Nawab Wajid Ali Shah & His Lasting Influence on Bengal

After being exiled from Awadh by the East India Company in 1856, Wajid Ali Shah settled in Metiabruz, in the Garden Reach area of Calcutta. Though politically dethroned, he did not retreat into silence; instead, he transformed Metiabruz into a thriving center of art, music, dance, literature, and cuisine—creating a “Mini Lucknow” in Bengal. His presence permanently shaped Calcutta’s cultural identity, especially in Garden Reach, and in many ways Metiabruz became the last living court of Awadh—far from Lucknow, yet deeply and spiritually connected to it. #wajidalishah #metiabruz #kolkata #calcutta #lucknow #bengal #awadh #lucknow #lucknowfilmclub