Whether it is Assameese or a Punjabi marriage ceremony, jewellery plays a significant role in Indian weddings. The following post takes a quick look at Jewellery in Punjabi weddings. Read on to know more.
Punjabi weddings are known for their ostentation and lavish arrangements. Nowhere else does jewellery hold special significance as it does in case of Indian weddings and Punjabi marriages are no exception. Punjabi brides are decked up with heavy jewellery on their wedding day. The subsequent paragraphs explore the jewellery used in a Punjabi wedding.
Jewellery in Punjabi Weddings
The chooda and the kalire hold special significance in a Punjabi wedding. The chooda are a set of 21 bangles of red/ maroon or white ivory colour which are selected by the bride’s maternal uncle and aunt. These bangles are gifted to her as part of the ceremony. However, these days, people have started using bangles of different colours such as pink, purple etc as part of this ceremony. The number of bangles which the bride has to wear depends upon her own personal preference as well as the particular community to which she belongs to. A pooja or a havan is performed during the chooda ceremony during which the bangles are dipped in milk and rose petals.
image: via Wikimedia commons
Apart from the chooda, the bridal lehenga is gifted by the maternal uncle to the bride. In case, you have visited sites related to Punjabi matrimonyyou will know that kalire, or umbrella shaped hangings also form a part and parcel of weddings in this part of India. Usually the bride’s sister and friends tie it to her chooda. Kalire are golden or silver in colour and signifies their best wishes for the bride. Its coconut shape also signifies that she never faces any shortage of food in her new home.
The metal on the other hand stands for wealth and prosperity. Usually the kalire is covered with dry fruits, betel nuts and coconut covered. After the ritual, the bride shakes her kalire and chooda worn on her hands on heads of unmarried girls present around her. In case any part of the kalire falls on a girl’s head she will be the next one to get married.
Any bridal attire in an Indian wedding is said to be incomplete without the presence of high quality jewellery. In case of Punjabi weddings, some of the most common pieces of jewellery worn by a girl on the day of her wedding include maang tika, bangles, mangalsutra, payal, jhumka, nath, toe rings, kamarbandth and bajubandth. The maang tika, a shorter version of shringaar patti (a type of golden tiara) is worn on the forehead. It includes a string and has a hook attached to one end and a centre piece to another. The bangles are usually of red or white colour and are made from ivory.
The nath (nose ring) forms another vital part of bridal jewellery. It includes a studded nose ring which comes with a long chain which the bride can hook up in her hair, in the area above her ear. The mangal sutra, which is actually a necklace with black beads symbolizes that a lady is married. It is tied around the neck of a girl by her husband during the marriage ceremony and marks their union. These days, mangal sutras come with a diamond or gold pendent as well. As in other parts of India, the toe rings which are used in Punjabi marriages are made of silver. It is regarded as one of the signs of a married woman is usually worn in pairs.
image via Kyle’s Collection
Apart from toe rings, a bride needs to wear payal as well on the day of her wedding. Mostly made from silver, it is worn on the ankle, and cones with meenakari, bead or kundan embellishments. The kamarband, which is a waist band is heavy piece of jewellery which worn during weddings earlier. These days, however it is not customary for the bride to wear them. Similarly bajuband or arm bands used to be an important piece of jewellery which used to be worn during traditional Punjabi marriages. However, most brides prefer to wear them on single arms these days. Wearing it during marriages has become optional.
Bridal jewellery worn during weddings has undergone significant changes along with change in people’s tastes and preferences. These days, it is quite common to find brides wearing earrings and tikka along with pacchi work polka necklaces during pre-nuptial ceremonies such as sangeet. But in order to make sure that the bride looks dazzlingly beautiful on the day of her wedding, the jewellery should be chosen with great care so as to make sure that it goes well with the lehenga choli or sari which she would be wearing. Consulting a reputed jeweller and checking their different designs can help you as well as your relatives choose the best designs for the most special occasion of your life.
Author Bio: Sampurna Majumder is a professional writer and a passionate blogger. Currently she is writing content for several websites such as Jeevansathi.com that not only covers profiles of prospective brides and grooms but also about wedding traditions and rituals as well.