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Restoration breathes new life into Lucknow's historic royal kitchen
In Uttar Pradesh's capital, a team of workers is reviving a 19th-century kitchen that once fed both royalty and the public, preserving a tradition nearly two centuries old.
A legacy of service and symmetry
Nestled within the Chota Imambara complex, the kitchen was commissioned in 1837 by Muhammad Ali Shah, the former ruler of Awadh. At its height, it catered to the royal household and ordinary citizens alike, particularly during religious festivals and communal gatherings.
Though India's princely states dissolved after independence in 1947, the kitchen's mission endured. Today, it continues to serve thousands during Ramadan and Muharram, upholding a practice of charity rooted in Awadhi heritage.
Funding a tradition: How the kitchen survived
Historians note that in 1839, Muhammad Ali Shah allocated 3.6 million rupees-a staggering sum at the time-to the East India Company, stipulating that the interest from the fund maintain the kitchen's operations. After independence, the endowment was transferred to a local bank.
The Hussainabad Trust, a state-monitored body, now oversees the kitchen, using the interest to sustain its activities. The arrangement has allowed the tradition to persist, even as the physical structure deteriorated.
Restoration with reverence
Peeling plaster, cracked walls, and sagging floors prompted local residents to appeal to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Restoration began in October, with a goal to complete the work by March.
Aftab Hussain, a superintending archaeologist, emphasized the project's commitment to authenticity. Workers are recreating the original lime-based mortar-a blend of slaked lime, wood apple pulp, black gram, natural gum (gond), jaggery, and red brick dust-used in Mughal-era construction. Traditional lakhauri bricks, thin burnt-clay bricks typical of Awadhi architecture, are also being employed.
"We are using slaked lime as the base. It is soaked for a month and then mixed with the pulp of wood apples, black gram, natural gum found in India-called gond-jaggery, and red brick dust."
Aftab Hussain, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI
A design built for continuity
Historian Roshan Taqui highlighted the kitchen's twin design, a hallmark of Awadhi symmetry. Two identical kitchens flank the Chota Imambara, allowing operations to continue uninterrupted during restoration. This year, while one kitchen was under repair, the other remained functional throughout Ramadan.
Yasir Abbas, a descendant of Awadh's royal lineage, called the restoration a duty to preserve both the structure and the culture it represents. "We are duty-bound to carry out the will of the king who introduced this practice of serving food," he said.
More than a kitchen: A living tradition
For 80-year-old Syed Haider Raza, the kitchen is a lifelong connection. "I have been coming to the Chhota Imambara since childhood," he said, recalling meals received during Muharram and Ramadan. "As children, we would see huge vessels in which food was being cooked. Everyone ate to their fill, and the food never fell short."
Today, the kitchen distributes around 700 coupons daily during Ramadan, providing meals to the poor, widows, and those in need. Food is also sent to 16 nearby mosques. The menu-meat curries, flatbreads, kebabs, fruits, and sweets-reflects Lucknow's culinary heritage, while portion sizes and ingredients adhere to guidelines set in the former ruler's will.
During Muharram, the offerings shift: simple vegetarian meals for the first nine days, followed by richer meat dishes for the remainder of the 40-day mourning period. Kitchen in-charge Murtaza Hussain Raju confirmed that the will even specifies the weight and quality of each dish.
A spirit that endures
For locals like Raza, the kitchen's restoration is about more than bricks and mortar. "The spirit of the place is still the same," he said. "It feels as if the food is still being sent by Muhammad Ali Shah."
