| Religious Affiliation: | Shia Islam |
| Map Type: | India Uttar Pradesh#India |
| Coordinates: | 26.8691°N 80.9129°W |
| Location: | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh |
| Country: | India |
| Founded By: | Asaf-ud-Daula |
| Year Completed: | 1784 |
Bara Imambara (Hindi: बड़ा इमामबाड़ा), also known as Asafi Imambara, is an imambara complex in Lucknow, India, built by Asaf-ud-Daula, Nawab of Awadh, in 1784. Bara means big. An Imambara is a shrine built by Shia Muslims for the purpose of Azadari. This imambara is the second largest after the Nizamat Imambara.
The building complex also includes the large Asfi mosque, the Bhul-bhulaiya (the labyrinth), and Bowli, a steep well with running water. Two imposing gateways lead to the main hall. It is said that there are 1024 ways to reach the terrace, but only two ways to come back, which is through the first gate or the last gate. It is an accidental architecture.
Construction of Bara Imambara was started in 1780, a year of devastating famine, and one of Asaf-ud-Daula's objectives in embarking on this grandiose project was to provide employment for people in the region for almost a decade while the famine lasted. It is said that ordinary people used to work during the day building up the edifice, while noblemen and other elite worked at night to break down anything that was raised that day. It was a project that preceded a Keynesian-like intervention for employment generation. Construction of the Imambara was completed in 1784. The estimated cost of building the Imambara ranges between half a million rupees to a million rupees. Even after completion, the Nawab used to spend between four and five hundred thousand rupees on its decoration annually.[1]
The architecture of the complex reflects the maturation of ornamented Mughal design, namely the Badshahi Mosque; it is one of the last major projects not incorporating any European elements or the use of iron. The main imambara consists of a large vaulted central chamber containing the tomb of Asaf-ud-Daula. At 50 by 16 meters and over 15 meters tall, it has no beams supporting the ceiling and is one of the largest such arched constructions in the world. There are eight surrounding chambers built to different roof heights, permitting the space above these to be reconstructed as a three-dimensional labyrinth with passages interconnecting with each other through 489 identical doorways. This part of the building, and often the whole complex, may be referred to as the Bhulbhulaiya. It is a popular attraction among the locals as well as the tourists and is possibly the only existing maze in India. It came about unintentionally to support the weight of the building, which is constructed on marshy land. Asaf-ud-Daula also erected the 18 meter (59 foot) high Roomi Darwaza just outside. This portal, embellished with lavish decorations, was the Imambara's west-facing entrance. The Bara Imambara is among the grandest buildings of Lucknow.[3]
The design of the Imambara was acquired through a competitive process. The winner was a Delhi architect Kifayatullah, who also lies buried in the main hall of the Imambara. It is another unique aspect of the building that the sponsor and the architect lie buried beside each other.