera is performed against the backdrop of the ruined Residency. It is definitely worth a watch.