Whenever the name of Lucknow comes up, the Awadhi culture, delicious kebabs, and Imambaradas for which it is famous come to everyone's mind. If we talk about Lucknow, the glimpse of Nawabs is visible in every street. The delicious biryani here is famous in the country and abroad. Big and beautiful buildings enhance the beauty of Lucknow city. But do you know that Lucknow is also known for its historical temples? This temple is associated with ancient cultures where huge crowds are seen on special festivals and occasions. Today in this episode, we are going to tell you about those historical temples of Lucknow which become the main attraction here. Let us know about them...

Chandrika Devi Temple
This temple is of Mother Parvati. Prince Chandra Ketu, son of Lord Rama's brother Lakshmana, had built this temple. This temple is known for its peaceful and relaxing place, in the crowded city of the state capital this temple gives you a lot of peace and happiness. There is an idol of Lord Shiva in the middle of the water pond, devotees come here to perform special puja on Mondays but it is most crowded during Amavasya and Navratri. You too must go once to visit this temple of Lord Shiva which fulfills the wishes of your heart.

Sri Venkateswara Temple
Dedicated to Lord Balaji, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the temple is built in the traditional Dravidian style, with an elaborately carved and brightly colored 50 feet high pyramidal entrance tower, known as a gopura. Idols of Lord Venkateswara, Lord Hanuman, Goddess Padmavati, and Navagraha (nine planets) are also installed in this temple spread over 27000 square feet.

Hanuman Setu Temple
This temple is also called Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple. The temple was established by Neem Karoli Baba of Kainchi, Uttarakhand in the 1960s on the banks of the Gomti River. This temple has two separate sections: one containing the idol of Lord Hanuman and the other containing the idol of Neem Karoli Baba.

Mankameshwar Temple
Mankameshwar Temple, located on the banks of river Gomti in the Hasanganj area of Lucknow, is one of the most important historical sites of Lucknow. This temple is considered to be more than 1000 years old. It is said that Lord Rama's brother Lakshmana worshiped Lord Shiva at this place and later a temple was built here. The name of this temple is Mankameshwar Temple because people believe that whatever devotee comes here with love and selflessness, his wishes are fulfilled. An interesting thing here is that the worship rituals of this temple are supervised by female priests. If you are in Lucknow or going to visit, then definitely visit this holy temple.

Aliganj Hanuman Temple
Hanuman Temple is located in Aliganj, Lucknow, and Lord Hanuman is considered the most revered deity here. The interesting thing about this temple is that despite being dedicated to a Hindu god, the temple was built by Begum Janab-e-Aliya, wife of the third Nawab of Lucknow, Shuja-ud-Daula. The biggest festival here is Bada-Mangal or Bada Tuesday, and it comes about four or five times during May and June. Devotees believe that by praying here, Sankatmochan removes all their troubles.

Bhoothnath Temple
Primarily dedicated to Lord Shiva, also known as Bhoothnath, the temple also has idols of several other deities, notably Lord Hanuman, Goddess Parvati, and Nandi. Considering its importance, the entire area including the vibrant Bhootnath Bazaar was named in its honour. The best time to visit the temple is during Mahashivratri when the entire area is decorated with lights.

Shitala Devi Temple
Shitala Devi Temple is considered to be one of the oldest temples in the city and is said to have been established during the time of the Nawabs. It is said that the temple was once destroyed by some unknown intruders and later the idol of Sheetala Mata was found in the pond when searched. Subsequently, Raja Tikait Rai, who was a high-ranking official in the Nawab's court, took upon himself the responsibility of building a new temple to install the deity in the temple. He also built a pond, with stairs leading down to it. Feasts are also organized for the poor from time to time.

Nageshwar Shiva Temple
It is believed that this is a 300-year-old temple, if mythology is to be believed then this temple was built by Lord Rama's son Kush for a snake girl with whom he fell in love, as she was a devotee of Lord Shiva. The story further says that when the city was reduced to ruins and taken over by forests, it was the only structure to survive.

(PC: Lifeberrys)