Reminiscing Life in Lucknow’s Galis: A Narration by Mehmood M. Abdi
A tale of the city of Lucknow
ReadMehmood M. Abdi is an oral & cultural exponent. He runs a YouTube Channel called “Culture Bazaar.”
The life and livelihood of the Gali Kooche of Lucknow. (2024)Lucknow Bioscope
To write about Lucknow is like penning about one’s own self. Rooted in the city for five generations, I feel entitled to call myself a “True Lucknowi”. In the old galis (lanes) of Lucknow, houses are so closely placed that not just conversations but also the aroma from a kitchen travel to the neighbour’s courtyard.
The life and livelihood of the Gali Kooche of Lucknow. (2024)Lucknow Bioscope
This proximity is the key to the sharing and warmth which become the eco-system of each mohalla (neighbourhood). At one time, the architectural style of houses, eating habits, dressing style, even the lingo and expression could identify the place of residence of a person.
The life and livelihood of the Gali Kooche of Lucknow. (2024)Lucknow Bioscope
Till around 1860, the city of Lucknow was made up of webs of galis and mohollas, katras, hatas, koochas, tolas, sarais and gadayas inhabited by different communities of similar professions, crafts, trade, or ethnic stock (such as the Kashmiri Mohalla) and social status.
Many of the galis and mohallas of old Lucknow are known after persons. For instance, Sarai Mali Khan and Ilach khan ka Maidan (a distortion of L.H. Khan ka Maidan); Koocha e Meer Anis and Mirza Dabeer ki Gali are named after famous Urdu poets whose final resting places are located here.
Cutting across the mohalla Firangi Mahal is Parchey wali Gali which has several outlets for block printing for Lucknow’s famous chikan embroidery. There were two Hafizjis in this lane: Hafiz Khamiri ran a tandoor of khamiri roti and sheermal, and the other Hafizji sold a varied collection of articles- from nikah namas (Muslim marriage agreement form) to kafans (white cotton shroud), at his shop.
Till a few years back, Kanghi wali Gali, off Victoria Street had shops that sold handmade combs. These were flat, squarish, fine-toothed combs, made of buffalo horns. They were used only for combing out joon [head lice], with teeth spaced and sharpened according to the requirement of the user.
Meer Baqar Saudagar, a Persian carpet and glassware trader who supplied articles to the Awadh court and nobles lived in the Johri Moholla. The fine original Belgium chandeliers and other articles are still found in Saudagar ka Imambara named after him. Another charm of Johri Mohalla was Qamar Jahan Begum who bore testimony to various phases of Lucknow.
From the doli (palanquin), tanga (horse carriage) to lorry (bus) and then cars, she had used all sorts of means of transport. She reminisced the arrival of loudspeakers, radio and piped water supply to households. Earlier bhishtis (water carriers) used to bring water from nearby wells in large leather water bags.
In older times, it was considered somewhat sinful for women of upper and middle-class families to wander in the bazaar (marketplace). Bajaz (cloth vendors) roamed in the lanes, holding on their shoulders the cloth spread over the guzz (measuring rod). Calls of their wares “chalteen, paplain, lady milton, jangal bari, cheet, markeen waley tukde (pieces)” made the women rush to the deohries (entrance passageway) of their homes. Fabrics were extended inside the doors for inspection and purchases were made.
Manihariney / chooriwaliyan (bangle sellers) were customary visitors to households on the eve of Eid and on completion of Moharram days. Bisaati, a man carrying a wooden tray-like box filled with lipsticks, nail polish, ribbons, combs, safety pins, laces, sewing needles and threads was another indispensable feature.
Lucknow’s galis are famous for their special sweets and savouries. If Netram Lalji of Aminabad is the authentic vegetarian nashta (breakfast) point, places like the Rose Hotel at the mouth of the erstwhile Chowk Sabzi Mandi used to be the Muslim version of a vegetarian nashta. Crispy puris were served with spicy finely-cut aalu ki tarkari. Watery burani type raita was optional and freshly made jalebis completed the treat.
