Chhota Imambara also known as Hussainabad Imambara (Urdu: , Hindi: हुसैनाबाद इमामबाड़ा) is an imposing monument located in the city of Lucknow

Lucknow

Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....

, Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. Built by Muhammad Ali Shah

Muhammad Ali Shah

Muhammad Ali Shah was the third King of Oudh from 7 July 1837 to 17 May 1842.-Life:Muhammad Ali Shah was son of Saadat Ali brother of Ghaziuddin Haider and uncle of Nasiruddin Haider....

, The third Nawab

Nawab

A Nawab or Nawaab is an honorific title given to Muslim rulers of princely states in South Asia. It is the Muslim equivalent of the term "maharaja" that was granted to Hindu rulers....

 of Avadh in 1838, it was to serve as his own mausoleum

Mausoleum

A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...

. It is also known as the Palace of Lights because of its decorations during special festivals.

The chandeliers used to decorate the interior of this building was brought from Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

. Thousands of labourers worked on the project to gain famine relief.

It has a gilded white dome and several turrets and minarets. The tombs of Muhammad Ali Shah and other members of his family are inside the imambara. The walls are decorated with Arabic calligraphy.

Outside the imambara is the watch tower called Satkhanda or tower of seven storeys. Though it is called satkhanda, it has only four storeys, as the construction of the tower was abandoned when Ali Shah died.
satkhanda is built between 1837-1842 in the time of mohammad ali shah. mohammad ali shah wanted to made it same as kutubmeenaar of delhi and leaning tower of pisa.the main purpose of this construction is moon watching.

See also

• Bara Imambara
  Bara Imambara
  Bara Imambara is an imambara complex in Lucknow, India, built by Asaf-ud-daulah, Nawab of Lucknow, in 1784. It is also called the Asafi Imambara.Bara means big, and an imambara is a shrine built by Shia Muslims for the purpose of Azadari...
  
  
• Roomi Darwaza
  Roomi Darwaza
  The Rumi Darwaza , in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, is an imposing gateway which was built under the patronage of Nawab Asaf-Ud-dowlah in 1784. It is an example of Awadhi architecture...
  
  
• Chattar Manzil
  Chattar Manzil
  The Chattar Manzil , or Umbrella Palace, was constructed by order of Nawab Ghazi Uddin Haider and completed after his death by his successor, Nawab Nasir Uddin Haider. The imposing building has large underground rooms and a dome surmounted by a gilt umbrella...