Muzaffarpur’s Glittering Heritage: A Story Told in Lac

Artisan Displaying Lac Bangles (Image Source- The Real Scholars Society)

Indian women have long placed a great deal of value on bangles, which are an integral aspect of Indian culture. The Indian market offers an enormous assortment of bangles, including Lac Bangles. Originating in Bihar, lac jewelry—also referred to as lacquer jewelry—has become very popular in India. The beauty of lac jewelry is enhanced by the variety of designs it comes in.

Bangles made of lac have vibrant colors, and the glass work adds to their appeal. The belief of the people of Bihar is that wearing lac bangles is auspicious. Locally, these bangles are referred to as lahati. Recently, they have gained a lot of popularity in Bihar and Rajasthan, and they are also produced elsewhere in the nation. But in India, West Rajasthan is credited with being the birthplace of the lac bangle.

Origin:

The Vedas have made reference to lac. Lac, its manufacture, and its applications are all thoroughly described in the Atharvaveda. Lac was first used to decorate houses in a few communities. As time went on, the skill expanded and became a significant industry.

Set of vibrant colored pure lac bangles, stacked up to be sold. (Image Source- Dsource.in)

Muzaffarnagar: A hub of Lac Bangle Production

Muzaffarpur, the second-largest producer of lac items in the nation, is one of the most centrally placed districts in Bihar. It is well-known throughout the country for its lac bangles in particular. For almost 40 years, a significant portion of the rural populace has been involved in the lac bangle industry. In Muzaffarpur, Lahati is made at a number of locations, including Bakhari, Bela, Ratwara, Indra colony, and Kanhauli. One of the oldest and most prominent industrial clusters in India is the Lahati manufacturing in the Rampur Bakhari cluster of Muzaffarpur. In order to support themselves, artisans learned how to make lac bangles, from their forefathers.

Lac resin secreted by Kerria lacca insect (Image Source- Natural Dye House)

Exploring Lac:

Tribes that live in India’s sub hilly regions grow and gather lac, a natural resin that is a non-timber forest product. The insect named Kerria lacca secretes this resinous material. The word “Lac,” which comes from the Sanskrit word “Laksha,” which means 100,000, alludes to the vast number of insects that go into making it. The insect creates an encrustation around the branches or twigs of some host trees and shrubs, including Kusum, Palash, Ber, and Semialata. After cutting off the encrusted branches, the resin is treated to eliminate any contaminants. Several goods are made from the resulting seed lac.

One of the biggest manufacturers and exporters of lac is India. The food processing, textile, leather, cosmetics, varnish, and printing industries all make extensive use of lac. Its use is growing in popularity due to its eco-friendliness and biodegradability. This resin was appealing for hand molding to achieve the required form and size because of its thermoplastic and thermosetting properties at relatively low temperatures. Lac is often used in handicrafts to create jewelry, toys, bangles, earrings, and other decorative objects.

Lac bangles, formed by interlacing different shades of lac. (Image Source- Dsource.in)

Artisans Behind It:

In many states, the Lakhera, sometimes known as Laheras, are a hereditary artisan society that makes lac bracelets. The term means worker. The Lakheras are a subgroup of Rajputs. They are thought to have come from Lord Shiva, who made them to make bracelets and other jewelry for his wife Parvati. The Lakhera have historically worked in the glass industry, making bracelets and other merchandising goods. 

Raw Materials and Tools:

Raw Material (Image Source- Dsource.in)

The equipment and supplies needed to make Lac Bangles are as follows:

• Raw Lac Shellacs (Chapdi): These are semi processed lac shellacs, purchased from nearby wholesale marketplaces.
• Coal: Coal aids in the lac’s melting and heating processes.
• Metal Plate (Silla): The molten lac is rolled on a metal plate.
• Hatta (Flat Wooden Tool): This tool aids in rolling out the heated lac to uniform thickness.
• Coal Burner: It assists in gradually heating the coal chunks.
• Lac Wooden Stick: The wooden stick is encircled by melted lac shellac.
  

  Tools (Image Source- Dsource.in)

• Coloured Lac: This is used to paint the lac wooden stick the desired colour.
• Wooden Mandrel: Using a wooden mandrel, a bangle’s exact size and shape can be created.
• Scissors: The rolled-out, warm-colored lac coils are cut and separated with scissors.
• Iron bangles for measuring the sizes
• A tool for picking sequins for decoration.

