Chattar Manzil (Umbrella Palace), Lucknow

The Umbrella Palace was built in the Late 18th Century and completed by Nawab Ghazi‑ud‑Din Haider and later his successor Nasir‑ud‑Din Haider. The palace showcases the balanced blend of Indo‑European‑Nawabi styles. Its dome, topped with a characteristic umbrella-shaped chhatri, gives the building its name. The structure also features colonnades, arched doorways, and octagonal towers that form a balanced outline along the river.

Originally comprising both a “Greater Umbrella Palace” and a “Lesser Umbrella Palace”, only the grander section survives today. Constructed around 1781 over an earlier residence known as Farhat Baksh Mansion-initially built by Major General Claude Martin and later acquired by the Nawabs-the site evolved into a royal seat housing generations of Awadh rulers.

The palace played a pivotal role during the upheaval of 1857, serving briefly as a stronghold for Indian fighters before suffering damage in the British assault. After the uprising, the palace was repurposed as the United Services Club, and from 1950 until recently it housed the Central Drug Research Institute under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. The building now lies vacant as restoration is underway.

Today, while interior access remains limited, visitors can admire the palace façade framed by palms and lawns. Remarkably, conservation teams unearthed a 200‑year‑old wooden boat during archaeological work, underscoring the site’s river‑based history and elevated heritage value.