1. F.J.Hughes Said,

   The Residency is a priceless historical treasure. I think its a pity that most visitors do not take the time to fully explore the site. I noticed that visitors tend to only go through the Baillie Guard Gate, up the ramp to the Residency Building and the museum in the Tykhana and then leave by the same route. What a waste. There is so much to see there, I spent three whole days taking photos and notes there and it wasn’t enough. I found a curious little underground bunker there, I think it may have been in the Post Office, have you any idea if it was a powder magazine or cartridge factory?

2. Sepoy Sunny Kalara Said,

   Very interesting. Perhaps you can share some of your pictures and the notes on the web. There is so much written about the history of Lucknow siege but almost all of it is makes for a dry reading because there is no context to it.

   I thought about making a Google 3D sketch up of some of the significant places so a visitor can explore it, but I don’t think it will be resource effective.

   Another reason why Indians generally have not been as active in the preservation of the mutiny history is because there is no “direct connection”. If there were records showing that a particular family, a particular person lost his/her life during the rebellion, their grand children will spend time to honor that sacrifice. Since no names have been kept, there are no natural curators of the history compelled by the family connection.

   As the wealth in India grows, and people have more free time and resources to spend, in next ten years or so, I fully see a league of mutiny re-enactments coming in to place. I see the time when there will be a waiting list for people to spend 3-4 days camping holidays at the residency.

3. Roshan Said,

   Nice comparison pictures. Thanks for putting them side by side.

4. Rup Kapadia Said,

   The black & white pictures are better.

5. F.J.Hughes Said,

   I have quite a number of recent photos of Mutiny sites, including the Lucknow Residency, The Wheeler Entrenchment, Jhansi Fort and Palace (including some of the Breach effected by the C.I.F.F. under Sir Hugh Rose), Jokham Bagh (Jhansi) and Kotah-ki-Serai; the site of the death of Rani Laxmi Bai, Dhar Fort, Lal Qila, Delhi Ridge, the Kashmir Gate and the infamous Bibighar. I would be glad to contribute any of these resources, let me know what the Blog is looking for and I will endeavour to oblige.

6. Peter Said,

   I strongly object to the use of the m word.Lets call it the War of Independance.The events of
   1947 were a farce.India’s membership of the Stolenwealth is disgusting.

   I’d rather see more of the pictures Indian architecture prior to their vandalisation by the British.

7. Peter Said,

   The residency is just another British eyesore.

8. Sepoy Sunny Kalara Said,

   Re. the use of the “m” word; please bear in mind that the date is still 1858 and at this point the scope of the rebellion was not clear yet.

   In a few weeks and months, when the Jhansi is under attack, the over all pictures will reveal it self and at that time, the blog will change its name to the First Rebellion blog.

9. F.J. Hughes Said,

   Re: the ‘m’ word.

   I use the word within context.

   To call the events of 1857/58/59 a War of Independance is inaccurate.

   The military mutiny of the Bengal Native Army was nothing less than a breakdown of the codes of military disciple and can only be referred to in English as a Mutiny, in Hindi it is something different- Ghadr, or ”faithlessness’.

   A War of Independance suggets an unity of purpose that did not exist until the 20th Century.

   The disparate interests of the Rebel leaders led to deprivation and anarchy and to suggest that the Sikhs, for example, had a shared cause with the ”purbiahs’ is misleading. Although many rebels went to Delhi and gave their allegiance to Bahadar Shah it must not be forgotten that Dondhu Pant was the inheriter of the Peshwaship whose ancestors had beaten the Moghals and it is therefore highly unlikely that the Nana Sahib would have been content with vassalship to the Imperial Court at Delhi. There is, therefore, no consensus.

   In reference to 1857, a War of Independance is a misnomer that was only dignified and realised in Independance for India in 1947.

10. Living Ecstasy Said,

    @F.J.Hughes
    Its nice to know that you took so much interest in exploring Residency ,, I go by same belief that there is lot to discover and unearth in residency … Most of the buildings got destroyed in rebellion only by heavy Gun fire , the rest of them were destroyed by Britishers themselves on the directions of Napier ( The Architect of Modern British Settlement ).
    Even if you move around there with keenest interest you can’t find the most interested thing there ..that is the “secret tunnel” . No one knows about its Residency end , but it existed is established fact .

11. Living Ecstasy Said,

    @ F.J.Hughes
    I would like to see the Residency Pics taken by you , If you dont have any objection please mail them at livingecstasy at gmail.com or upload them at google picasa album and send me the link ..
    Cheers ,
    Living Ecstasy

12. Feringhi Said,

    Re: Residency pictures.
    The invitation was extended to the Owners and Authors of this blog; Guatam Gupta and Sunny Kalara.

    re: Secret tunnels.
    I understand that the whole Residency area is riddled with undergound shafts and galleries, some sunk by the beseiging forces in order to lay explosive mines, the other were defensive counter mines sunk by the defenders of the Residency.

    There was effectively another subterrainian battlefield beneath the Residency complex.

    The rank and file of the 32nd Regiment of Foot (Queens) was largely comprised of men from Cornwall and Derbyshire, both areas in Great Britain with long histories of commercial mining and therefore ideal candidates for Counter-Mining operations in the defence of the Lucknow Residency.

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