Chowk is a neighborhood in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is the historic

city centre A city centre is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely equivalent terms exist in other languages, such as "" in Fren ...

of Old Prayagraj. It is one of the oldest & largest business markets of India & lies in old Prayagraj. The landmark of this market is historic Prayagraj Clock Tower, built in 1913, also known as Chowk Ghantaghar.

History

Chowk is a historical point, where once stood the Neem tree where numerous freedom fighters were hanged in the first Indian War of Independence. The old church is situated here. The Grand Trunk Road passed through Chowk in its early days. The area once had, residence of Pt Motilal Nehru and his son, Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru was born in an area called Mir Ganj, which is now the notorious red light district of Prayagraj, (which is now closed as per PIL filed and action taken by Highcourt Allahabad) Other dignities from this area are Pt

Madan Mohan Malviya Madan Mohan Malaviya ( (25 December 1861 — 12 November 1946) was an Indian scholar, educational reformer and politician notable for his role in the Indian independence movement. He was president of the Indian National Congress four times and ...

and Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia.

Geography

Chowk is situated in southern part of Prayagraj Municipal Corporation. It is part of the Ganges plain with alluvium soil.

Amenities

The main market of Prayagraj is a traditional bazaar, with products from garments to spices, sweets

papad A papad is an Indian deep fried dough of black gram bean flour, either fried or cooked with dry heat (flipped over an open flame) until crunchy. Other flours made from lentils, chickpeas, rice, tapioca, millet or potato are also used. ''Papad' ...

s and vegetables in the morning. Loknath Gali is its heart as well as its stomach, with a food court, for traders and shoppers. Here, the chatterati of Prayagraj congregate, to gossip and eat. A typical Loknath Gali evening follows this course: one start from the northern end of the street—the city side—and sauntered to the end of the lane at the Baba Loknath Temple (the area was called Sarai Meer Khan before the temple was built), sampling the fare on offer along the way. The first course is often an assortment of Nirala's chaat, followed by dahi jalebi or kulfi

faluda A ''falooda'' is a Mughlai Indian version of a cold dessert made with noodles. It has origins in the Persian dish '' faloodeh'', variants of which are found across West, Central, and South Asia. Traditionally it is made by mixing rose syrup, ...

. Shaukeens ( connoisseur in English), stop by for bhang kulfi or bhang

thandai Thandai is an Indian cold drink prepared with a mixture of almonds, fennel seeds, watermelon kernels, rose petals, pepper, poppy seeds, cardamom, saffron, milk and sugar. It is native to India and is often associated with the Maha Shivaratri an ...

, and while waiting for kimam-khushbu

paan Betel nut chewing, also called betel quid chewing or areca nut chewing, is a practice in which areca nuts (also called "betel nuts") are chewed together with slaked lime and betel leaves for their stimulant and narcotic effects. The practice ...

at the end of the stroll, order Hari namkeen's

masala Masala, Massala or MASALA may refer to: Spice * Masala (spice), any of the many spice mixes used in South Asian cuisine ** Masala chai, a flavoured tea beverage ** Masala incense, Indian incense using a spice mix ** Masala dosa, an Indian dish Pl ...

samosa to be packed for home. Hanuman Prasad Darbari Lal is one of the oldest textile shops, in business since 1808.

Culture

During Dusherra festivals Chowk is crowded with tens of thousands of people for watching the Chowkis of Pajava and Patherchatti Ramlila committees, that adorn their chowkis in competition.

Education

The past exists in easy harmony with the present. In one of the many narrow lanes someone will point out a building that is falling apart—the Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, set up by Pandit

, and still functioning. There is one

Bharati Bhavan Library Bharati Bhavan Library a Hindi and Urdu public library in Allahabad, India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and ...

which has lot of old manuscripts in Hindi languag
1

Transport

Autorickshaw (carriage) used to ply to Katra, Prayagraj and other places. Public transport consist of cycle rickshaw. Roads are narrow and congested as its part of old city with little scope for expansion.

References

Allahabad PhotosAllahabad TodayArticle in outlook India magazine

External links

Old chowk YoutubeChowk at night
{{Allahabad landmarks Neighbourhoods in Prayagraj