Chowk is an area where still one feels as if the clock has stopped moving or that it moved really slow, as till date, it preserves a lot of old world charm and people here have a Lucknow’s signature laid-back attitude. Lucknow’s Chowk is a vast area and in its periphery, are all the markets catering to all and with everything, at least so it was in olden days. With the expansion of the city in all directions, many new markets came up in Lucknow and each had its own distinct character After Asaf-ud-Daula came to power in Lucknow the focus shifted from Akbari Darwaza to Gol Darwaza and Gol Darwaza became the most popular address for shopping and cultural activities. It became one area that was ‘go to’ for most needs, ‘Chikan’, ‘Zari’, ‘Itar’, ‘Huqqa’, ‘Topi’, kites, tobacco, flowers, silver et al. Asaf-ud-Daula too himself often frequented it for his love of kite-flying from the rooftop of this gate.