Lucknow, After the Lamps Go Out: Tales of Ghosts and Jinns By Parveen Talha

‘An intriguing, intimate read—gentle on the surface, devastating underneath.’
—Muzaffar Ali

‘A masterclass on the supernatural.’
—Namita Gokhale

When the lamps go out, Lucknow becomes another city

In Lucknow, after the Lamps Go Out: Tales of Ghosts and Jinns, Parveen Talha gathers stories that move through the old quarters, ruined buildings, graveyards, railway platforms and forgotten housesof the City of Nawabs—stories of spirits, apparitions, unexplained visitations and jinns whose presence lingers just beyond the visible world.

These are not conventional horror stories. They are tales steeped in Lucknow’s history, tehzeeb, memory and loss. The city’s past—especially the violence, grief and dislocation surrounding 1857— presses constantly against the present, giving rise to legends attached to places such as the Residency, Begum Kothi, La Martiniere, Firangi Mahal, Aminabad and Malhaur station.

Moving between folklore, faith and lived recollection, the book evokes a Lucknow where the dead are not always gone, where jinns may intervene in human lives, and where memory survives in eerie, intimate forms.

✨ What You’ll Discover Inside
👻 Ghost stories rooted in Lucknow’s lived memory: Stories of haunted roads, ruined kothis, graveyards, railway platforms, hospitals and old neighbourhoods.
🕌 A city where faith and folklore meet: Accounts of both spirits and jinns, drawn not only from legend but also from Islamic belief and local oral tradition.
🏛 The spectral afterlife of 1857: How the violence of rebellion, siege and colonial conflict continues to echo through Lucknow’s architecture and imagination.
🌙 Atmosphere over shock: These tales are unsettling, evocative and melancholy rather than sensational—more unease than horror.
📖 A literary portrait of Lucknow after dark: A portrait of a city where the past lingers in courtyards, corridors, ruined buildings and half-remembered family stories.

💡 Why This Book Stands Out
• Not a generic ghost-story collection, but a book deeply anchored in Lucknow’s culture, history and urban memory.
• Written by Parveen Talha, acclaimed author of Fida-e-Lucknow, whose work has been praised for its insider’s understanding of the city.
• Blends literary storytelling, folklore, history and the supernatural.
• Explores both ghost lore and jinn narratives, giving the book a distinctive cultural and theological texture.
• Ideal for readers who enjoy atmospheric, place-based nonfiction-leaning storytelling rather than formulaic horror.

🌟 Who Should Read This Book
• Readers interested in Lucknow’s history, culture and folklore
• Lovers of ghost stories, supernatural tales and eerie literary nonfiction
• Readers drawn to Indian cities, memory and haunted histories
• Anyone interested in jinn lore, oral storytelling and place-based narratives
• Fans of atmospheric writing that is gentle on the surface, devastating underneath