Jalesar’s Bells

For generations, a charming, dusty town in the once-dacoit-ridden stretch of western Uttar Pradesh has manufactured wind chimes, traditional toys, jewelry, dancing ghungroos worn by dancers, and tinkling bells for temples. Despite having less than 50,000 residents, Jalesar in the Etah district is home to more than 300 industries. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that almost every home is involved in some kind of manufacturing.

One of Jalesar’s oldest families recently gave a 2,400-kg bell to the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, earning the city notoriety. Constructed from eight metals, known as “ashtadhatu,” which include gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, tin, iron, and mercury, this bell is said to be the biggest produced in the nation. It took a group of thirty artisans over 25 lakh rupees to create.

Determining the bell’s form, weight, and dimensions, carving wooden templates for the mold, preparing the metal, fine-tuning and installing the clapper, and finally transporting it were all difficult processes in the casting process.

The majority of the temple bell is made by hand in one piece. It’s interesting to note that the bell, like other things manufactured here, is the result of religious peace between the Muslim and Hindu karigars of the area. While Muslims are adept artisans who are skilled in designing, grinding, and polishing the bells, Hindus have seized the lead in this sector.

Numerous well-known performers of Kathak, Bharatnatyam, and other dances have embellished the dancing ghungroos created here.

The town’s soil and water contain something that adds an additional melodic quality to the sound of tinkling bells. Although they went to the length of dragging trucks full of dirt there, artisans in the sister city of Moradabad, famous for its booming brass trade, attempted to replicate Jalesar’s ghungroos but were unable to replicate the sound.

Mud, white powder, and premium-quality brass are among the raw elements that are unique to the “doaab,” or region between the Ganga and Yamuna rivers. Its rich alluvial soil is a result of the year-round, copious rainfall.

According to official estimates, the Indian ghungroo manufacturing business is valued at Rs 100 crore, of which Etah has a 20% part. Under the “One District One Product” initiative, the state government has given over 10,000 people free equipment, financing, and training to support the sector and enable them to produce locally made goods.

Jalesar is also well-known for its talented gunsmiths and craftsmen who create handguns, revolvers, airguns, and katas (rudimentary firearms) throughout the nation. Nobody is completely sure how the region, notorious for highway robberies and dacoity, came to be associated with the dread of gods and haloes.

According to Kapil Gupta, an Indian manufacturer and supplier of brass idols, ghungroos, and temple bells, “Our pure brass wind chimes were once found in homes all over the world, but now inferior Chinese replicas have busted that industry.” We do, however, hope that our bells will keep shining brighter.

SUMMARY DATA
Jalesar, 68 miles from Aligarh and 29 km from Hathras, is around 1.5 hours drive from Agra. Agra is the closest airport, with a railhead at Jalesar.

The best months to go are September through February.

The yearly Urs mela is held in the dargah near the ancient Basant Vatika. There’s a stunning Saturday aarti at the neighboring Shani Mandir.

Cast ringers from Jalesar are renowned for having been utilized in many temples including Hanuman Mandir in Mahavir Ganj, Pathwari Mandir in Hathras, Chintaharan Mandir near the government hospital, and Ram Mandir in Gali Boharan.

King Jarasandh’s fortification remains demonstrate Jalesar’s ties to the “Mahabharata.”
Jalesar is also the birthplace of Amir Khusro, a poet from the 12th century.