One hour agoAuthor: Raksha Singh
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“With a hammer or a saw, or a magic wand
Neither with a needle, nor with a spear, nor with thieves, nor with guards.
Hey brother, these links are locked, they open with just their keys…
You all must have seen this ad of Link Lock featuring Salman Khan. But do you know that the strongest locks of all the companies are made in Aligarh. For the locks of Aligarh, it is even said that if its key is lost then it is almost impossible to break it.
Today in Brand UP we talk about locks of Aligarh. This is because CM Yogi came here two days ago and left after telling the political use of the locks. He said, “We used the lock of Aligarh properly. Locked the goons and mafia. Lock, education and culture were the identity of this district, but the previous governments worked to close it.”
After these statements of the CM, we passed through Tala Nagri area and reached a factory where locks were being made by hand. There, by joining small things, such a strong lock is being made that it is not only difficult to break it but it seems impossible.
First of all, let us know how the construction of locks started in Aligarh…
The first lock was built in Aligarh 153 years ago
The work of lock making started in Aligarh 153 years ago. Initially, parts of locks were imported from abroad.
The history of lock making in Aligarh is 153 years old. In the year 1870, a British businessman came here and opened a small factory. In the beginning, the lock parts were imported from England and used to be assembled in the factory. After that the locks were sold at different places in the country. Gradually these locks started becoming famous all over the country.
As the demand for these locks started increasing, the businessman opened a factory in Aligarh under the name ‘Johnsons & Company’. Now the parts of locks are not brought from outside, but all things are being prepared in Aligarh itself. For this thousands of artisans from nearby areas were also trained in lock making. First it started with iron locks, after that brass, copper and aluminum locks were also made.
Strong locks made by adding small parts
Used to go from the village to sell bicycles by keeping locks on them
Locksmith Khimu Sharma says, “The work of making locks has been going on here for three generations. First his grandfather, then his father and now he also works in locksmithing. Khemu says that earlier grandfather used to make iron locks. Grandfather’s village was about 30 kilometers away from Aligarh city. He used to make locks in the village and then put all the locks on his bicycle and sell them in the city.”
Khaimu says, “For many years, iron lock work continued in our house. When my father was about 15 years old, he learned this work from his grandfather. Apart from iron locks, father also started making brass locks. Because brass is lighter than iron. Due to which it becomes easier to use.
“The average price of an iron lock weighing one kg in Aligarh is Rs 500 and a brass lock is around Rs 2000. At the same time, locks from China are much cheaper than this. Many times people used to say that the lock is so expensive, will people buy it or not.
There was fear in our mind too. But gradually people started to understand the strength of Aligarh’s locks. Now such a time has come that Aligarh locks are the first choice of people for the security of their homes.
90 types of processes check the strength of locks
To check the strength of Aligarh locks, it has to go through 90 different processes.
The reason for the strength of Aligarh locks is that they pass through about 90 types of processes. First of all, the iron rod is broken by fixing the lock in the iron garter. If the rod turns without breaking the lock’s lock, it is understood that now it can be launched in the market.
Apart from this, brass locks are known for their strength. The inner fitting of that lock is also made of brass, so that the moisture coming with the air present in the cities situated on the sea shore does not cause rust in the lock. Steel locks have also started being made at many places in Aligarh. Steel body is stronger than brass.
PM Modi has special connection with Aligarh locks
In September 2021, PM Narendra Modi reached Aligarh at the foundation stone laying ceremony of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh University. There he said, “The one who used to protect houses and shops through Aligarh locks till yesterday. Now in the 21st century, that my Aligarh will work to protect the borders of India.
Along with this, remembering an incident from his childhood, he says that a Muslim used to come to his village. He had a deep friendship with our father. That Muslim youth was from Aligarh and used to come around the village to sell locks. Whatever money he earned during the day, he would keep it with my father to take care of it. When he would go back after 5-6 days, he would take all the money from his father and leave in his train.
PM Modi further says that he had not come to UP in his childhood but was well-acquainted with Aligarh here. They say that people depended on Aligarh for the safety of their homes or shops, because if there was a lock here, people would have been relaxed.
Husband and wife made 400 kg lock for Ayodhya Ram temple
Satyaprakash, a resident of Aligarh Jwalapuri, along with his wife Rukmani, has made the world’s largest lock. Its length is 10 feet and width is 6 feet. Also the weight of the locks is 400 kg. This lock is opened and closed with a 30 kg key.
Its length is 4 feet. It took 6 months to make this lock at a cost of Rs 1 lakh, on which the shape of Ramdarbar is also engraved. This lock was made by Satyaprakash and his wife as a gift for the Ayodhya Ram temple. If the government agrees, then this lock will be used for the security of the Ram temple.
The lock used in Kanha’s jail is made in Aligarh
It is believed that Lord Krishna was born in Mathura jail. The locks that are used in that jail till date are made from Aligarh only. Even today the lock of that pattern is prepared in the lock factory of Aligarh.
Even today, in the era of advanced technology, there is a demand for hand-made pad locks in Aligarh for jails. Of course, the form of locks has changed over time, but the method of making has not changed till date.
1 lock employs more than 200 people
Now there is no need to tell that even today the country’s strongest locks are made in Aligarh. After going through about 90 types of processes, only those locks are taken forward which come true on all these parameters. During this, many artisans also check the locks through different processes.
Aligarh’s locksmiths tell that about 200 people get employment in the process of making a lock. There are more than 6000 medium lock making factories, while there are more than 3000 cottage industries. About 2 lakh people work in lock making in these factories. The annual turnover of lock industry in Aligarh is more than Rs 4000 crore. Whereas locks worth 400 crores go to foreign countries from Aligarh.