Azakhana / Main Building (Chota Imambara) (Lucknow) | tomb(s)

 tomb(s), imambara

This is the main building of Imambara, it is called the Azakhana. This building also serves as the tomb of King Muhammad Ali Shah Bahadur (3rd King of Awadh) and his mother.
Azakhana - the main hall where the Majlis i.e. assembly for the mourning of Hazrat Imam Husain (a.s.) is held. The significance of Panjetan, the holy five, is once again emphasized here with five main doorways.This Imambara consist of two halls and a Shehnasheen (A platform where the Zarih of Hazrat Imam Husain (a.s.) is housed) {Zarih is the replica of that protective grill or structure which is installed on the original & pious grave of Hazrat Imam Husain (a.s.) at Karbala, Iraq.} The large green and white bordered hall of Azakhana is richly decorated with chandeliers and a good number of crystal glass lamp-stands. [In fact, it was for this profuse decoration that the Imambara was referred by European visitors and writers as The Palace of Lights']. The exterior is very beautifully decorated with Quranic verses in Islamic calligraphy .