Lucknow: Monuments and Historic Buildings

Chota Imambara is situated in the old city area of Lucknow close to the Chowk. It is also called as Husseinabad Imambara as in the past this structure was the office of the Husseinabad trust that owned the city.

The construction of this monument was commissioned by Muhammad Ali Shah the Nawab of Awadh while the plan of this structure was created as the Charbagh pattern and the design used for this structure is Indo-Islamic with a considerable blend of Persian crafts.

There is a gilded white dome, many minarets and turrets and a stream runs through the middle of the garden.

The interiors of the monument have excellent glassworks and good Arabic calligraphy while the decoration is done by chandeliers that have been imported from Belgium.

Inside the Imambara, there are tombs of Muhammad Ali Shah and his family members. In the exterior region of the Imambara, a watchtower has been built which is called Satkhanda or ‘tower of seven stories.’

Interestingly, this watchtower has only four stories as when Muhammad Ali Shah died the construction was abandoned.