Every city has a tale to tell. Most of them begin when people in need went in search for a place to just rest their feet and instead found a home in a new world. They settle, multiply, expand and slowly transform the region into a civilization. The story seldom ends there as it would often follow with calamities, conquests and the centuries settling into a culture so unique and rich. And with a history of battles fought and won, majestic palaces and forts, folk tunes beckoning faraway lovers back to the city, Jaipur stands out like nothing else.
Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan was founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. The city was built on the classical principles of vastu shastra and similar classical treatises, addressing all its needs without compromising the architectural aesthetics. Historically the state of Rajasthan is famous for its handicrafts and has been the largest producer of total handicraft products in India. And the city of Jaipur sits as a crown jewel, with its intricate streets and alleys teeming with artists of various skills. The prior rulers of Jaipur were patrons of art and craft and had invited skilled artisans, artists and craftsmen to the city. These communities settled in the city and made Jaipur their home. Be it bandhani, block printing, zari, silver jewellery, gems, miniature paintings, blue pottery, ivory carving, leatherware or puppets, Jaipur offers an array of magnificent beautiful artworks.
One such item is the lac(resin) bangles. Bangles adorned by the women of the Indus valley civilization, have taken different forms and shapes and still continue to be a vital part of Indian culture. Remarkably, the bangle type and its functions vary in different regional cultures and religions. It is a symbolic representation of adolescence, marriage and birth in different regions, as well as a mode of attachment to god. Jaipur is famous for the production of lac bangles and their significance in Rajasthani culture is entangled with the history and socio-cultural context of the city.
It is said that in earlier times, the collection of lac resin was done in Uttar Pradesh mainly by the Manihars. The word Manihar is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘mani’ meaning a precious stone or gem and ‘kara’ meaning a maker. The king of Amer summoned the Manihars from Uttar Pradesh and they were established in Amer which was the then capital of Rajasthan. When the king of Amer built Jaipur, he allocated different parts of the city for each craft community. The place where Manihars settled was called Maniharon ka rasta and continues to be known so.
It is a street with shops dotted along the path and craftsmen who work with lac to make beautiful bangles. The uniqueness of the lac bangle lies in the primary material used for its production, lac. Lac is a resinous pigment which is a secretion of insects in a tree. This organic substance is then modified in many ways to make jewellery. Lac has some properties like malleability, ductility and plasticity which helps to turn it into any shape and makes it easy to use.
Scriptures like Mahabharatha and Shiva Purana have referenced lac in different contexts. For example, the famous Mahabharata story goes that the Kauravas, to exterminate Pandavas, commissioned an architect to construct a house with lac, which once lit would burn fiercely, as a death trap for the latter. Another myth is that during the wedding of Lord Shiva and Devi Parvathi, Lord Shiva gifted these bangles to Parvati to cherish their divine matrimony. Since then it has become a ritual to adorn Hindu brides’ hands with bangles of lac as sign of well wishes for a happy married life. The colour and even the designs on the bangle are linked to the occasion, ritual or festivals women partake in.
The artisans melt lac shellacs to a semi molten state and attach it to a wooden stick which is further heated on a stove. It is then pressed with a wooden tool on a metal plate when it softens and desired colours are added. The soft lac is then rolled and cut at the necessary length, heated again and moulded into circles as bangles. While few craftsmen keep them simple, others bring in variation by maybe broadening the width, using new designs on the bangles, adding embellishments and so on.
Now with traditions changing and customs becoming ritualistic, the shine of lac bangles and Maniharon ka rasta is diminishing. More fashionable and modern jewellery have replaced lac bangles on many occasions and Maniharon ka rasta which once was packed with shops of the manihars have reduced too. The artists even though trying to stay relevant through innovative products often fail to compete against mass produced and even shinier goods the market has to offer. But if you happen to pass through the streets of Jaipur, kindly take a turn and visit this alley of bangles where skilled hands mould beauty out of lac.
