A Hidden Gem in My Hometown Every Traveler Should Visit
Beauty is subjective, but some places are just made to be adored.
Hi, welcome to Lucknow, the city of Nawabs. It is a town that is not only best to explore but also promises a lifetime experience with breathtaking masterpieces that will impact your memory for ages.
From mouth-watering Awadhi cuisine to delicacies like Tunday Kababi and Makhan Malai,?this capital town is the headquarters of eponymous?cultures. With the famous Chikankari?and its iconic Imambada, this town does not need to be introduced. But irrespective of the fancies of this budding urban agglomeration, there is one such hidden gem that I would like to draw your attention to.
In the deep bylanes of Chock, you will come across this traditional art. Avoiding the “phool gali,” you will be caught by the defined rhythmic?muffled sound of the ‘warq’ makers can be heard from a distance. This pounded silver is traditionally known as “Chandi ka Varq” and defines the elegance of Lucknow.
This immense skill involves hours of beating silver into thin, small pieces between the covers of animal-hide books. Matching the reach movement of rhythm, this fragile art is then baked on parchment paper before delicately resting over our favorite desserts. Not to forget the 356 herbs and seasoning of Makool that give this wafer-thin silver leaf its distinct essence.
Nurtured in the Nawab Wajid Ali Shah region, this “silver war” has been preserved by devoted craftsmen for 250 years. This edible German leaf is used as a garnish on laddoos and sweets, and the Lucknowi paan is the last refreshment of any Awadhi meal.
Offering warmth, we Lucknowites welcome our guests with Nazaakat and Nafaasat?to encounter this unique art at the ‘gali of taksaal.’