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It was mid-February, and the season of spring had just begun when I received a picture on WhatsApp along with the question, “Where can we get these Kashmiri bangles?” Being from Pakistan-administered Kashmir, it made sense for the woman to contact me directly. However, my response disappointed her: neither I nor many other Kashmiris I know had ever seen or heard of these traditional bangles in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

After that, the conversation ended, but as Eid al-Fitr approached, my social media feeds were flooded with images and posts of these bangles, along with women demanding them. The craze reached its peak when I saw girls at a local market asking shopkeepers repeatedly, “We want Kashmiri bangles! When will you bring them?”

Curious myself, I investigated further. The online images and videos show delicate glass bangles in subtle rainbow shades with a fine golden shimmer, known as “Raindrop” bangles. However, the real attraction is the metallic gold or silver bangles with small ghungroos (bells) attached at intervals. These ghungroo-adorned bangles are being called “Kashmiri bangles.”

With their charm, slight shimmer, and playful sound, these bangles have become a craze not only in Pakistan but also in India and other countries, appealing to women of all ages.

Dr. Ayesha Ashfaq from Lahore shared her experience: her eight-year-old daughter insisted on having these bangles after seeing them online. Unable to find them online at reasonable prices, she went to Liberty Market, where she purchased a pair of Raindrop bangles for 400 PKR and metallic ghungroo bangles for 500 PKR. Prices online were often double or triple because of the viral demand.

Shopkeepers also confirmed that social media influencers played a key role in driving prices up. For example, a shopkeeper in Islamabad said he was buying the metallic bangles for 850 PKR and selling them for 1,100 PKR due to high demand. The Raindrop bangles were not yet available with him but were expected soon.

Interestingly, the craze has also spread to India, where these metallic bangles are sold under the “Kashmiri bangles” name in markets like Delhi, Mumbai, and Amritsar, though their cultural connection to Kashmir remains unclear.

In Pakistan, the viral sets combine metallic bangles with seven rainbow-colored Raindrop bangles, which has made the trend unique. Celebrities like actress Maya Ali wearing these bangles further fueled the craze.

Many social media influencers have even shared tutorials on how to make these ghungroo bangles at home using simple wires and plain bangles, allowing fans to recreate the trend affordably.

Whether or not these bangles are truly Kashmiri, I now feel it’s my right, as a Kashmiri, to wear these viral “Kashmiri bangles” this Eid and join the excitement myself.

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