Bareilly’s manjha industry flies high

IN DEMAND A number of prohibitions placed on nylon strings, the most recent being an interim ban by the National Green Tribunal, has come as a godsend for local manufacturers

Ustad Yasin Chutka, the owner of a small manjha-producing unit in Bareilly’s Hussainebagh, is a busy man these days.

Every morning, he visits nearby villages to hire “karigars” (artisans). The demand for Chutka’s variety of manjha – the abrasive string used in kite-flying contests – has skyrocketed for the first time in years. The reason? A number of prohibitions placed on nylon strings, the most recent being an interim ban by the National Green Tribunal, has come as a godsend for Chutka and others like him in the locality.

“The demand for Bareilly ‘ka manjha’ has increased since last year, when these bans came into effect, and we hope the NGT action boosts it further,” says Inam Ali, a kite trader in the old city area, adding that he doesn’t use any prohibited ingredient – nylon, glass or metal powder – to make his product.

The nylon manjha – made with synthetic materials – is banned in several states, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It is also called the Chinese manjha, presumably because it was first introduced in the Indian market by traders from the neighbouring country. “The nylon manjha was banned in Maharashtra in 2014. So, from 2015, we began coming here to buy our wares,” remarks Dheeraj Sahu, a manjha trader from Nagpur.

Sahu is not the only one. “Over 200 of my biggest clients are from places outside Uttar Pradesh,” says Ali. The Bareilly ka manjha is crafted through a relatively natural process. The morning ritual of most Muslim households near Hussainebagh – a major manjha production area in Bareilly – involves boiling pots of coarse rice into thick paste. The grain is then kneaded with psyllium husk, stone powder, surma (kohl), colour and a few herbs into luddi (dough). Then the luddi is smeared over cotton strings tied between two wooden poles and then left to dry for a few hours. The end-product is a sturdy manjha capable of holding its own against rivals in tough kite-flying contests.

“There was a time when powdered glass was included in the luddi, but not anymore,” says Kamaal Asib, president of the Manjha Majdur Hath Karigar Samiti. Now, powdered marble or ceramic fragments are used instead.

So, how are the cotton strings coated with marble? First, the hard stone is crushed into miniscule grains by hand, using a mortar and pestle. It is then sieved to obtain even finer pieces. These fragments are then re-ground using mechanical or electric machinery until a smooth powder is produced. This is sold to manjha manufacturers, who use it to strengthen the string.

Though Bareilly ka manjha is what traders from other states covet the most, the nylon version is also in high demand. It has dominated the local market ever since its introduction in 2009. “While one gitta (yarn) of nylon manjha costs Rs 200, the price of the same amount of Bareilly manjha comes up to Rs 600. This is why people prefer to buy the nylon version,” says Haji Puttan, a trader from Kila area.

There is another reason why the nylon manjha continues to be a hit with kite flyers. According to Asib, it has fared much better than its Bareilly counterpart in lab tests as far as strength is concerned. “When experts at the North India Textile Research Association laboratory rubbed a strand of Bareilly

NYLON MANJHA CONTINUES TO BE SOLD IN THE MARKETS DESPITE A BAN ON THEM.

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