Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language originating in the region between the Ganges and Jamuna rivers near Delhi. As a spoken language Urdu originally derived from Hindustani,the lingua franca of Northern India before the partition of 1947. Although Urdu and Hindi arose from the same or very similar colloquial bases, their literary forms are much different because of the strong influences of Sanskrit on Hindi and of Persian and Arabic on Urdu. Grammar in the two languages is still nearly the same, however, except in instances in which literary Urdu adopts Persian or Arabic constructions.

Urdu is a very important language of Indian subcontinent both for the reasons of large number of its speakers as well as its rich literature.

Information about Location (Lucknow)

Lucknow is the capital city of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Lucknow's history begins with its elevation to a capital city under the Nawabs of Awadh. The architectural contributions of the Awadh rulers, many paintings of whom are maintained at the Art Gallery today, include numerous mosques and palaces. Of the monuments standing today, the BaRa ImaambaaRa, the Chhota ImaambaaRa, and the Roomi Darwaaza are notable examples.

The province of Awadh (anglicized to Oudh) was annexed by the British rulers of India, and in the Indian Mutiny of 1857, Lucknow was one of the cities besieged by the rebel forces. Today, the ruins of the Residency, and the picturesque Shaheed Smarak offer the poignant reminisces of Lucknow's role in the Mutiny. Other architectural delights in Lucknow include the Vidhan Sabha (State Legislature) and the railway station at Charbaagh with its yellow domes and pillars. One of the oldest schools in the world is also situated in Lucknow: La Martiniere, founded in the 1845 by Claude Martin.

AIIS, Urdu Language Program,
46/3 Wazir Hasan Road,
Lucknow-226001

Phone No.: 
91-522-2209306 / 91-522-2207198

Fax No.       91-522-2209306
E-mail:      aiis.ulp@gmail.com