Indian Bridal Jewellery
In India wedding and jewellery go hand in hand. Bridal jewellery is heavy and usually made of gold. There are religious and aesthetic connotations to the jewellery worn. Gold symbolises wealth and prosperity. It is believed that when women wear jewellery they are endowed with beauty, power and authority.
Like everything else with Indian weddings even the jewellery worn by the bride from each region is different. Every state has its own style and craftsmanship which is seen in the jewellery worn. But there are some pieces of jewellery that are worn by brides almost everywhere in the country. These include the mangalsutra, bangles, necklace, ear rings and rings.
Like in a western wedding, the ring symbolises the marriage between the bride and the groom. But the Indian wedding has another piece of jewellery the mangalsutra or thali (a small gold pendant worn on a thread or gold chain) which is the main symbol of marriage. The groom ties the thali around the bride’s neck and this is considered the most important part of the wedding ceremony.
The thali or mangalsutra again takes on different forms depending on the region the bride and groom are from. It is usually made of gold and is in the shape of “om” a Hindu symbol or symbols depicting Hindu Gods Vishnu or Shiva. The thali is worn on a yellow thread like in Tamil Nadu or a chain with black beads and gold like in Maharashtra or on a 22K gold chain like in Kerala or Hyderabad. Today the thali have diamonds and other precious stones set in them.
Traditionally the North Indian bride would wear green and red bangles along with gold bangles. Today of course the colour of the bangles would match the dress the bride is wearing. The bride is presented with chooda, a set of bangles made of ivory with inlay work, by her mother. These bangles symbolises the bride’s new married status and she is expected not to remove them for the 40 days after the wedding.
The style and pattern of the necklace is chosen based on the neckline of the dress. A choker style necklace is worn with a smaller neckline and a longer necklace with a deeper neckline. The earrings worn usually match the necklace.
Other pieces of jewellery that you can expect an Indian bride to wear are the maangtika (tiara in the form of a long string with a decorative centre piece) worn along the centre parting of the forehead, nath (nose ring), bajubandh (arm band), bracelets, anklets and bichwa (toe rings). The nose ring is usually a ring attached to a chain that is hooked to the hair. In some regions like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, it is compulsory for married women to wear the toe ring all the time.
Traditionally all jewellery is made of gold or silver. But today you see different types of metals being used. It is also common to find precious and semi precious stones along with enamel and glass work in the jewellery