Lucknow

Lucknow (Hindi: Lakhanaū, pronounced [ˈləkʰnə.uː] ^ⓘ) is a metropolis and the second largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh where it serves as the capital and the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division. The city had a population of 2.8 million according to the 2011 census making it the eleventh most populous city and the twelfth-most populous urban agglomeration of India. It is an important centre of education, commerce, aerospace, finance, pharmaceuticals, information technology, design, culture, tourism, music, and poetry. Lucknow, along with Agra and Varanasi, forms the backbone of the Uttar Pradesh Heritage Arc.

In the 6th century BCE, Lucknow was part of Kosala, one of the 16 Mahajanapadas during the late Vedic period. The Nawabs of Lucknow acquired the name after the reign of the third Nawab, when Lucknow became their capital. In 1856, the East India Company first moved its troops to the border, then annexed the state for alleged maladministration. Awadh was placed under a chief commissioner. Lucknow was one of the major centres of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and actively participated in India's independence movement, emerging as a strategically important North Indian city. The city witnessed some of the pivotal moments in the history of India including the first meeting of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Muhammad Ali Jinnah during the Congress session of 1916 when Lucknow Pact was signed.

Multiple software and IT companies are present in the city. Lucknow is an emerging automobile hub. It has been the headquarters of the Central Command of the Indian Army. It is the home of several prominent educational and research institutes and universities, including the IIM Lucknow, the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Lucknow, AKTU and the Central Drug Research Institute. Lucknow is designated as a City of Gastronomy by UNESCO heritage.