When the glass industry took off in Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh centuries ago, it is said workers could make only a single bangle at a time. Twisted into the circular frame in a bhainsa bhatti (wood-fired furnace) at high temperatures, these bangles without joints were called ‘ kadechhal ki chudi ’.
Since then, Firozabad has been home to the biggest glass industry cluster in the country. It is also the largest manufacturer of glass bangles in the world. Nearly two million people work in Firozabad’s factories in deplorable conditions to make bulbs, chandeliers, and bangles.
We visited two factories, one in the industrial area and another located in Old Firozabad. We saw workers transforming lumps of silica into perfectly shaped glass bangles — one every two-three minutes. According to some estimates, a single bangle passes through as many as 45 to 50 hands before making its way to markets. Some markets are close by, like the one at Sadar Bazaar (almost as popular as Hyderabad’s Laad Bazaar), where you can find stacks of bangles in every hue. For newly married women, the market at Suhag Nagari, close to Agra, is the place to visit before the big day.
In the last decade, the glass factories of Firozabad have undergone many changes. One of the biggest is the switch from coal to natural gas as fuel for the furnaces. Workers, however, continue to toil with hazardous chemicals and toxic gases.
Photos by Kamal Narang