Archive · 30 Jan 2026
Bara Imambara: 18th-Century Lucknow Monument with Maze
A long time ago, in 1784, a ruler named Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula built a huge building in Lucknow called Bara Imambara.
It has a very big hall that doesn't need any beams or pillars to hold it up.
Above the hall, there's a big maze with lots of passages and doors.
The nawab built this to give jobs to people when there wasn't enough food.
The building is also a special place for worship.
People can visit it, but it's closed on Mondays.
The entrance fee is different for Indians and foreigners.
Many people think it's a wonderful example of old architecture.
Bara Imambara was built in 1784 by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
It features a massive beam-free central hall and a 1,000-passage maze called Bhool Bhulaiya.
The main hall is 50 meters long, 15 meters high, and has 16-foot-thick walls.
The maze above the hall has 1,000 interconnected passages and 489 identical doorways.
The monument was built to provide jobs to 20,000 laborers during a famine and is open to visitors from 6 am to 5 pm, except on Mondays.
- Who
- Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula
- What
- Construction of Bara Imambara, a monument with a massive hall and maze
- When
- 1784, during a famine
- Where
- Hussainabad, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
- Why
- To provide jobs to 20,000 laborers for over 10 years
- Built
- 1784
- Built By
- Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula
- Location
- Hussainabad, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
- Main Hall Dimensions
- 50m length, 15m height, 16ft thick walls
- Maze Details
- 1,000 passages, 489 identical doorways
- Opening Hours
- 6 am to 5 pm (closed on Mondays)
- Entrance Fee
- Rs 50 (Indian), Rs 500 (foreign tourists)