In the parlance of Lucknow, the samosa is also called tikona. It is a dry puff, crushed and dipped in Kashmiri chai topped with balai, a popular beverage. Tikona has a non-vegetarian version too - qeeme ke tikone, where the puff is stuffed with minced meat. Another version of tikona is meetha tikona which is stuffed with khoya and chiraunji.
The lanes and bylanes of Aminabad and Chowk were full of chaat thelas (carts). Dahi chatni, sonth ke batashe, paani ke batashe and mattar (boiled chickpeas) were in demand. Khasta kachauri outside Chowk Kotwali and vendors selling samosas, sohal, rasgullas and other chhena items were popular. Holding their glass box on their head, their soft cry “malai chum chum…” got them the name “malai chum chum wala”.
The biscuit wala with a tin box filled with bakery items (zeera fan, cream rolls and bright pink pastries) over his head was a regular vendor. For choosing the goodies, women guided their children from behind the doors and baskets were lowered from the upper floors to get them. Seasonal vendors like mumphali wala during winter nights and khoya patti and andarse ki goliyon wala during the monsoons make rounds of galis.
Specific lanes are also associated with culinary specialities. Tunday ke kabab is now synonymous with Lucknow. Nevertheless, different mohallas have different flavours of galawat ke kabab. Kababs from Toriaganj have the look of Tunday kababs but taste different. Boti and galawat ke kabab of Pahelwan near Naaz cinema have a strong earthy flavour. Batashe wali Gali has old shops making and selling batashe (sugar drop candies).
The life and livelihood of the Gali Kooche of Lucknow. (2024)Lucknow Bioscope
Chai ke hotel (tea stalls) are an essential element of gali-mohalla culture. Kazim Hotel in Victoria Street and Anwar Tea Stall in Aminabad used to be the hub of poets and Moamme baaz, solvers of weekly Urdu literary puzzles. On Victoria Street was a roadside tea stall of Waziru sahab who was popular for extempore coining of rhymed gaalis (expletives).
The life and livelihood of the Gali Kooche of Lucknow. (2024)Lucknow Bioscope
Craftspersons and musicians have lived and worked in many galis. Rastogi Tola, Raja ki Bazaar, Feenas wali Gali and Sohbatia Bagh are intertwined localities. Sohbatia Bagh was known for its masons and tazia makers. In the lane behind Afzal Mahal, lived the tabla maestro Ustad Ahmad Jaan Thirakwa.
Galis also have had quaint customs. Hammams, public bathing rooms were found alongside barber shops in Hammam wali Gali and Kali Gali in Mufti Ganj. During winters, after a hair-cut, people would go for a bath in the ill-lit rooms having hot water from a samawar (coal run geyser). For a charge, a small cut of Lifebuoy soap and a towel was also provided. The mohalla ethos is never complete without faqirs (beggars). Their calls for alms are identifiable to a particular day of the faqir’s visit to the lane.
Sharing of joy and grief alike is the essence of gali-mohalla culture. The entire mohalla participates in a wedding at one home. Likewise, death in a home is reflected in mournful silence in the entire gali and neighbours send food to the bereaved family. Even on normal days, a portion of the food prepared in one home is shared with neighbours.
Like rishtedari, moholladari is routinely followed; “mamu”, “chacha” “khala”, “mausi” (uncles and aunts) of one home are similarly addressed by the entire gali-mohalla. There is much to learn from community life in Lucknow’s galis and to celebrate its syncretic bonds.
A short trip through the bylanes of Lucknow, this film is ode to the sights and sounds of Lucknow ke Gali Kooche.
Text by
Mehmood M. Abdi
Documentation - Writing, AV
Aisha Khatoon
Apurva Shah
Ayan Bose
Prakhar Khare
Editing
Noor Khan
Saman Habib
Illustration
Stuti Misra
