Dilkusha Kothi Palace, Lucknow

Dilkusha Kothi Palace is a historic site that reflects the intertwined legacy of colonial and Nawabi influences. Constructed between 1800 and 1805 by Major Gore Ouseley-a British Resident and associate of Nawab Saadat Ali Khan II-it originally served as a hunting lodge and summer getaway for the Nawabs of Awadh. The structure was modeled after Seaton Delaval Hall in Northumberland, showcasing an English Baroque architectural style that stands in sharp contrast to the region’s more traditional designs.

Although the monument was once a graceful country house-with four ornamental towers, grand staircases, and sculptural flourishes like female statues alongside its stairway-it was never typical of local palace design. Unusually for the region, it lacked an inner courtyard, instead featuring a taller, more linear footprint and spacious rooms elevated above the gardens. It earned its name-“Dilkusha,” meaning “heart-pleasing”-as a place where the Nawab’s family, particularly the Begums, came to picnic, relax, and enjoy river views in the shade of surrounding greenery.

The palace’s grandeur faded during the Siege of Lucknow in 1857, when it became a battlefield stronghold. Heavily shelled during the uprising, Dilkusha Palace fell into ruin, and General Henry Havelock-who had occupied the building-died nearby on 24 November 1857 from dysentery. By the late 19th century it was already a derelict ruin, with only its towers and outer walls standing amid the overgrown gardens.