During Mughal times Aligarh was an important sarai or a transit camp for travelers on their way to Agra. The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb had a garrison built, which is how the town became a cluster for locksmiths. Locks and brass artifacts are manufactured in Aligarh District. Although the district exports brass and hardware items to different countries of the world it is the locks of Aligarh that are so famous that the city is known as TALA NAGARI or the City of Locks!
The Key: For the locks that open with a key, the key is made first. The lock manufacturer takes key blanks and cuts the ridges, or combinations, in each key. Each key has bumps on it that are cut to different levels. These levels are designated by numbers. A low cut is one, next up is two, then three. In many cases, there are only four levels, though some of the artisans use as many as seven notches.
Apart from the normal locks Aligarh is also famous for its beautiful ornate locks in the form of fish, deities, tortoise etc. Some of the locks may have intricate carvings or verses in Persian, Urdu and Sanskrit. Aligarh locksmiths showcase their skills by crafting interesting puzzle locks. These locks may have false keyholes, hidden levers that open the right keyhole or may require upto five keys to open a single lock.
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