Jewellery plays an important role in Indian weddings. Ornaments are worn for
religious and customary purposes, and sometimes because of fashion. Hindus believe
they ward off evil spirits, thereby protecting the person wearing them.
Jewellery is worn on many different parts of the body, and for numerous reasons.
No single piece of Indian jewellery fulfils the role that the wedding ring does
in Western societies. Usually, a bride wears as much jewellery as her family can
afford.
Other jewellery worn in Indian weddings includes bangles
and necklaces. A Hindu bride may wear a mangalsutra
– a necklace of black beads and gold, a thaali – a necklace with a
central gold pendant, a set of bangles, and a bichhua (toe ring).
A married Hindu woman may decorate her body with a bindi (bright red dot) on
her forehead, and sindoor (a line of red powder along the parting of her hair)
as signs of marriage, blessing, and protection.
Sikh brides may wear a mohra, a necklace made from gold coins, and chuda, a
set of bangles. Muslim women have no special marriage ornaments. Many Muslim brides
are influenced by Hindu customs, but their jewellery will not have the same symbolic
significance.
A Muslim bride may wear a head ornament on the left side, often in the form
of a crescent moon, an important symbol in Islam. She may also wear a nath (nose
ring), which is presented to the bride by the groom’s family, and glass
bangles. A married Muslim woman may wear nose pins and bangles throughout her
married life.
Regional differences exist in India and in Indian communities around the world,
though this diversity is much less evident in the New
Zealand Indian community, where brides tend to wear fewer and lighter
ornaments than their counterparts in India.
Traditionally, jewellery formed a crucial part of a bride’s dowry, and
still does in some parts of India. The bride’s ornaments indicated her religion,
social and economic status, and where she was from. It was essential that the
bride’s and groom’s parents gave the bride as much 22-karat gold jewellery
as they could afford.
This tradition was based on the need for a bride to be given some sort of financial
security by her parents – the jewellery was seen as a woman’s insurance.
Should her family fall on hard times, a wife could offer her jewellery to her
husband to sell, in order to help her family survive.
Even in New Zealand, it is considered crucial for the bride’s and groom’s
parents to give the bride 22-karat gold jewellery as wedding gifts. The amount
of gold given depends on each family’s financial status. The first question
asked by a jeweller will be ‘what weight?’
Gold is considered by Indians to be pure and sacred. It is associated with
immortality, as it does not tarnish or corrode over time. And above all, it does
not lose its worth. While silver is also highly regarded, gold is usually preferred
for wedding jewellery. However, it is currently fashionable to match silver jewellery
with pastel-coloured wedding costumes.
Depending on what they can afford, the essential pieces of gold jewellery given
to a bride by her parents are a 22-karat necklace, matching earrings, and four
bracelets or bangles. A set of wedding jewellery will often include silver anklets
– necessary in northern India – and a gold ring.
At her wedding, the bride will wear the jewellery gifted by her parents. The
groom’s parents will give her a similar set, which she will wear after the
wedding at the reception, or at the ‘going away’ ceremony. The groom’s
family also buys the mangalsutra (marriage necklace). The bride’s family
will normally give a gold chain and signet ring to the groom.
Western wedding rings are becoming increasingly popular in the civil ceremonies
in India and amongst New Zealand Indians. In this country, the bride and groom
will sometimes choose the rings together. Buying the bride’s jewellery usually
requires several trips to jewellery shops where the bride, her parents, family,
and friends will spend many hours choosing ornaments.
To not buy jewellery, or to buy the wrong jewellery, could seriously diminish
a family’s social status. In New Zealand, brides tend to have more say than
in India, and will often choose their jewellery for themselves. Many New Zealand
Indians go to India to shop for their wedding. Wedding jewellery there is usually
custom made, and requires a number of trips to the goldsmith.
In a Hindu marriage, if her husband dies, the widow wipes out the red bindi
from her forehead, and the sindoor from her hair. She cuts off her mangalsutra,
and will usually no longer wear any jewellery, which she may give to her daughter
or some other female relative. The widow or another woman will break her glass
bangles.
It is commonly believed that a wife’s beauty and jewellery were meant
for her husband, so they go with him. Given that this is a time for mourning,
such acts help the widow come to terms with her husband’s death.
Glossary
bichhua
toe ring
bindi
a bright red dot worn on the forehead by Indian women
chuda
a set of bangles worn by married Sikh women
mangalsutra
necklace of black beads and gold
mohra
a necklace made from gold coins, and worn by married Sikh women
nath
nose ring
sindoor
red powder worn by married women along the parting of their hair
thaali
necklace with a central gold pendant
More reading
The following publication may be found in Te Aka Matua Te Papa Library and
Information Centre on Level 4.
Untracht, Oppi. (1997). Traditional Jewelry of India New York: Harry
N Abrams.
