Lucknow, the cultural capital of erstwhile Awadh region, has charmed generations into writing about the city. But there is no book that captures all the aspects of Awadhi culture, history and traditions of the region. Awadh Symphony: Notes on a Cultural Interlude is an extensively detailed volume which takes you on a journey to a bygone era and gives a glimpse of everyday life in this North Indian kingdom. Revisiting Awadh, it offers almost all aspects of human activity—from culture, cuisine, craft and religious ritual to games, fairs and bazaars; from life of ordinary Muslim women to courtesans, who were a part of the famous Sham-i-Awadh; from the tradition of dastangoi to the recitation of marsiya; and much more. A staunch bibliophile and an ardent admirer of Lucknow, author Aslam Mahmud had collected every possible book on Awadh throughout his life, consulting each of these to pen the work of a lifetime—a compendium on Lucknow with rare information and an exceptional guide to the life and times of Awadh.