Inside Etah’s Bell Workshops: Ghungroos, Temple Bells, and More
In Uttar Pradesh’s Jalesar, artisans transform brass and clay into temple bells, ghungroos, and animal bells, sustaining a traditional cluster economy rooted in precision and collective craftsmanship.
In Etah, Uttar Pradesh, sound is shaped through metal. Temple bells that mark prayer time, ghungroos tied to a dancer’s ankles, school bells that signal routine, and animal bells used in rural life all emerge from the workshops of Jalesar. What begins as brass and clay becomes an object defined as much by its resonance as by its form.
Jalesar’s bell-making tradition operates as a closely connected cluster rather than as isolated artisans. The work moves through many hands. One artisan prepares the clay core that forms the inner structure of the mould. Another presses and shapes the casting mould carefully so it can hold molten metal. At the furnace, a specialist melts brass in a crucible inside the bhatti, maintaining the right temperature before pouring the liquid metal into prepared moulds. Once the metal cools and hardens, the cast bell shifts to finishing units where excess material is removed and the surface is shaped.
Mohammad Naeev Ansari, a resident of Mohalla Qila, grew up within this rhythm of furnaces and moulds. The son of the late Abdul Qadeer, locally known as Munna Bhatti Wale, he formally entered the trade in 1998. For him, bell-making is not individual artistry but collective effort, where each stage depends on the precision of the previous one.
The cluster produces a wide range of products. Dance ghungroos, temple bells of varying sizes, school bells, animal bells, and decorative hanging pieces all move through local markets and exhibitions. Ansari believes that Jalesar’s local clay contributes to the tone and resonance that buyers recognize, particularly in religious settings where sound quality carries spiritual importance.
After casting, each bell undergoes cleaning and surface refinement. The final moment arrives when the internal striker is fixed inside. “When the striker goes in and the sound comes out, the heart feels happy,” Ansari says. The sound becomes both a technical test and an emotional confirmation that the work is complete.
Through ODOP-linked support, Ansari accessed a ₹5 lakh loan, which helped him strengthen production capacity. Participation in fairs such as Surajkund Mela, Delhi Haat, and the Kumbh Mela expanded buyer interaction and brought direct sales opportunities.
From clay preparation to sound testing, every hand matters in keeping Jalesar’s bells in circulation.