Uttar Pradesh. Few places provoke such an impassioned response when mentioned. Derided, romanticised, fought over—this vast skein of land coiled across Northern India has cradled empires, gods, a billion and one villagers, and a constellation of poets.
‘Why would you go to UP when you have the whole of India?’ was the most common refrain as we set off on an epic road trip in the steaming height of summer. But I had a yearning to uncover the state’s mille-feuille of layers. The region’s richly-nuanced design heritage was the vein we decided to follow, all the way to its fleshy beating heart of Benaras. Our first landing point was the capital, Lucknow—both fiercely proud and gently enveloping. The Lebua Lucknow Saraca Estate, covered in scented Rangoon creeper and named for its centuries-old Ashoka trees is the city’s first boutique hotel.
Some of the most historic families here are nurturing craftsmanship in a new way. Royal Fables’ Anshu Khanna has a passion for bringing these diverse royal revivalists together and introducing them to a wider audience. Crossing Lucknow to the butter-yellow porte cochère of Kotwara Haveli in the old Qaiserbagh Palace complex, once home to the redoubtable Begum Hazrat Mahal, we entered the warren-like atmosphere of Muzaffar and Meera Ali’s atelier where a tranquil silence belies a furnace of creativity. As we knelt among karigars looking at his moodboard of gossamer-thin leaf drawings, Muzaffar Ali muses,“Over the years, we have expanded the ‘Chikan Corridor’ from Lucknow to Kotwara spanning nearly 160 kms. There is so much here to inspire us... the feudal feminine culture of my mother’s Awadh with its finesse and delicacy found nowhere else in India, to my father’s own freedom movement transition into handwoven Khadi.”
This story is from the December 2019 edition of Harper's Bazaar India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2019 edition of Harper's Bazaar India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Filler Fatigue
With worries about facial distortion and a shift towards the natural, is it time to sav goodbye to these corrective tweaks?
Mind-Skin Connection
Is il possible for your skincare to communicate with your brain:
Tailored for the Game
Fashion meets sports as U.S. Polo Assn. names Sawai Padmanabh Singh of ol Jaipur’ s royal family its global ambassador.
Reimagined Classic
Louis Vuitton launches the Neverfull Inside Out bag, transforming the icon into a fully reversible tote.
Italian Muse
Guecr's new high jew ellery collection isa stroll through the country’s picturesque gardens.
Co Gs Art Post, Gas Art Pas New CELSIOR Net Lay the show Neking ble e dh PATRON An TH Fotal 24 ANAR Romantics
Romcoms might not have prepared me for modern dating, but they offered a timeless sartorial guide to falling in love.
Making a Case for India's Ingenuity
William Dalrymple says The Golden Road is an extraordinary story but also the most challenging book he has written in the last two decades.
On My Playlist
Playback singer turned indie-pop artiste Dhee talks about music, identity, and empowering a new generation.
Explicitly Bold
The latest lipstick range by Nars is designed to empower wearers with colour and confidence.
Art in a Bottle
The Perfume Library founder Jahnvi Lakhota Nandan believes fragrances are meant to be liberated.