India

Silver Price Surge Strains Lucknow’s Traditional Bridal Footwear Trade

By Aatif Ammad

In Lucknow, 55‑year‑old Azhar Hussain sits on a bench in his small workshop beside Chowk Bazaar, a historic market known for wedding jewellery and handcrafts. His tools remain, but customers have vanished as silver prices have risen sharply over the past year. Hussain has made silver slip‑on shoes called nagras for three decades, a craft that dates back to the 1600s and was originally reserved for the Nawabs of Awadh. The shoes are cut from thin silver sheets, decorated with floral and leaf motifs, and assembled over a mould with cardboard, rubber and velvet before being soldered and polished.

Nawab Masud Abdullah, 68, a descendant of the former Nawab Muhammad Ali Shah, said silver nagras were once the most important part of a nawab’s attire and now are a cherished wedding tradition for Lucknow’s middle and upper classes. Hussain’s family has made nagras since the early 1900s, producing about ten pairs a month before the wedding season, each priced between $105 and $230 (10,000 to 22,000 rupees). The family earned enough to support their household, educate their children and save modestly.

Silver prices in India have fluctuated between $725 and $830 (70,000 to 80,000 rupees) per kilogram in 2023, rising to around $985 (98,000 rupees) in 2024. The conflict with Iran in 2024 pushed prices briefly to $4,670 (450,000 rupees) per kg before easing to about $2,600 (250,000 rupees) per kg, more than three times recent levels. Dr. Salahuddin Ayyub, an economist with India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, explained that geopolitical tensions drive investors toward precious metals, increasing demand and prices. He warned that higher prices force households to choose cheaper alternatives such as artificial jewellery, while artisans and silversmiths face shrinking demand.

India imports over 80 % of its silver, and high import taxes have kept domestic prices above global levels. In May, the government doubled effective import taxes on gold and silver, causing silver imports to fall 87 % to $75.6 million, the lowest in more than three years.

For brides, the cost of nagras has become prohibitive. Uzma Siddique, 28, planned to wear silver nagras at her December wedding. A pair that cost $156–$208 (15,000–20,000 rupees) a few years ago now sells for nearly $673 (65,000 rupees). She cut back on other wedding expenses to afford them. Her friend Safiya Khan, 25, cannot afford the shoes and feels the tradition may end with her generation.

Older residents like Naseem Jahan, in her late seventies, still cherish silver chappals given to her in 1972 for $2.50 (250 rupees). She now plans to gift the pair to her granddaughter because the price of new shoes is unaffordable.

Artisans are struggling. Jabbar Hussain, 48, a fourth‑generation nagra maker, has not sold a pair in the last three months. Prices have risen from $125 (12,000 rupees) to $622–$778 (60,000–75,000 rupees). He fears closing his shop and is considering a loan to open a café. Kuldeep Gautam, 40, once earned $415–$518 (40,000–50,000 rupees) a month making nagras but now works as a jewellery salesman, earning only $155 (15,000 rupees) a month.

Azhar Hussain plans to secure a bank loan to buy an electric rickshaw, earning $5–$7 (500–700 rupees) a day, though he does not want to abandon the craft.

Economists expect silver prices to remain above $2,085 (200,000 rupees) per kg for the foreseeable future, with little chance of returning to earlier levels. The rising cost of silver threatens the survival of Lucknow’s traditional nagra trade and the cultural heritage it represents.