By Mohd. Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
Lucknow: The historical buildings of Lucknow suffered major damages during the thunder storm which lashed the city on Monday night. Lucknow recorded over 11.8 mm of rainfall followed by strong winds.
The damage to the historical buildings also reflected the poor upkeep by the conservation authorities and their care taker- the Hussainabad and Allied Trust (HAT). The famous Chota Imambara also known as Hussainabad Imambara was constructed by the third Nawab of Awadh, Mohammad Ali Shah and houses his tomb. Several turrets and the brass minarets of the Chota Imambara could not bear the strong winds and were uprooted. A small canopy situated outside the main gate was also uprooted. The domes on the two gates also fell though no one was injured in the incident. The gates are already in dilapidated state due to encroachment. Officials of the HAT deployed several workers to remove the debris and also the brass turrets and domes from the campus. They have been were presently kept in a room of Chota Imambara.
The Hussainabad Clock Tower which is the tallest Clock Tower in India also suffered damages. Peals of plaster fell from the 221 foot tall structure. The clock tower constructed in 1887 is presently under renovation but could not bear the inclement weather.
Besides, the Malika Kishwar Jahan Mosque in Kashmiri Mohalla also suffered major damages.
The two minarets of the mosques fell due to strong winds with such a force leading to a big hole in the roof of the mosque. One of them fell on the nearby trees. Several cars and houses were damaged in the incident. However, no one was injured.