On your trip to Jaipur, the one thing you cannot miss is eating “Pyaaz ki Kachori” and Yes, Shopping ofcourse, from Jaipuri Jutis, Handicrafts to the very popular Lac Bangles (Lac ke kangan). If confused from where to get the beautiful Lac Bangles, let's take you to Lac Paradise. In the heart of Jaipur, amidst the vibrant chaos of the Pink City, lies a street, The "Maniharo ka Rasta" or “The street of Bangle artisans", a street packed with bangle shops and bangle manufacturers.
What is Lac ?
Lac is a sticky thing that is produced by certain insects, and used in making varnishes, dyes, sealing wax and Bangles. The first ever usage of Lac was for sealing the confidential letters that the royals sent. Afterwards, it has been used as one of the most perfect raw materials for bangle manufacturing as it is soft, easy to change shape and work upon, but gets hard and lustrous after coming to room temperature. Lac Bangles are made in Jaipur, Hyderabad and some places of Uttar Pradesh. Recently, Hyderabad’s Laad Bazaar’s Lac Bangles got a GI tag.
The Story of Amaan Maniyar: Young Lac Bangle Manufacturer
Exploring through lanes of the Maniharo ka Rasta, we came across a shop Naaz Bangles store, there while talking to Amaan Maniyar, a young man with a passion for his family's craft, he proudly shared his story with us. Bangle manufacturing wasn't just a profession for the Maniyars; it was a heritage, passed down from generation to generation. Amaan spoke about his grandfather meeting with the iconic actress Nargis Dutt, who had admired and purchased handmade bangles during her visit to Jaipur. The family treasured a photograph capturing this memorable moment, a testament to their craftsmanship's recognition. The Maniyars also prepared a model of the Taj Mahal out of lac.
But their artistry extended beyond bangles. Amaan's father shared the fascinating origins of "Gulaal Gota" with us. Gulaal Gota which is a ball made of lac and filled with gulaal. This ball when thrown upon someone, has zero probability of hurting the person even if it hits their eye but it would burst and cover the person with gulaal. King Maan Singh used to travel on an elephant during the holi procession in Jaipur and a thought struck him that he could put colour on his subjects but not everyone of them could put colour on their king. This was when the Manihars came up with this idea of Gulaal Gota.
Struggles of Lac Bangle Making Industry
Lac bangle making has always been an industry where the work environment is constantly hazardous. They have to work for hours facing the heat of the furnace which is generally right there on their counters. These people earn very little money after so much creativity, hard work and even after putting their lives into risk (The fumes that come out after hearing lac are hazardous).
Despite hazardous working environment, the manufactures still take pride in what they are doing. The fact that these bangle makers who also manufacture Gulaal Gota are mostly Muslims, while it is a major part of the Hindu festival of Holi in Jaipur brings a sense of both fraternity and satisfaction to these people.
Media Credits: Vygr Media Correspondent: Saksham Agarwal
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