Festive or every day needs, these shops tucked away in the Akbari Gate lane in Chowk, are adding colour to Lucknow’s lives since 1941. Akbari Gate, which is famous for its delicious offerings, is also a hub of craft material stores. Look out for these colour merchants for all your colour needs – from Holi gulal to cloth dyes, soap and candle colours and other kinds of dyes.
JAMIL AHMAD COLOUR MERCHANT
Standing since 6th January, 1941, this little shop has been around when the dyes were first made from flowers only – a process which couldn’t bear the surplus demand of the colour industry. At present, they stock all type of colours. Holi colour made with Arrowroot powder, chemical based cloth dyes, colours for plastic items, decorative candles as well as the ones used for making toys.
Timings: 8 am to 8 pm. Thursday closed.
STAR COLOUR COMPANY
Run by its 3rd generation now, this is another store that has been around since the 1940s. They also cater to all demands of colours in the market, except food colours. You will find a large variety of colours used for utensil and fabric colours. And even though they use digital weighing scales now, a wooden measuring scale from the 1980s will catch your attention and boast of the shop’s history.
Timings: 9 am to 9 pm. Thursday closed.
ASLI RANG
Running in its 50th year, this shop sells powder colours for all colouring styles and techniques. From soap and candle colours to tie and dye and oil-based colours, choose your fill. Buy Holi colours from them starting at Rs. 10!
Timings: 9 am to 9 pm. Thursday closed.
LUCKNOW COLOUR COMPANY
A whole-seller and retailer with the largest colour varieties, this store should be on your list for bulk orders of colours. Herbal gulal, snow spray, makhmali gulal etc; this is your one stop shop for a hit Holi.
Timings: 10 am to 9 pm
