La Martiniere College, Lucknow - Timings, History, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 5 km from Lucknow Junction, La Martiniere is an educational institution located in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state. Situated in Kalidas Marg, it is one of the well-known educational institutes in India, and among the major historical places to visit in Lucknow.

La Martiniere College, Lucknow was founded in the year 1840, in accordance with the will of Major General Claude Martin. The college consists of two schools on different campuses for boys and girls. La Martinière College (for boys) was founded in 1845 and La Martinière Girls' College was established in 1869. The Boys' College is the only school in the world to have been awarded royal battle honors for its role in the defense of Lucknow during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The college finds mention in Rudyard Kipling's novel 'Kim' also.

The school is a tourist attraction for its architecture and history. The two Lucknow colleges are part of the La Martinière family of schools founded by the French adventurer Major General Claude Martin. There are two La Martinière Colleges in Kolkata and three in Lyon. La Martinière provides a liberal education and the medium of instruction is the English language. The schools cater to pupils from the ages of five through to 17 or 18 and are open to children of all religious denominations. The boys' school has a Chapel, a Hindu Temple, and a Mosque on its campus and has remained a non-denominational school since its inception, unlike the two La Martiniere Schools in Calcutta which are Christian schools, controlled by the Anglican Church of North India. The schools have day scholars and residence scholars (boarders).

Referred as one of the finest examples of European funerary monuments, the building, known as Constantia, was built and designed by French soldier turned architect Claude Martin in 1796. It incorporates the features of Italian architecture, fusing them with native architectural attributes of Hindu and Mughal architecture. Hosting some architectural highlights such as carved arches and profoundly decorated balconies, the building of La Martinère School houses the tomb of Claude Martin, the French Major-General of the time. Besides, this European-styled structure also sites a library, a chapel, and a well-preserved and beautiful lobby room.

Timings: 6 AM - 6 PM

Entry: Free