Description:
The Hussainabad or Chota Imambara is an exquisite building built by Nawab Muhammad Ali Shah in 1839 as a burial place for himself. On the two sides of the Imambara are two small structures replicas of the Taj Mahal. One as the burial place of his daughter and other of her Husband. The water reflection of the structure in the tank in front of the Imambara is a beautiful sight on a sunny day.
The walls of the Imambara are embellished with beautiful calligraphic verses in Arabic and the interiors of the Imambara have on display some exotic objects ranging from elaborate chandeliers and gilded mirrors to tazias made of sandalwood, wax, and paper. A small bazaar inside the entrance of the Imambara is the home of chikan and bidri workers and of those who make the small clay figures typical to Lucknow. Opposite the entrance is a similar structure, the Naubat Khana, where seven musicians play three times a day in honour of the dead. During Muharram the Imambara is ablaze with illumination.
