Hyderabad was founded in 1591 by Sultan Mohammad Quli Qutb Shah. A popular legend states that the Sultan established Laad Bazaar (then called Chudi Bazaar) to assemble bridal trousseau items for his daughter’s wedding. The market’s name ‘Laad’ is believed to derive from ‘lac’ (the resin used for bangles). The Qutb Shahi rulers encouraged lac artisans to settle near the royal palace (the Charminar area), giving birth to a concentrated craft cluster that survives to this day.

After the Mughal conquest of the Deccan, the Asaf Jahi Nizams continued to patronise lac bangle makers. The bangles became an essential part of Hyderabadi bridal jewellery. The Nizams’ fascination with intricate stonework and vibrant colours elevated the craft. Many karkhanas received royal orders for weddings and festivals. The Nizam’s period also saw the introduction of new designs, including the use of kundan-style stone setting on lac bases, a technique that is still popular.

Located just west of Charminar, Laad Bazaar is a narrow, bustling street about one kilometre long. It is always colourful, but particularly vibrant during Ramzan and wedding seasons. The market is renowned for its dazzling stonework. Small karkhanas are attached to the rear of bangle shops or hidden in the labyrinthine lanes of Talab Katta. One such historic enterprise is Khaja’s Bangles Store, established in 1957 by Jaffarbhai’s grandfather. Three generations of his family have been involved in the craft. Jaffarbhai now manages the karkhana and gives access to researchers and visitors.

Lac is a resinous secretion produced by the female Kerria lacca insect. The insects feed on host trees (commonly kusum, peepal, or banyan). The raw lac (sticklac) is harvested, crushed, washed, and heated to remove impurities. The resulting seedlac or shellac is then purchased by Hyderabad bangle makers from dealers in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal. The lac arrives in hard flakes, which are then melted and mixed with colour pigments (organic or synthetic).

1. Melting and colouring: Raw lac flakes are heated in a metal vessel over a low flame until they become a soft, pliable dough. Colours (red, green, blue, yellow, black, and many shades) are kneaded into the lac.
2. Fitting on metal ring: A thin metal ring (usually brass or iron) of the desired bangle diameter is taken. The warm lac dough is pressed around the ring, completely covering it.
3. Shaping and rolling: The lac‑coated ring is rolled on a flat wooden board or a stone slab, using a wooden roller, to achieve a uniform cylindrical shape and smooth surface. The artisan continuously rotates the bangle to maintain even thickness.
4. Cooling and finishing: The shaped bangle is allowed to cool. Excess lac is trimmed. The surface is polished with a soft cloth to bring out the natural gloss.
5. Embellishment: Women artisans then add decorations: small glass pieces, artificial stones, mirrors, beads, or metal foil are embedded into the still‑soft lac or fixed with adhesive. Designs range from simple geometric patterns to elaborate floral motifs.
6. Final polishing: The finished bangle is wiped clean and sometimes given a thin coat of clear lacquer for extra shine.

Most karkhanas are integrated with the craftsmen’s residences, where extended families live and work. Children receive hands‑on training from an early age, passing skills through generations. The tools are simple and custom‑made locally: metal rollers, wooden boards, small anvils, and heating stoves. Women and children are employed as manual labourers, particularly in the Talab Katta area. Many karkhana owners are hesitant to allow outsiders due to the cramped spaces and unorganised nature, but with frequent visits, trust can be built (as experienced by documenters with Jaffarbhai). The demand for lac bangles has grown since the 1980s, and currently there are around 4,000 craftsmen working in the Laad Bazaar ecosystem.

In March 2024, the lac bangles of Hyderabad were officially granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry. This intellectual property protection recognises that the unique qualities of these bangles – the use of natural lac resin, the specific stone‑setting techniques, the colour palette, and the traditional shaping methods – are intrinsically linked to the Hyderabad region, particularly the Laad Bazaar cluster. The GI tag helps uphold quality standards, prevents imitation, and encourages design innovation while ensuring that the craftsmen receive fair recognition and pricing. The application was supported by the Telangana State Handicrafts Development Corporation and local artisan associations.

The finished bangles are packaged and sold at hundreds of shops in Laad Bazaar. Customers can mix and match bangles of different colours and designs, buying them by the dozen or in sets. Prices range from ₹20 per simple lac bangle to ₹500 or more for heavily stone‑studded pieces. During wedding season (November–June) and Ramzan, sales peak. Surplus production is exported to international markets: United States, United Kingdom, Singapore, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Bahrain, where the Hyderabadi diaspora and global customers appreciate the ethnic craft.

Beyond the organised market of Laad Bazaar, lac bangles are also sold through mobile vendors and small traders during Bonalu Jatara (July–August). This important Hindu festival in Telangana is dedicated to Goddess Mahakali. Women purchase new bangles not only for themselves but also as offerings to the deity. The bangles are placed in an earthen pot (along with jaggery, cooked rice, neem leaves, and turmeric) – an offering called bhojanam, from which the festival derives its name ‘Bonalu’. Thousands of vendors set up temporary stalls around temples in Hyderabad, Secunderabad, and other districts. This unorganised sector is heavily dependent on festival business and provides livelihood to many marginalised families.

India has another major bangle‑making centre: Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh, known for glass bangles. Hyderabad produces glass bangles as well, but its speciality is lacquer (lac) bangles. The name ‘Laad Bazaar’ itself is believed to be a corruption of ‘lac bazaar’. While glass bangles are made by fusing molten glass, lac bangles are shaped from a malleable resin and then decorated with stones – giving them a warmer, more textured feel and a distinct gloss.