Some Thoughts

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Bangles




Bangles are traditional ornaments worn by a girl as an adornment. As in Kerala Hindu tradition a child is worn gold and glass bangles on its naming ceremony on the 28th day of the child’s birth. The glass black bangles are meant to ward off negative forces that may harm a baby. Black glass bangles are worn to both boy and girl till their first birthday. Bangles are a compulsory item of the girl’s adornment.

Bangles are part of traditional Indian jewelry. A bridal jewelry is not complete without gold bangles on both hands. In Kerala it is not a tradition to wear glass bangles during wedding. In all other parts of India it is compulsory that the bride wears green or red glass bangles.

Bangles are very important among the “Mangalya” articles of every young and married woman. A widow is not expected to wear bangles. In some regions the woman’s bangles are broken or removed when her husband dies.

During every festival, Hindu women buy new bangles as a custom. It is considered auspicious to gift bangles to married woman. During Makar sankranthi women gift bangles to each other. During the ceremony conducted on a girl’s first pregnancy, the girl is worn bangles by friends and relatives. The customs and rituals have slight changes in each state, but the importance of bangles is significant everywhere. It is a mark of a “Suhagin” or “Sumangali.”

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