Electrifying India, Lucknow edition: Exploring the Nawabi heritage

An Awadhi voyage proves Lucknow is a masterclass in balance, holding its poetic soul while driving toward a high-tech and modern future.The VinFast VF 7 explores Lucknow, tracing a journey through Nawabi heritage, iconic Awadhi flavours and the city's modern urban landscape.Lucknow,Nov 11, 2026 13:20 ISTTo understand Lucknow, you must view it as an urban opera where the courtly elegance of the Nawabs performs a seamless duet with twenty-first-century infrastructure. Navigating this delicate dance requires a vehicle with a whisper-quiet cabin to match the city’s unhurried dignity. Enter the third edition of Auto Today’s Electrifying India series, where the all-electric VinFast VF 7 traded the desert plains for the decadent soul of Awadh. Our journey commenced amidst the peaks of Nawabi sovereignty. The VF 7 glided beneath the colossal, eighteenth-century arch of the Rumi Darwaza before arriving at the monumental Bada Imambara. We passed its gravity-defying, pillarless central hall and continued to the Chota Imambara, a jewel box of a building adorned with intricate calligraphy and imported Belgian chandeliers. The VF 7 glided past the iconic Rumi Darwaza and Bada Imambara, exploring Lucknow's rich Nawabi heritage. To set the definitive tone of Lucknow’s legendary culinary heritage, we made a crucial pilgrimage to Tunday Kebabi. Established in 1905, this iconic institution owes its fame to a one-armed chef, Haji Murad Ali, who created a melt-in-the-mouth buffalo meat galouti kebab specifically for a toothless Nawab. Infused with a secret blend of over one hundred spices, these tender kebabs represent the absolute pinnacle of sophisticated Awadhi culinary refinement. Yet, Lucknow’s true narrative also thrives in subtle, cross-cultural connective tissues. We stopped at the modest Ram Kewal Tea Stall to sample its Kolkata-style liquor tea. We steered the VF 7 toward the modest Ram Kewal Tea Stall for a taste of Kolkata-style liquor tea. This aromatic brew highlights an ancient, bittersweet connection: the historical exile of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah to Kolkata, an event that permanently cross-pollinated the culinary traditions of both cities. Delving deeper into over looked geography, we navigated through narrow lanes to discover a truly hidden Imambara—a quiet, little-known sanctuary of private devotion far removed from tourist crowds. Finally, to see exactly where Lucknow is headed, we accelerated into the city’s bold future: Gomti Nagar. The transition is profound. Leaving the old city, we entered a modern landscape of wide avenues, manicured parks, and striking high-rises. Cruising along the pristine Gomti Riverfront, the glittering skyline mirrored the eco-conscious trajectory of a city redefining itself. This Awadhi voyage proves Lucknow is a masterclass in balance, holding its poetic soul while driving toward a high-tech tomorrow.Subscribe to Auto Today Magazine - Ends