Gulabi Meenakari, which translates to "pink enamelling" is one of the distinct crafts of Varanasi. Artisans fuse different coloured minerals on to a metallic surface to create a textured artefact. Dominated by hues of pink, with deep ceramic blue as a base, Varanasi’s enamelling follows heritage cues from the original Persian craft.

The craft bears some similarities to the famous “meenakari” of Jaipur. Gulabi enamelling was also historically made on gold and silver under the patronage of the Mughal courts. It later evolved to include the use of copper. While surviving research dates this technique back to 400 years, Rai Krishnadas, director and founder of Barat Kala Bhawan of Banaras Hindu University, has been quoted to say that pink was a popularly sought-after colour in enamelling in 19th and 20th century India. In Varanasi, artisans add pink to white enamel which is the base dye, before hand-painting designs on the metallic base. They include tiny forceps, an etching tool, a needle-like paint applicator, and a mortar and pestle to pound gemstones. Then they use a base dye, a scrubbing brush, and a palette to lay the colours. All this comes together to create traditional jewellery with designs mainly in pink on deep blue, with discreet use of green and white. Some other creations include forms of deities, animals and birds, specifically the elephant and the peacock, little boxes, and decorative pieces. The style has innovated to include household items, keychains, and charms as well.

The craft got a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2015 after its resurgence in the later half of the 20th Century.

An article in Outlook Traveller magazine refers to Kunj Bihari Singh, a former auto rickshaw driver, and Tarun Kumar Singh, who stumbled into Gulabi Meenakari through an outreach initiative. Both went on to win national awards for their work and are the modern torch bearers of this craft. They also train women artisans (earlier, the craft was mainly practiced by men) and work to bring the craft to a larger audience.

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