Process:

Lac Bangle Making Process (Image Source Indianbijou)

The first step in creating a lac handicraft is melting the lac pieces in a shallow receptacle called a kadai. Color, beroza, and giya pathar powder are added when it is semi-molten. The combination is constantly agitated. The end of a wooden stick now has the colored lac adhered to it. Over a coal burner or angeethi, the lac (without pigment) that has adhered to a wooden rod is gradually heated. At regular intervals, it is simultaneously crushed with a stone or hattha, a wooden implement. It is wrapped in the chosen color by uniformly rubbing the colored lac stick on it once it is warm and supple enough. 

Different colored lac bangles, infused with glass and various plastic based gem replicas.
(Image Source- Dsource.in)

Once the lac foundation has been colored, it is cut off from the plain lac rod and molded into a thin coil with the aid of hattha. In order to unite the ends of the coil to produce a lac bangle, the coil is heated over a burner. After joining, it is slipped through a circular wooden beam that can be changed for size and has a tapering end for varying diameters.

The bangle is prepared for embellishment with semi-precious stones, sequins, and other embellishments. The sequins are cooked over a flame while covered with tin foil. They are heated in order to melt the lac surface they are placed on and adhere to it once it has solidified. One by one, they are lifted and adhered to the bangle. It’s a really precise technique. When working with smaller sequins, it takes a lot longer.

Motifs:

Lac bangles are made plain or with minimal designs on them. They are often studded with glass, precious and semiprecious stones. Two of the most recurring motifs are that of lehariya and paisley.  

Bangles with Leharia Design (Image Source- Indianbijou)

The Leheriya motif, named for the Hindi word leher (which means wave) is a traditional tie-dye pattern that originated in Rajasthan, India. Historically, it was made popular in Rajasthan, especially in cities like Jaipur and Jodhpur. Derived from rippling effect of water, this wavy, diagonal striped pattern, often achieved with natural dyes, represents fluidity and continuity. Rightly visible in turbans, sarees and dupattas, symbolise exuberance and energy.

Leheriya dates back to at least the 17th century, when it graced the wardrobes of Rajput kings, and later became a symbol for celebration and festivity. The elaborate dyeing process — tying fabric a certain way that creates diagonal stripes — was intimately linked to monsoon festivals, as a symbol of renewal and prosperity.

Traditional designs in Muzaffarpur are primarily based on flowers, geometrical and tribal motifs, but roots of the Leheriya motif can be found in the migration and cultural exchange between Rajasthan and Bihar through their trade and community interactions. Known for its colorful patterns, this material’s characteristically cheerful and wavy stripes reflect the festive energy and colorful customs of Indian traditions.

Where Leheriya is made with dyeing processes on fabric, its motif on lac bangles lies in building up and embossing colored lac strips to create an impression of the diagonal waves that characterize the traditional pattern.

Lac Bangle with Paisley embellishment (Image Source- Pinterest)

Ambi is the Hindi/Urdu term used for the otherwise famous Paisley motif. The motif consists of a curved teardrop shape. It is also known as almond or badaam motif owing to the resemblance in shape. The history of the motif can be traced to 3rd century Persia under the Sassanids. It is known to have symbolised eternity and fertility. The motif travelled with time to India, particularly Kashmir where it became a prominent design in textiles, specifically shawls and various other arts. The motif was heavily used in royal adornments because of its intricate detailing, it soon became a symbol of luxury and artistic refinement. 

Muzaffarpur lac bangle makers show how Persian-inspired designs naturally blend with their traditional Indian craft. Indian women married for decades have worn lac bangles from Muzaffarpur as a sign of good fortune combined with marital contentment. The paisley design made these bangles more beautiful while adding historical cultural value. As lac bangle artisans began experimenting with new styles they found paisley patterns suited their designs perfectly because they combined beauty with royal design elements.

Artisans in Muzaffarpur adapted the paisley motif to the medium of lac by embossing, carving, or layering the design onto the surface of the bangles. Vibrant colors, glitter, and gemstones often accentuate the curved, teardrop shape.

Auspicious Bangles:

Lac bangles are popular during marriage ceremonies in areas like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Bihar since they are seen as auspicious in many of the nation’s customs. Married women still like wearing lac bangles because they are seen as auspicious. They are favored since they are comfortable to wear and don’t irritate or infect like glass or plastic bangles do. These days, a wide variety of pastel colors and other hues that consumers like have supplanted traditional colors. These days, lac bangles with glass work, semi-precious stones, and sequins are very fashionable.