Oye Lucknow first!

I love Lucknow.

 

But can I deny that it has been one helluva overrated and exaggerated city?

 

Yes, there are no equivalents of gunjing, tunde kabab, chowk thandai,  avadhi biryani, aminabad kulfi, cock fight, Loretto girls, Modern Novelties, men with sunken chests, kali mirch ka murgh and the Lakhnavi zaban, nazakat and nafasat......

 

I also revel in:

Daawa zabaan ka Lucknow walo  ke samne,

Izhaar  boo-e-mushq   ghazalon  ke   samne

 

At the same time, would you find in any equivalent city, such pathetic traffic, unmetered autos, non-existent public transport, extremely dirty Railway station ( both inside and outside), non-functioning traffic lights (or when they do function, the mamu at the centre has his own rhythm totally oblivious of the so called signals),  paan  stains in staircase corners and so on.........

 

For a change, let me quote a Hindi poet, Dinkar:

 

लो अतीत से उतना ही जितना पोषक है
जीर्ण शीर्ण का मोह मृत्यू का द्योतक है

 

And not that the past is not hyped up. Meer Taqi Meer discovered the narcissistic Lakhnavi perhaps on his first day in Lucknow, after a sad exit from Delhi...

 

Kya bood-o-baash* poochho ho poorab ke saakino,

hamko  ghareeb  jaan  ke  hans hans      pukaar ke

Dilli   jo   ek   shahar  tha  aalam  mein  intakhaab**,

rahte   the     muntakhib**   hi   jahan   rozgaar    ke

Usko       falak     ne   loot   ke   veeran    kar    diya,

hum    rahnewale    hein     usi     ujare   dayar   ke
 

* existence/residence

**select

In any case, do remember, 

Abaad   ujra    Lakhnau,     chughadon   se   ab   hua,

Mushkil  hai is  veerane mein, adam ki bood-o-baash

Want to forget that Lucknow is now abaad with chughadon? Go ahead  and read "Fasana-e-Azad" by Ratan Nath Sarshar.......

The list of shairi praising Lucknow is endless but the list running it down is also not small. More later......