Glass Bangles - Firozabad
Glass has been known to mankind for thousands of years, which offers utmost level of flexibility for shaping into different products. Glass bangles are one of the most common items in Glass products. Bangles are made from glass melted in a tank furnace with temperatures around 1300 °C to 1400 °C, bangles are made out of soda glass, Firstly the artisan uses a long iron pole to scoop out a glob of molten glass from the tank furnace, he then swiftly transfers it to an another artisan who shapes the glob into a conical shape by rotating the rod and with the help of a customized tool which looks like a trowel. Then it is transferred to another furnace where Artisans works in synchronization with the machine, he then draws a thin filament of glass from the melt and places it steadily on the rotating rod which is constantly rotated on a motor. The molten glass loops around the rod taking the shape of a bangle, thickness is controlled by exerting the requisite amount of full on the softened glass these rotating rods comes in different diameters depending on size of the bangle which is required. Before the molten glob exhausts, next glob is attached to the previous one to keep continuity. An another artisan who is on the other end of the furnace uses a metallic ruler/ pointed tool which prevents bangles from sticking to each other on the spindle and also makes sure that only one layer of glass is rolled on. When the spindle gets filled up it will be removed, and the glass bangles is taken out, which looks like a long glass spiral. These spiral are then cut with the help of a diamond cutter, which separates each bangle from another.
The separated bangles which are open ended and not complete are then taken to join them over a candle or a kerosene lamp which is called (Judai) which literally means joining. They melt the bangle slightly to join the ends which are usually done by women. Bangles are further decorated by zari, silver/golden powder with different intricate patterns and designs on the surface. The bangles are then finally baked in a furnace called pakai bhatti which smoothens the sharp edges and makes the bangles bright and attractive. Bangles are intertwined and strung together, packed in cardboard boxes to be transported, exported or sold in the market.
