In India, marriages are not only an occasion, it is an emotion for the parents that is a mixture of happiness and sadness of losing their daughter. India is famous for its traditional values and in marriages you will get to find the richness of traditions and culture. As India is divided into various states, every state has its unique traditions for performing wedding rituals.
Hindu marriages are the symbol of love, togetherness, and a never-ending relationship that is going to last forever. In every Hindu culture, certain traditional gold jewellery designs are essential for every woman to wear after marriage and those are considered the symbol of marriage. In Indian culture, the symbol of marriage is a gold mangalsutra, toe rings, Kumkum, and chuda. Many people feel like it is discrimination between men and women but it is the culture and an Indian woman always respects it from all her heart.
An important piece of jewellery is the gold mangalsutra which is worn in almost every culture but the designs vary from one state to another.
What is a Mangalsutra?
It is a combination of two words “Mangal” which means “divine” and “Sutra” which stands for “thread”, so, it is a holy thread worn by every married woman after marriage till her husband lives. It is made of black and gold beads along with a pendant. The pendant may vary from one tradition to another but the meaning served by every mangal sutra is the same. It is believed that protects the bride and groom from the evil eye and enhances bonding and love between the couple.
Every culture has given a unique name to the mangalsutra like Thaali, vatimani, taagpaag, etc. but in some cultures, it is not compulsory for a woman to wear a mangalsutra.
Types of Mangalsutras
- In Kashmire, the mangalsutra is called Dijhor or Dejhoor. These are gold earrings woven in the plain red thread, given by the parents to the bride on her wedding day. After marriage, the red thread is also replaced by the gold chain given by her in-laws and is called “Aath” or “Aathoru”.
- In Maharashtra, the mangalsutra is called Vati or Vatimani. It is made of gold and black beads strung in a gold chain with a uniquely designed pendant that has two bowl-shaped vatis. The vatis are hollow from one side and the front side is carved with beautiful designs. It is a beautiful piece of Maharashtrian jewellery where the black beads serve the purpose of protecting the bride from evil eyes.
- In Karnataka, the mangalsutra is called Karthamani Pathak. It is mainly worn in the Coorg region of Karnataka by the Kodava bride. It is considered the most essential piece of jewellery in that region and is worn by the ladies as a symbol of being married. Karthmani is the necklace set worn with Pathak which is a gold pendant designed as a gold coin adorned with goddess Laxmi or queen Victoria.
- Telugu mangalsutra has various names like Mangalasutramu, Pustelu, Maangalyamu, Ramar Thaali, Bottu