If you like street shopping and exploring markets that lie full of hidden surprises, this piece is for you!
While Hazratganj, Lucknow’s jewel-in-the-crown marketplace, is full of innumerable street hawkers, there are certain unique ones who will make you halt in your step, turn around and explore the funky set-up!
You’re promenading in the lanes of Ganj and spot a couple pizzas being heated on tawas or the age-old, endangered craftsmanship of raffu offered by a huckster, your attention is theirs! Here are some of Hazratganj’s most colourful stuff by unique vendors you cannot miss when here:
Watchmaker Sanjay
If you’ve a wrist watch to repair, here is where you can do it for hardly a few bucks!
With his set-up right next to Chaudhary’s, Sanjay has a small arrangement that displays tools and paraphernalia related to watch-repairing. Sanjay also tells Knocksense that he has been working for almost 40 years, polishing and repairing watches throughout!
Hair accessories by Ramesh Sharma
A small road station, this particular huckster sells inexpensive but quality hair accessories and vanity fix-ups. What will grab your attention will be these cutesy, pretty pink boxes organised in a row that showcase numerous hair clips, colourful ties, bands and quirky pins!
Situated outside Sugnamal, opposite Gandhi Ashram, Ramesh Sharma is a Polio-stricken individual, whose undying spirit to work for a living goes unnoticed by any passersby. What is awe-inspiring is that Ramesh has been doing this for almost 23 years! He even knows a bit of English and responded with a sweet “you’re most welcome” as we thanked him for his time.
With a box of 30 soft hair ties at merely ₹120, Ramesh also offers digital payment options most readily.
Cute keychains & bags by Salim
While you will find a lot of bhel puri walas, cloth stands, belt stations and shops for shades and earrings, we bring to you the cutest of the lot.
Mohammad Salim puts up a stand every day right in front of Ganj’s Sahu building and displays an array of hueful keyrings and bags. They’re not just vibrant but fluffy and soft. With keychains at ₹50, the pouches and fluffy sling bags go up to max ₹ 350.
So, shoppers, here’s where you can get some puff and pretty well within your budget!
Main Burger King
What is unique about ‘Main Burger King‘ is Rajasthan’s Shyam Sundar Tiwari, donning a pink turban, who’ll greet you with the most contagious smile. On a large charred tawa, he’ll warm up pizzas, hotdogs, kulcha, pav and burgers for you! Extremely inexpensive, the delicious hotdogs here are merely for ₹30, pizzas for ₹50 and burgers ranging from ₹20-₹40 depending on the size.
After 7 PM, you can find the stall at Janpath. However, during the day, Main Burger King can be seen at various places like GPO, Christ Church, behind Multi-Level Parking of Ganj, etc.
Bookseller M Beg
An octogenarian with a small set-up on the road, bang opposite Cheap House in Hazratganj, M Beg has been selling books for decades uncountable. With an aesthetic display of bestselling books, this elderly vendor even knows his books!
Prior to selling on the streets, he used to operate a bookshop which failed because “sab hello-hello me lag gaye (everybody started obsessing over phones),” he tells Knocksense poignantly.
Marked at ₹250, books sold here are, more often than not, new with some second-hand copies.
Jaipuri Sweet Supari
If you’re a fan of street food, there’s no way you haven’t experimented with the tangiest, spiciest or sweetest of churans! Made of powdered spices and herbs, various churans and candies can be found at a few street shops. One of these is Jaipuri Sweet Supari. With 100 g packets of merely ₹40-50, you can get all kinds of imli candy, anardana, heeng peda, imbli boota, ramdani laddu, papad and more here.
Talking to Rakesh Singh, he explained that he has been putting up this shop for almost 20 years. Besides churan, he also sells cute jute bags and more!
Location: Janpath, Hazratganj
Rekha Shikanji Shop
While Ganj is filled, up to the brim, with neembu paani stalls, one such Rekha Shikanji Shop stands out with a little change. Located right outside The Hazelnut Factory, the shop also sells caps and quirky masks, besides rejuvenating shikanji.
While its shikanji is for ₹20, the soda here is marked at ₹30. If you’re thirsty (or heading to a masquerade), this is the shop to explore!
Fandom keychains and purses by Akshat
If you’re into fandoms, from Marvel to DC, from Naruto to BTS, this is one street vendor to go to. Akshat sells keyrings and pouches that have various designs of modern shows or cartoons on them. Whether it is a Thor’s hammer keyring or a Doraemon coin pouch you’re into, the quality offered here is pretty good for everything falling under the ₹300 umbrella!
Location: Outside Bata, near Sahu
Gopal Mehendi Art
Last stop: Gopal Mehendi Art. Rahul can be found near Love Lane, next to Cheap House with a row of mehendi designs to choose from. This festivals pouring in, this place can be your saviour for pretty hand designs and aesthetic mehendi art!
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