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Ghazi-ud-din
Haider ascended the throne in 1814. He got built two houses within
the Motimahal complex,
the Mubarak Manzil and Shah Manzil. He also introduced for the first
time animal fighting
sport, which was hitherto unheard in Lucknow. Ghazi-ud- din used to
watch these fights
from Shahmanzil, which took place on the other side of the river at
Hazari Bagh.
He
got a European style house built for one of his European wife and
named it 'Vilayati Bagh.
' The edifice of Qadam Rasul was constructed near it. According to
popular belief this
impression of the supposed footprints of Muhammad on black stone,
was brought from mecca,
by some distinguished pilgrim. Though badly damaged in 1857, the
stone bearing the
footprint still stands, on a high pedestal near Sikandar
Bagh (NBRI).
Ghazi-ud-din
Haider due to his religious fervor; reproduced on the banks of Gomti
near Sikander bagh, a
sacred Najaf, a holy mausoleum, the copy of Ali's burial place at
Najaf in Iraq. He was
buried here at his death in 1827. Later his three begums were also
buried at Shah
Najaf Imambara -Sarfaraz Mahal, Mubarak Mahal and Mumtaz
Mahal. In his life time
itself; Ghazi-ud-din Haider had constituted the unique 'Vasiqa
system' an endowment
arrangement with the British, for the upkeep of lmambaras. With the
interest of the
'perpetual loans', the maintenance of the lmambaras was to be taken
care of. In 1886 the
vasiqa legislation was passed with which the arrangments were
regularized and a board of
trustees, which continues to this day was instituted, to manage the
funds. The vasiqas
continue to the present time and the Bara Imambara, Chotta Imambara
and the Shahnajaf
Imambara are looked after by them. |
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