Lac Bangles

 

Lac Bangles

                    Once in summer days I went to attend a marriage ceremony of my relative’s daughter at Muzaffarpur district in North Bihar. Where I saw most of the women wearing bangles of very vibrant color of some different materials. After some queries I came to know that those are Lac bangles are made in small scale Industries at Muzaffarpur itself. So after much persuasion I got some knowledge of its making and marketing, accordingly I took the help of one of my acquaintance to go and see the making of Lac bangles in nearby villages of Muzaffarpur. In that intense heat that fellow helped me move around the villages where I saw small children involved in making of the bangles which surprised me. At some places I was not allowed to take pictures as children were involved but at some places after many persuasions I was allowed.

              These lac bangles have some symbol of luck to Indian married women. It is made of natural resin secreted by a tiny insect which are collected from Dhak and Kusum trees and processed by the traditional craftsman. Lac shellacs are also sold in bulk to the craftsmen for making bangles. Red Lac bangles (Gulali Chooda) also denotes energy and prosperity and its different colors have different symbols as green color (Hare Bandon Ka Chooda) signify fertility and good fortune, yellow for happiness, orange for success, white is for new beginning in life and so on. Pink (Gulabi Chooda) are worn during Holi festival. So red Lac bangles are worn by married women and white and green for unmarried girls, as per Hindu religion. These craftsmen also make Bajuband, rings, anklets, neck less and all kinds of Lac jewelleries.

            As it is said that the first lac bangle was produced during Late Qutub Sahi period about 350 years ago. Slowly a small town in Uttar Pradesh took the baton in producing bangles so this is also called bangles or glass city where each and every house are involve in the glass bangles and different kind of molded glass items are also made. Jaipur is another destination which also produces Lac bangles and lot of another attractive crafts which are exported all over world.

            Lac bangles are skin soothing and don’t cause any infections or itchiness to the skin. To keep the she clientele in good humor the Manihari women use to make the bangles with different kinds beads like stone, crystals fancied by them and fitting in the shapes and sizes.

Text and Photos by- Ashok Karan,

Ashokkaran.blogspot.com,

Please like and share. Thanks

.