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Lucknow is known as the land of the Nawabs and a shopping trip in the marketplaces of Lucknow is sure to make you feel like one as well. There are a number of great markets here and they are filled with all sorts of items you could ever want, and at very affordable rates as well. While like every other major metropolitan city, there are fair share shopping malls in Lucknow, street shopping in Lucknow is what you should look forward to. Here are some of the markets in Lucknow which you must visit:
Ask any resident of Lucknow where you should head to for your shopping and chances are he will tell you to head straight to Aminabad market. It is one of the oldest street shopping hubs of the city and you will be spoilt for choice when you visit the shops here. You will have to visit this market if you want to buy the famed chikankari clothes of Lucknow. You will get kurtas and salwar- kameezes in chikankari work as well as dress materials. Another thing to buy here is hand embroidered sarees which have very nuanced and exquisite embroidery. Do not forget to visit the Dupatta Mahal where you will get dupattas in every shade possible, with amazing thread, bead or zari work. The shopkeepers here bring in items from all areas of Uttar Pradesh and beyond and it is almost a one stop destination for your clothing needs. For food, head straight to Kalika Chat House or the Wahid Biryani center as you relieve your hunger pangs on your extensive shopping spree. The Lucknow cloth market is famous here. The market is open on from 11 am to 10:30 pm and it remains closed on Thursdays.
One of the USPs of this market is that it is almost in the center of Lucknow, which is why it draws buyers from all corners of the city. You will find a number of stores here as well selling premium Chikankari clothing. If you love junk and artificial jewelry, you will be spoilt for choice here and if you visit before Eid, you will be like a child in a candy store! The footwear stores here sell handmade slippers and jootis, which complement any ethnic wear. The market is also popular for selling Khadi fabrics and other items made from Khadi, one of the few best sellers in the entire city. Janpath and Seva Chikan are popular stores here for fabrics and dress materials. One of the reasons why outstation buyers visit this market more is because bargaining is almost non- existent in this market. You can buy items at fixed prices and the quality of the merchandise is almost always top-notch, which comes as a relief for tourists who often worry about being duped in new and unknown places. The market remains closed on Sundays and on other days it is open from 10 am to 9pm.
Chowk Lucknow, or simply Chowk, is the go- to destination for every woman in Lucknow when it comes to jewelry and other accessories. You will find a number of shops here that sell exotic jewelry, often encrusted with semi precious stones, beautifully crafted out from silver with filigree work and with meenakari patterns. It is also one of the best places to buy Ittar, and you can also have them mixed according to your preferred fragrances. The Chikankari garments and dress materials are also sold here, as in every other major market of Lucknow. You will also find stores selling premium Nagra shoes and mojris, and they come in vibrant colors and exquisite patterns. If you are non- vegetarian and would love to taste the food of the Nwabs, then head straight to the eateries here for a lavish spread of koftas, kebabs and biryanis. By the end of the shopping, both your bags and your stomachs will be fit to burst. The market is located by the Bara Imambara and it remains closed on Thursdays.
The Nakhas Market remains open all days of the week and it is said that this marketplace is over 200 years old. Some of the shops here have been run through generations and many family owned businesses run successfully from here. In terms of clothing, the zardosi fabrics from the market are in heavy demand. The market is especially famous for wooden home décor items and wall paintings and miniature figurine, which is a popular art form in these parts. Other forms of handcrafted merchandise are also sold which make for great souvenirs. One part of the market is dedicated to pet shops and you will find a number of species of birds sold here. There are in fact, about 12,000 odd shops within this market complex and there is no dearth of items to find here. On Sunday, the famous flea shop goes up which mostly deals in second- hand goods and you will find them on sale at extremely low prices. The food stalls here sell amazing kebabs and snacks but it is the paan that is the most famous.
If you are good at bargaining, the head to Janpath Bazaar, which is a great place to buy ethnic garments. Apart from the indigenous Chikankari and Zardosi, you will find some good silk shops as well. The bag market here is especially well known and some fake the bigger brands quite well indeed! If you love leather goods, then belts, bags and shoes are yours to own and it cannot be denied that the quality of leather is quite good. You will also find a number of readymade garments shop here which are mostly visited by the youngsters because they are very inexpensive. The market remains closed on Sundays.
Alambagh Market is located on the Lucknow- Kanpur Road and famous for its shops of gold plated jewelry. It is a real treat to be here as the prices here are quite reasonable. A wide variety of jewelry is available here, even inspired by Bollywood movies. From necklaces to jhumkas, from bangles to kamarbandhs, from nose rings to maangtikas, there is everything that one gets here. Even the truly fashionable of the city come here. The other side of the market is dedicated to fresh fruits and vegetables and you will get the most excellent stores for your groceries. Some of the popular sweetmeat stores are also located here so if you have a sweet tooth, be sure to try the phirni and the kulfi. Alambagh Market is also one of the most well- planned markets in the city as well and so you will not have difficulty finding your way around the various shops. The market remains closed on Mondays.
The Yahiyaganj Market is known for its wholesale shopping stores and it is great for picking up home décor items of every kind and home utility items. The shop is famous for its home décor stores and household knickknacks. Bowls, tumblers and glasses, plates, glassware and crockery are also found here at very affordable rates. You will also find a section of the market dedicated to bathroom fittings and tiles and home renovation items. The electronics market is also very well known and stores sell items of all major brands. Basically, if you are thinking about redoing your home and you want to do your interiors within a budget, then you will find everything that you need here itself. The market is open every day.
If you are a gadget freak, then this is the place in Lucknow that you should visit. You will get electronics and gadgets of all kinds here at very affordable rates. Home appliances and mobile phone stores line the streets and you will often see buyers flocking here during Diwali and New Year when it is time to buy something new for the house. However, it is essential that you have good bargaining skills and in the maze of shops around here, there are some who might try to sell you fake goods. However, if you check out the brand and the store beforehand, you should be fine. The market is well known for selling some rare electronic parts as well which are not available elsewhere. If you want to buy some imported gadgets, then this is the ideal location.
Bhootnath Market is a very popular market in Lucknow and it is so named because of the temple of Bhootnath, or Lord Shiva located close by. Like any other regular market, this market also sells everything under the sky but the spices and the flowers deserve special mention, along with fresh vegetables and fruits. This is why the market is mostly crowded in the mornings when people are out to buy their household commodities. Another reason why the market is famous is because of the number of food talls it has. Kebabs and Biryanis are sold in almost all of them, along with a wide range of roti, naans and parathas, along with a plethora of curries.
So if you are visiting Lucknow for the first time and want to buy something special for yourself and your family- and of course, check out the amazing cuisine of this city- then you know which are the places to check out.
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April 15, 2024 
