The Labyrinth

There was a famine in the state of Awadh in the 1780s to 1790s, during the reign of Nawab Asaf Ud Daulah. People in thousands and perhaps hundreds of thousands came to Lucknow in search of food and necessities. The Nawab had the brilliant idea of providing employment by building the Bara Imambara. The groups of people were divided into two divisions—firstly, the strong men and, secondly, the weaker ones of them. Now, the strong ones used to make a part of the building in daytime that would be carved and decorated by the second group at night. Upon completion of the main halls and the two floors on top of them, it was noticed that the building was too heavy and was exerting too much pressure on the ground. It was then decided to carve out passages in the two top floors. This was what gave birth to the labyrinth or Bhul Bhulaiya and it is the most renowned and prominent labyrinth in India. Much of the delicate carvings and the yellowish paints are worn out but the building is now under the maintenance of the Archaeological Survey of India and we did see some repairing work using lime-brick cement going on. (by 2024 it was done) The construction went on for a whole dozen years, each and every single day of which, the workers were provided with food and gold completing in 1792. 

I had gone there with my father and uncle.

The steps leading up from the Imambara to the Bhool Bhulaiya were high and climbing them was a tiring act. The fact that we were barefooted, having to remove our shoes bec

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ause it is a religious building was painful but rules are rules. We finally saw the first archways of the labyrinth and our good guide lost no time in guiding us in a proper queue— there were about twenty people in a group and we three were at the very end. We went down one path to the other and through many intersections in the dark passageways—such was the case that any plan would also be so confusing that an amateur or a newcomer will have no chance in getting out by himself if he got stuck. There are 1024 ways at 24 intersections out of which only 24 were the correct paths, and the other 1000 are wrong ones. Our guide however knew them like the veins of his hand. The labyrinth covers two floors and the lower floor opens up to four balcony cum terraces while the upper floor possesses just one large terrace. It was into one of these balconies that we three musketeers—my father, uncle and I got out onto while the rest of the group had gone down another path. There was a general start as we rushed hither and thither though not letting go of the sight of the balcony until, at a time when uncle was trying to call the others when the guide uncle’s voice could be heard reverberating off the walls. 

We proceeded down the way we thought to be the source of the sound and thankfully found them. The guide remarked that we had got the privilege of getting lost (separated) in the Bhul Bhulaiya. “Kaise lagi?” (How was the experience?) he said in an amusing manner to which we could only smile and giggle.