Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, is situated on the banks of the river:

Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, stands on the banks of the Gomti river, a tributary of the Ganga.

Course of the Gomti:

• It rises from Gomat Taal (also called Fulhar Jheel) near Madho Tanda in the Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh.
• It is fed mainly by rain and groundwater, so it is a plains-fed river, not a snow-fed river.
• It flows south-east for about 900 km through Uttar Pradesh.
• Important cities on its banks include Lucknow, Sultanpur and Jaunpur.
• It joins the Ganga near Saidpur in the Ghazipur district, near Varanasi.

Religious importance:

• According to Hindu belief, the Gomti is the daughter of the sage Vashishtha, and bathing in it on Ekadashi is considered holy.
• Naimisharanya (Nimsar), an ancient pilgrimage site where many Puranas are said to have been narrated, lies on its banks.

Lucknow and the Gomti:

• Lucknow, the city of the Nawabs of Awadh, is known for its monuments such as the Bara Imambara, Chhota Imambara and Rumi Darwaza, many built near the river.
• The Gomti Riverfront Development Project was undertaken in Lucknow to beautify the banks, but it faced criticism for its effects on the river's ecology.

Pollution:

The Gomti is heavily polluted by untreated sewage and industrial waste, especially downstream of Lucknow.

Jaunpur:

Jaunpur, on the Gomti, was the capital of the Sharqi Sultanate in the 15th century; the Shahi Bridge (Akbari Bridge) over the Gomti was built during Akbar's reign.

Other state capitals on rivers:

• Patna on the Ganga.
• Bhopal on lakes rather than a major river.
• Hyderabad on the Musi.
• Delhi on the Yamuna.

Why not the other options?

• ✗The Ganga does not flow through Lucknow; it flows past Kanpur and Varanasi.
• ✗The Yamuna flows through Delhi and Agra.
• ✗The Sai is a smaller river that joins the Gomti near Jaunpur.