Why is it in the News?

In Jaipur, Rajasthan, a centuries-old tradition called "Gulaal Gota" will be observed during Holi, involving the throwing of colors through a unique medium, dating back around 400 years.

What is a Gulaal Gota?

• A Gulaal Gota is a small ball made of lac, filled with dry gulaal.
• Weighing around 20 grams when filled with gulaal, these balls are thrown at people on Holi, getting smashed to bits on impact.
• Local artisans say that making Gulaal Gotas involves first boiling the lac in water to make it flexible.
  • Lac is a resinous substance that is secreted by certain insects. It is also used to make bangles.
• After shaping the lac, colour is added to it. At first red, yellow, and green are added as other colours can be obtained through their combinations.
• After the processing is done, artisans heat the lac.
• It is then blown into a spherical shape with the help of a blower called “phunkni”.
• Then, gulaal is filled in the balls before they are sealed with lac.

Where does the raw material for Gulaal Gota come from?

• Lac is brought from Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
• The female scale insect is one of the sources of lac.
• To produce 1 kg of lac resin, around 300,000 insects are killed.
• The lac insects also yield resin, lac dye, and lac wax.

How did Gulaal Gotas become a tradition in Jaipur?

• Gulaal Gotas are made by Muslim lac makers, called Manihaars, only in Jaipur.
  • Manihaars’ ancestors were shepherds and horse traders who arrived from Afghanistan.
  • They settled in Bagru, a town located close to Jaipur, and learned lac-making from Hindu lac makers or Lakhere.
• The city of Jaipur was established in 1727. Its founder Sawai Jai Singh II, an admirer of art, dedicated a lane at the Tripoliya Bazaar to the Manihaar community.
• This is where lac bangles, jewelry, and Gulaal Gota are mostly sold, to date.

What is the economics of this tradition?

• One box of six Gulaal Gota balls is sold for Rs 150, which is much costlier than water balloons.
• Usually, the whole family of artisans is engaged in this work, including women.
• For Manihaars, lac bangles are the main source of sustenance as making Gulaal Gota is a seasonal work.
• Artisans say that the bangles are eco-friendly as they are made without any chemicals.

Why the demand is falling?

• Jaipur has of late become a hub of many factories where cheap, chemical-based bangles are made with minimum lac.
• Original lac bangles are costlier than the manufactured ones. Hence, the demand for lac-only bangles has fallen.
• Many of the community’s younger members are also more interested in taking up blue-collar jobs instead of artisan work.

Government Support and Artisan Empowerment:

• The Indian government has issued artisan cards to Lac Bangle and Gulaal Gota craftsmen, enabling them to access benefits under various government schemes.
• Many artisans have ventured abroad to exhibit their craft, such as Awaz Mohammad, who was invited to showcase his work at the G20 summit in New Delhi last year.
• In efforts to preserve tradition, some Gulaal Gota artisans are advocating for a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, which can enhance product visibility and underscore its unique regional identity.