India, Nov. 8 -- The bustling circular intersection of present-day Lalbagh, framed by semi-circular colonial arcades now mangled beyond restoration, conceals a layered historical legacy that warrants closer examination. This vast estate took its name from Shah Bihari Lal, a prominent merchant and banker (money lender) from the era of Ghazi-ud-Din Haider, the last Nawab and first Badshah of Awadh. A man of substantial means, Shah Bihari Lal held numerous properties throughout Lucknow, including a structure within the Residency complex that later became known as the 'Martiniere Post', as well as a sizeable estate on Sitapur Road recorded on old British maps as 'Shah Bihari Lal's Garden.' Shah Bihari was rich enough to have apparently 'financed' Ghazi-ud-Din Haider's coronation, and also provided a loan of Rs 20,00,000 to the king, as a result of which he became a close confidant of the ruler. Post 1857, in their unending quest for loot and hidden treasure, the victorious British came across two documents, purportedly written by Iqbal-ud-Daula and Khas-ud-Daula. Iqbal was the grandson of Fateh Ali Khan, who had been a highly trusted custodian of Nawabi treasures, spanning across several decades, from the times of Sa'adat Ali Khan to Nasir-ud-Din Haider. The antecedents of Khas-ud-Daula are not known. Both gentlemen mentioned treasure in the estate, buried under the directions of Ghazi-ud-Din Haider himself, including a description of its location, and actual details of the contents. There was also mention of a large ruby, with magical properties, kept inside a silver casket 'in the vault of the baradurrie' [sic]. According to Khas-ud-Daula, the treasure was buried in three locations under the principal kothi. The first lot had three lakh 'Jypur ashirfis' [sic], the second lot had one lakh 'Murshadabad ashirfis' [sic] and the third lot had four crores of 'Murshadabad' rupees (Murshidabad, Bengal). There is a school of thought that the term 'Lalbagh' arose not from the name of Shah Bihari 'Lal' but due to the purported presence of a large red ruby as treasure (hence also referred to as 'Ruby Garden' by the British), or because there were red roses planted in the garden premises. In 1870, Shah Bihari Lal's regal house and surrounding grounds were taken over from a member of the original owner's family by Isabella Thoburn, under the auspices of the Women's Foreign Missionary Society. The main kothi and its grounds, together with other scattered buildings in the estate, would be the nucleus of the later Isabella Thoburn College of Lucknow. 'Our Goodly Heritage: The Lalbagh Jubilee Book (1870-1920)' having recollections on the history of Lal Bagh School and Isabella Thoburn College mentioned 'the old kothi with its untold secrets of treasure and romance, as well as the taikhana (basement), with its legends of cobras guarding the buried treasure. The house has only one storey, and the high thick walls and large rooms add much to the comfort of the inmates during the hot months when so many hours must be spent indoors. Its first room beyond the entrance is so large that one hundred persons have assembled here for teas and prayer meetings, and often an overflow listens from the veranda, on which the doors open. The dining room is almost as large; there is a study, six bedrooms, bath and store rooms. The roof, which is reached by a stairway from within the house, is the general dormitory during the hot, dry nights of April, May and June.' With time, a second storey, with verandas all around, an L-shaped extension and even a clock tower were added to the original kothi. In 1910, the Hazzard Memorial building was erected for accommodating lecture rooms, study hall and dormitories. Interestingly, within five years, it proved to be truly hazardous (pun intended) when it collapsed in September 1915, during 'a cloud burst and floods' - although the original old kothi stood strong. When the college unwillingly moved out to its larger Chandbagh (Chandganj) campus in 1922, its original premises remained with the Lalbagh Girls' School, later re-christened as Emma Thompson School. After Lucknow became the state capital of the United Provinces in 1921, the newly constituted Lucknow Improvement Trust floated several 'Schemes' to improve the city's landscape and introduce a semblance of order and planning in the old Nawabi capital. The Lalbagh and Qaiserbagh circles (circuses) or roundabouts we see today were developed after extensive planning, with the Lalbagh circus being smaller and less elaborate than Qaiserbagh. The blueprints of the arcaded buildings to be constructed were prepared by the LIT and prospective owners/builders invited to construct the semi-circular buildings around a central rotunda, without any deviation from the approved architectural designs. In present times, in addition to a derelict Lalbagh roundabout, a stretch from the University to New Hyderabad is named Rai Bihari Lal Road. However, it is uncertain whether this road is named in honour of the once immensely wealthy and influential nobleman or to some local prominent personality....