Gulal gota tradition revived by social media reels, artisans now struggle to meet demand

Jaipur: Jaipur's centuries-old gulal gota Holi tradition is witnessing an unprecedented revival, powered by social media buzz and the growing culture of group, housing society, and farmhouse celebrations. Manihar artisans, mostly Muslim and observing fast due to the ongoing month of Ramzan, are working tirelessly to meet the growing demand this Holi season.At the historic Maniharon Ka Rasta in the Walled City, families from the Manihar community are working round the clock to meet bulk orders. TOI Saturday visited the old-city narrow lane, famous also for lacquer (lac) bangles, and found it bustling with production of gulal gota.
The traditional gulal gota—a fragile lac shell filled with dry colour—is handmade using natural lac. The material is heated until pliable, then shaped into thin, hollow balls, often by blowing air into the warm lac. Once cooled, the shells are filled with powdered natural gulal and sealed. As the material has a shelf life of barely a month, production begins only a few weeks before Holi."This year, we were unable to complete all our orders as demand came from all over Rajasthan and other states," said Amjad Khan, a manufacturer. "We sent consignments to Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Even former royal families placed orders."The surge, artisans say, is largely due to reels and vlogs showcasing the colourful craft. Mohammed Kashif, known for his lacquer bangles and gulal gota preparations, termed the turnaround as dramatic. "Let me be very frank. Till 2019, there were hardly any takers for gulal gota. But after vloggers made videos, the art gained popularity," he said.Kashif now runs two social media channels where he regularly posts videos of the preparation process. "Kam se kam aaj ki peedhi to jaan gayi ki gulal gota kya hai (at least today's generation has come to know about gulal gota)," he added with a smile. "These days we work from 11am to 5pm am and then again from 11pm to 5am as demand is high," said Sadiya, wife of Kashif. Inside their homes-cum-workshops, families are putting in long hours despite observing roza. Lasani, Khan's wife, works alongside other women in the family to complete packing orders. "Such is the demand and rush that we sit for more than 14 hours daily," she said.However, artisans admit that there are not enough of them left to cater to the expanding market. "Only a few families are left in this work. We cannot even supply to the entire Jaipur city," said Abdul Majjid, an artisan. He also pointed out that gulal gota is costlier than regular colours. Boxes of 6 pieces, once priced between Rs 50 and Rs 100, now sell for up to Rs 300."Kuch shauq ki bhi baat hoti hai (It is also a matter of personal fondness)," Majjid remarked, suggesting that tradition has its own value.