‘Crafting’ a Walk : A View of Crafts and their Practitioners in Lucknow's Galis
A collective of the indigenous crafts and craftspersons of the galis of Lucknow.
ReadThe gali through Gol Darwaza, lined with shops on both the sides. (2024)Lucknow Bioscope
Chowk is one of the oldest bazaars in Lucknow and craft practices typical to Lucknow, are clustered in the main Chowk gali connecting the Gol Darwaza to the Akbari Gate. Some finished products are on display in shops, and craftsperson are at their work stations carefully crafting others.
Printing blocks used in crafts like chikankari. (2024)Lucknow Bioscope
Chikan printing blocks can be bought from shops and also from among those blocks piled high in large jhawwas [baskets] on the roadside. Stepping into one of the side arms of this gali one can watch these blocks being chiseled and patterned from large pieces of seasoned sagaon [teak] wood.
Chikankari shops in Parcha wali gali (2024)Lucknow Bioscope
An end-to-end brisk walk down this gali can be covered in just about 10 to 15 minutes. Ready to wear chikan embroidered garment shops are rapidly replacing traditional silver and gold shops in what used to be called the sarrafa.
Farther down the gali, the Kaptaan Kuan, a former trading pit for gems and bullion, is an octagonal double storeyed structure built around an old well. Today, it houses a tiny shop where Mohd. Hussain crafts silver uppers and insoles for bridal footwear, embellishing them with intricate naqqashi [repousse].
Block printing in a shop at Kaptaan Kuan. (2024)Lucknow Bioscope
Adjacent to this, is Abdullah Bhai’s chapai [printing] establishment where running lengths of cloth and semi stitched garments are printed with blocks dipped in indigo, creating a web of designs over which the chikan embroidery will be worked. At the shop next door, Aslam Bhai sits over his tiny motor-powered wheel as he manually polishes gems of all varieties and sizes. The Kuan [well] itself, long abandoned, has a chikan shop sitting right over it.
Artisans working at the Zardozi adda in Gol Darwaza, Chowk. (2024)Lucknow Bioscope
On the opposite side of the gali is the Unani Dawakhana [hospital] which encloses a small quadrangle where many shops jostle with each other selling goods. Near the entrance is Mohd. Zafar’s karkhana [workshop] for aari zardozi work.
Zardozi is a type of surface embroidery using metallic threads. Aari can be likened to a chain stitch-like embroidery. Craftspersons sit as a team, cross legged, along an adda [wooden frame] and work over the design that has been stencilled on the fabric which is then stretched across the frame.
A little farther up is Mohd. Ilyas’s shop selling dopalli topis. The topis have two pallas [sides] that are stitched together to form a cap, somewhat like an upturned boat and are a headgear commonly worn by Lucknow men.
A shop selling lachka-gota(trimmings) in chowk. (2024)Lucknow Bioscope
The main gali has several shops selling lachka-gota , ribbon-like lengths of shimmering edgings used for giving a finished look to stitched garments. Shambhu Nath’s shop stocks up a large variety of trimmings for sale.
Phool wali Gali lined with flower shops on both the sides. (2024)Lucknow Bioscope
Further down the Phool wali Gali, Najjan Bhai is busy crafting floral jewellery for a bride, for one of the pre-nuptial functions. Floral lengths are also crafted for patkas [flags] during Muharram processions and as garlands for Hindu deities in temples.
A shop selling itr in Gol Darwaza. (2024)Lucknow Bioscope
Moid Ali sells itr [oil based floral fragrances] in tiny glass jars. Itrs are usually procured from the nearby town Kannauj and sold in Lucknow. Moid Ali obliges his customers as he dabs their wrists and forearms with endless samples from his latest fragrances.
Readymade garments in tukdi , on display near Akbari Gate (2024)Lucknow Bioscope
A stone’s throw away is the establishment of Chaudhary Gharara Wale, where ready-to-wear gharara sets in tukdi are on display. This is a patchwork craft practised in the city, where tiny pieces of cloth of different shapes and in different colour combinations are hand stitched together to create traditional garments such as ghararas and lengths for lehenga edgings etc.
An artisan practicing Chandi ka Warq at Gol Darwaza. (2024)Lucknow Bioscope
The sound of Javed Saheb’s rhythmic hammering leads you to his shop, as he beats tiny pieces of silver, encased in a booklet, into fine sheets. The final product, the warq, is so fragile that it disintegrates if not properly handled. It is patted lightly and ‘blown’ onto sweets and savouries as a decorative embellishment.
The bustling street with shops on both the sides at Akbari Gate. (2024)Lucknow Bioscope
This gali ends at Akbari Gate in a cacophony of sounds from vendors, pedestrians, chaotic traffic, and drivers from battery operated rickshaws yelling destinations and fares to lure prospective customers.
An alam shop on Dargah Hazrat Abbas Road. (2024)Lucknow Bioscope
The Gali Dargah Hazrat Abbas takes a sharp right turn and winds its way to the eponymous shrine. Enroute to the shrine are shops crafting alams and panjas that are a part of the Muharram iconography.
Zardosi artisians at work in Dargah Hazrat Abbass. (2024)Lucknow Bioscope
The Dargah itself has aari zardozi addas on its premises. Just outside the dargah, in an area known as Wazirganj Charahi [derived from chara or a feeding-trough for horses and cattle, now defunct] there are more aari zardozi karkhanas and several kite makers.
Kamdani artisans at work in shop near Dargah Hazrat Abbas. (2024)Lucknow Bioscope
The gali ends at Abdulla Kamdaani Wale. Senior craftspersons and young apprentices are busy at work, creating geometric and floral designs on garments, using flat metallic wires.
It is advisable to traverse the length of the Gali Dargah Abbas on a battery - operated rickshaw and to alight at the Dargah to visit the craft shops.
Text by
Noor Khan
Photography
Anshubhi Singh
Ayan Bose
Illustration
Sarah Kaushik
Stuti Mishra
