History revisited by Lucknowites

Begum Hazrat Mahal Diwas

was celebrated recently at Lal Baradari. Organised by 1857 Nationalist Forum and

State Lalit Kala Academy

, the event began with the inauguration of a painting exhibition titled Aawaam ka Inquilab, with the lighting of the lamp by artists Rajiv Tewari,

Anita Narain

, Vineeta Kumari Shekhawat and Yashwant Rathore.
The discussion titled Heritage of Lucknowi/Awadhi Secular Culture, was introduced by activist and program executor

Deepak Kabir

. Historian Amaresh Misra spoke at length on the various phases of the year long war.
Neelakshi Rai, a kathak dancer from Delhi, beautifully portrayed the sequence of events - from the taking away of the crown by the British from Wajid Ali Shah, his banishment from Awadh, the war of the Indian soldiers to take back the crown and proclaim

Birjis Qadar

emperor-- through her dance performance.
A 1928 Hollywood black and white film, The Relief of Awadh, was also screened on the occasion.

Rajiv Tewari and Ashok Pratap (R) Sadaf Jafar (BCCL/ Aditya Yadav)

(L-R) Shikha, Namita and Vinita and Amresh Mishra (BCCL/ Aditya Yadav)

Shital Prashad Mishra (L) and Maheshwer Dayal Nagar (BCCL/ Aditya Yadav)

Deepak Kabir and Veena (R) and

Surya Mohan

(BCCL/ Aditya Yadav)

Amit (BCCL/ Aditya Yadav)

Anita Narain (R)

Gunjan

and Vineeta (BCCL/ Aditya Yadav)