Hyderabad’s Lad Bazaar…where you can see live how lakh bangles are made

Hyderabad. The view of the western streets adjacent to Charminar is changing. Laad Bazaar, famous for its shining bangles, pearls and Khadau shoes, is now adorned with a new attraction. Like live bangle making stations. As soon as you step into the market, you will see a crowd gathering outside the shops, whose entire attention is focused on the artisans who are molding the molten lac into colorful bangles.

The credit for this change largely goes to social media; in the last few months, Instagram has been flooded with reels of artisans from Laad Bazaar, in which they are seen rotating wooden sticks over flames and making glowing bangles. The craft that was once confined to corners and secret workshops has today become an open visual experience, attracting tourists and influencers.

cultural identity of hyderabad
This art of making lac bangles has been a part of the cultural identity of Hyderabad for generations. Traditionally, artisans behind closed doors created cold lacquer bangles, known for their lustre, studded stones and durability. But now this new trend of hot lac has brought its manufacturing process in front of everyone. Lac is a natural resin, which is obtained from trees like plum and safflower. Mohammad Ahmed, owner of 60-year-old shop Zubair Bangles, explains that it is very hard and becomes soft only when heated, which allows artisans to shape it. Hyderabad has earned a reputation for cold lacquer bangles studded with stones, while hot lacquer bangles are more popular in Jaipur. The exact history of its arrival in Hyderabad is not known, but hot lac bangles have been being made here for the last 40 years.

Cold lacquer bangles are often shiny and rich with stones and metal embellishments, while warm lacquer bangles have a simple and rustic charm, reflecting the natural shine of enamel paint and the handmade beauty. Each bangle is carefully shaped with wooden tools. Artisans roll and spread the softened lac on wooden rods heated over a coal fire. The lac is mixed with enamel paint called Rangoli or Meenavar in the local language to give it vibrant and bright colors. The price of these bangles starts from Rs 50.