Kala Gaon in Lucknow
Kala Gaon is a traditional Awadhi village in Lucknow, situated along the Indira Canal. This beautiful place is seemingly unaffected by modern technology and conveniences and gives visitors a taste of rural India. The village is spread over 4 acres of land and is the handiwork of Dharmendra Kumar, a 40-year-old sculptor and his wife Neeta (40) who is a painter, together with students from the prestigious Lucknow Arts College. Kala Gaon was launched in February 2010 and was created with a budget of Rs 70 lakh. It was designed to provide visitors with a slice of village life of Uttar Pradesh.
About Kala Gaon
The entire place consists of hamlets lined with green trees, huts of straw and mud, around 40 sculptures made of clay and stone, a bullock cart, a horse drawn Ekka or carriage and so on. As you enter the village, you can spot a woman in a colourful sari drawing water from a well, another woman balancing an earthen vessel on her head at the main gate; only, these are not real village women but look almost like them. The creative people behind the project have also included curd-making pots, granaries and other essential objects of rural life to complete the experience.
Attractions of Kala Gaon Lucknow
The village offers a number of attractions to its visitors in the form of:
- An art gallery
- A string-puppet (kathputli) theatre imitating those of Rajasthan
- Crafts-bazaar, featuring hand-made products of local artisans
- Open-air theatres, where seasonal dance programs and story-telling sessions are regularly organized
A number of important cultural activities go on in this artificial village for a period of 40 days, from the beginning of the spring season (basant) to the beginning of summer (chait). In a bid to revive the diminishing folk art, Nautanki, featuring musical street plays based on folklores or Indian mythological tales, organizers have recently hosted Nautanki Mahotsav. One can enjoy Ekka rides, bullock-cart rides, folk-songs, kite-flying, cock-fighting, pottery show, Nautanki, Gilli-Danda, Birha and more in Kala Gaon Lucknow.
Kala Gaon
Anaura, Indira Naher, Faizabad Road, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (U.P.), India
Contact no.: +919336450334, +91-9554655518
Website: www.kalagaon.com
Email: mail.kalagaon@gmail.com
It is approximately 15 kms away from main Lucknow city.
Timing: From 10.30 am to 09.30 pm
Entry fee: Rs 400/- per head for adult ; Rs 250/- per entry for children from 4 to 9 years; includes lunch/dinner in Awadhi style.
Lunch/Dinner hours: 12.30 - 03.30 pm and 07.30 - 09.30 pm.
A family of four can stay at an AC cottage for only Rs 3,200; Non-AC Cottage is also available at Rs 2,500. Cottages are specially made with wooden frames and earth (mud paste) to give visitors a more realistic experience of staying in an Indian village.
Every day, around 50-60 tourists visit Kala Gaon in Lucknow for its artistic beauty and attractions. If you wish to get a first-hand experience of seeing an Indian village, this place is as good as a real one. Undoubtedly, it is a delightful destination for tourists who wish to experience India in its rural appearance and not in its urban look.