Romance of Venice in city of nawabs

Romance would soon have another synonym in Lucknow--gondola. Some decades ago, Amitabh Bachchan and Zeenat Aman stole many a heart as they romance aboard a gondola in Venice, lip-synching Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhonsle’s ‘Do lafzoon ki hai yeh kaahani’, in the then blockbuster ‘The Great Gambler.’

You too may have a similar ride on a long-meandering custom-made waterway in the heart of the sprawling Janeshwar Mishra Park (JMP) in Gomti Nagar, to be opened on August 5. A gondolier standing behind the passengers would navigate the long, narrow, flat-bottomed six-seater boat having a tall, ornamental stem and stern.

This exquisitely crafted imported boat with a leather upholstered settee is equipped with a weather-proof juke-box that would waft lilting soft music to make the experience Venetian. A man is currently undergoing gondolier’s training. The gondolier would have two options to navigate the boat-manually by oar or powered by an engine.

Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and his family would take the first ride.

For centuries, gondolas were the chief means of transportation and most common watercraft within Venice. In modern times, the iconic boats still have a role in public transport in the city, serving as traghetti (ferries) over the Grand Canal. They are also used in special regattas (rowing races) held amongst gondoliers.

It is estimated that there were 8,000 to 10,000 gondolas during the 17th and 18th century. There are just over four hundred in active service today, virtually all of them used by tourists.