Gulabi Meenakari/Pink Enamelling of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Meenakari, also called enamelling, is the art of decorating a metal surface by fusing mineral substances on it. Meenakari was introduced into India by the Mughals. The process is often applied to kundan—articles of jewellery studded with gemstones set with a layer of gold foil between the stone and the mount on one side, while the reverse is lavishly enamelled using the meena technique. The lustre of the meena, the enamelled reverse side, increases over time due to contact with the wearer’s body and clothes. The brilliance of the diamonds and other stones is effectively complemented by the multihued enamel of the meena. Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, is one of the oldest cities in India and has a very rich culture and history.Itwas the capital of the ancient Kashi region.

The present meenakar in Varanasi claimed that the postion of the art of meenakari was prosperous till about hundred years ago.