An Indian bride
is incomplete without jewelry. Right from head to toe, Indian brides are loaded
with jewelry. At the same time Indian bride receive lot of jewelleryas wedding
gift from her parents and relatives. Read on to know more about the must-wear jewellery
for Indian bride.
An Indian bride looks resplendent in her wedding
jewelry. It is the most important part of the overall attire of the blushing
bride. Jewellery
styles and preferences vary in different Indian
states. Bridal jewellery is a lot dependent on the particular traditions and
customs that are associated with the respective culture of the region. But
there are some distinct bridal jewellery types that are more or less uniform
for a bride belonging to any part of India. There is a common belief that the
bridal look is only complete when each and every piece of the jewellery meant for
a bride is worn by her.
Currently a lot of urban Indian brides are found to
prefer wearing innovative designer jewellery that is markedly different from
the traditional style. There are also great variations that have emerged from
fusion of eastern and western style of jewellery designing. Budget is the
primary deciding factor the bridal jewelry. Depending on it, some people are
found to opt for silver, white gold, platinum or diamond jewelry. One can find
enchanting designs in ruby, emerald, jade, amethyst, garnet and pearl.
As said in the earlier line, the type of bridal jewellery
depends on the region of the country that the bride is coming from, but given
below are the basic types of jewelleryitems that adorn the Indian bride on her
wedding day.
Shringar – Also known as
shringar patti, it is a variation of tiara which is usually in gold. It is worn
on her forehead and placed along her hairline. There is a circular plaque at
the center that hangs on the forehead.
Manag
– Maang tika is a shortened version of the elaborate shringar patti. The
central piece is attached with a string on one end and a hook on the other. The
bride wears it in the central parting of her hair.
The
Bridal Set – This comprises of the necklace and earring. This
is the major defining part of the bridal outfit. The design is pretty elaborate
and is a heavy jewellery that is chosen after taking into account the bridal
dress, its color and the over all bridal look. The heavy neckpiece can come in
pure gold, or precious stone set in gold or diamond that is accompanied with
matching earrings.
Nath
– This is the nose ring. It is an important part of the bridal attire and is a
studded nose ring, which has a long chain attached to it. The chain is hooked
in the hair that is above the ear of the bride.
Churi
– These are a set of bangles that can be of gold or glass.
It completes the married look and can be of different materials depending on
the region that the bride belongs to. In Punjabi weddings for example, the
bride wears ivory bangles that are red and white in colour, called the chura.
In Bengali weddings again, the bride wears a red coral and a white conch shell
bangle, an essential attire of a married woman.
Haathphool
– This is a bracelet with rings attached to it. It adorns the wrist and fingers
of the bride.
Anguthi
– No wedding is complete without the anguthi. She wears an engagement ring on
the left finger of her left hand and one or more other rings in her other
fingers.
Bicchua
– This toe ring is very important in many states of India.
Payal
– Also known as pajeb, it adorns the ankle of the bride and displays some
excellent meenakari or kundan work or even beads.
Mangal Sutra – This necklace with black beads with a
gold or diamond pendant is a mark of complete bridal look. It is tied by the
groom on the bride’s neck and symbolizes union.
The other jewellery items are the Kamarband and
Baajuband. They are the waist band and arm bands respectively. These are
basically optional items and are usually heritage items.