People use water balloons and color cannons to celebrate Holi all over India. But in some parts of Rajasthan, people use Gulaal gotas to celebrate Holi. It is a 400 years old art which was started by the king of Jaipur. In this modern time, it is getting limelight on the eve of Holi.
What is Gulaal Gota and how it’s made?
A gulaal gota is spherical ball made up of natural lac and color filled in it. It is very similar to water balloons which are used in Holi. Instead of water, it is filled with colors.
The process of making gulaal gotas started by making lac boiling with water to make it soft. Lac is obtained from a special insect. To produce 1kg of lac around 30000 insects are being killed. After making it soft, red, green, and yellow colors are added into it, to make it colorful. Other colors have also been created by mixing these primary colors in proportions. Then they were heated at a certain temperature and air is blown into it to make it spherical with special instrument called phunkni. Color has been brought from the local market and filled in it.
Lac is brought from Chhattisgarh, and it is very laborious work to obtain lac from insects. Many artisans mix lac with chemicals to make it more affordable, but it is not good skin as some people are allergic to it.
How much does Gulaal Gota cost?
Gulaal gota is way costlier than water balloons. It cost 6 pieces for 150 rupees. People buy it only for special occasions. The process for making gulaal gotas is seasonal. The artisans survive by making lac-based bangles which are very high in demand in national and international markets.
The process for making gulaal gota starts 3 months prior to Holi. The lac-based work in Rajasthan is done mostly by Muslim community. The whole families including women work tirelessly to make these gotas for Holi. These gotas are very high in demand in Mathura, Vrindavan.
Future of Gulaal gotas in India:
The government of India is supporting the community by issuing the artisans cards through which they can avail benefits. Last year, a national award winner artist Awaz Mohammed were given a stall at the G20 event to make it to the global stage. Prime minister Narendra Modi also praised Awaz Mohammed to keep this century old tradition still alive.
The community wants GI (Geographical Indication) tag for gulaal gotas. They want support from the government of India to spread awareness about it and generate more sources of income.