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There seems to be a change in the air in the west lanes of Charminar. Laad Bazaar, most popular for shiny bangles, pearls, and khada dupattas, is now abuzz with another new element: live bangle-making stations. Enter the market, and you will immediately find groups of crowds scattered outside chudi shops, their attention (and cameras) fixed on craftsmen skillfully shaping molten lac into colourful bangles.

This newfound interest can largely be credited to social media. Over the past few months, Instagram has been flooded with reels showing Laad Bazaar’s artisans at work, twirling wooden rods over glowing flames and creating glittering bangles. What was once a craft practised behind the corners and hidden workshops has now become a visual experience, drawing tourists and influencers to capture the process.

The art of bangle making

Lac bangles have been a part of Hyderabad’s cultural fabric for generations. Traditionally, artisans worked behind closed doors, crafting thanda lac bangles that are known for their shimmer, stonework and durability. It is the newer trend of hot lac that has brought the process to the forefront.

“Lac is a natural resin that is derived from trees like ber and kusum. It is extremely hard and turns soft only when heated, allowing artisans to shape it into different bangles,” says Mohammed Ahmed, owner of 60-year-old shop Zubair Bangles.

Ahmed explains that Hyderabad has earned its reputation for thanda lac, stone-studded varieties, while it is in Jaipur that live bangle making is more popular. “While I am not sure of its history and when it came to Hyderabad, I have been seeing the hot lac bangles being made here for the past 40 years.”

Visually, thanda lac bangles often have a glossy, embellished look with stones and metallic detailing. Hot lac, on the other hand, looks simple and more rustic, showcasing the natural sheen of enamel paint and the charm of hand craftsmanship.

Each bangle is carefully shaped using wooden tools, as artisans roll and stretch the softened lac over small wooden rods heated by coal. The lac is mixed with rangoli or enamel paint, locally called minawar, which gives them their vibrant, glossy finish. “We sell around 150 to 200 bangles per day, with prices starting from Rs. 50,” Ahmed tells Siasat.com.

A few lanes away, at Siraj Bangles, third-generation owner Kamaluddin shares that their family hails from Rajasthan, where this craft originated. “These are hot lac bangles,” Kamaluddin explains. “They break easily if they fall, but can be repaired quickly. Hyderabad’s thanda lac bangles do not break easily, but if they do, they cannot be repaired.”

The Instagram effect on Laad Bazaar

What was once a quiet craft, hidden in back alley workshops, has now become a viral trend- thanks to Instagram reels and influencers. In the past few months, reels capturing the live making of lac bangles have drawn thousands to Laad Bazaar’s narrow lanes.

For Ahmed, the impact has been great. “Eighty to ninety per cent of this revival is because of Instagram,” he says. “Muslim communities here are still getting familiar with it, but Non-Muslim customers bought a lot for Navratri and Diwali.”

Kamaluddin agrees that social media has reshaped their business. “The demand has grown a lot in the last two to three months. In fact, one of our customers uploaded a video of the bangle-making process and it got 2.6 million views,” he says, “After that, more people started coming to our shop just to see it live. We even got customers from the US.”

Sharing an interesting anecdote, Kamaluddin talks about how much people are enjoying this new trend. “A customer once got a pair made in the same grey colour as her husband’s eyes,” he laughs, recalling how she made her husband take off his spectacles right there in the shop to get the shade just right.