Bejeweled
October 24th, 2007 @ 6:35 pm by Mrs. Jasmine
As a child, I spent many blissful hours playing with my mom’s jewelry. As I examined her ornate necklaces, earrings, bangles and rings, my mom reminded me that many of her favorite pieces would be mine when I got married. I would also receive my own special pieces to wear. And now that time is finally upon us! 
Jewelry is an incredibly important part of the Indian bridal ensemble. The beauty and radiance of an Indian bride is in direct proportion to the amount of jewelry she is wearing. Here is a non-exhaustive but hopefully interesting guide to traditional Indian bridal jewelry. Names and meanings of pieces differ from region to region, but I’m relying on the most common usages.
Tika
The tika is a bejeweled piece affixed to the bride’s hair so that it falls onto her forehead. Sometimes it’s a solitary piece like these:
Or it can be more elaborate like these:
Jhoomar
Pakistani brides wear a jhoomar in addition to a tika. It’s a beautifully designed ornament affixed to the side of the bride’s hair.
Nath/Nose Ring
The nose ring hooks onto the left nostril and is supported by a gold chain. The nose ring was traditionally a symbol of the bride’s purity.
Jhumka/Earrings
Jhumka are very ornate and heavy; they are typically supported by a gold chain that loops over the ears.
Necklace
My favorite part of the Indian jewelry ensemble! Styles vary widely from very traditional sets to very modern, trendy pieces.
Baju bandh/Armlet
An ornate circlet of gold worn on the upper arm. It’s meant to protect the bride from any inauspiciousness on her wedding day. The armlet is a gift by the groom’s sister to the bride as a commitment on behalf of her brother to protect her all her life.
Kamarband/Waistband
A gold belt that sits around the bride’s hips. It not only accentuates the bride’s waist, but also serves a practical purpose by keeping the sari in place.
Hathphool
A bracelet with an ornament for the palm and ring(s) connected with chains.
Mangalsutra
The mangalsutra is to Indian weddings what wedding rings are to American weddings. It’s a necklace with a gold pendant strung on a yellow thread or gold chain of black beads. An Indian wife wears the necklace as a symbol of her marriage and only removes it upon her husband’s death.
Mangalya dharanam is the most important part of a Hindu marriage ceremony. The mangalsutra is tied around the bride’s neck with three knots. In some families, the groom ties the first and his sisters tie the rest.
Chooda and Kalira
During an important ceremony held on the morning of the wedding, the bride is given 21 red and cream ivory bangles (chooda). Kalira are heavy, ornate gold ornaments that are tied to the bangles by the bride’s maternal aunt and uncle. The purpose of kalira is to make housework impossible, so the bride can relax in the time following the wedding (that is a tradition I can get behind!). The bangles and kalira are worn throughout the wedding ceremony.
Payal/Anklet
Chains of gold hooked around the bride’s ankle– they often have spherical bells attached that chime beautifully with each step the bride takes.
Bichua/Toe Ring
Worn on the second toe, the bichua is an important symbol of a married woman. They can range from simply designed to very ornate. Some rings have a small mirror on them so the bride can see her reflection from under her veil.
What jewelry are you wearing on your wedding day?
all images from Andrena Photo, Art Karat jewelers, SouthIndianGirl’s knot bio.
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57 Responses to “Bejeweled”
Wow, I never knew there were so many meanings!
Yeah, I wish I would have known about the housework one.
Oh man, it’s all so exotic and beautiful.
beautiful pictures and thanks for all the explanations/descriptions! i have always thought south asian jewelry was so beautiful but this is the first time it’s been all laid out and explained so well! beautiful!
i love these explanations of the traditions and meanings! everything is simply stunning.
I agree - that was an amazing guide with all the pictures and explanations. Loved it and thanks for taking the time to put that together - makes you appreciate every little detail that much more! 
No sneaking up on your bridesmaids with all the jingling jewels. Thanks for sharing all the special pieces. I’m not close enough to worry about any jewelry… we’ll see if I can get away with just a wedding ring and earrings.
Oooh these are AWESOME!! I’ve seen most of them before, but never knew the meanings behind them (or names) and seeing all these pics together they look incredible!! Thanks so much for putting this all together!!
Wow! Major blingage! I’ve always loved the look of a tika but they’re all so beautiful…
Great post! What other people have been saying…I’ve always admired the jewelry before, but I had never known what they were called and the meanings behind some of them. Thanks for posting this!
Thank you SO much for sharing this! The jewelry is so stunning! I wish I could wear something like that.
Gorgeous! I know a lot of families start collecting jewelry for the bride the day their little girl is born but I’d love for you to do a post on the costs of all the jewelry and south asian weddings in general…elephants, helicopters, and jewelry …oh my! Makes springing for chivari chairs look like the least of a bride’s worries.
Baghdad Bride– great idea! thank you! I’ll definitely have to keep that in mind for a future post.
oh my gosh!!! what incredibly beautiful pieces!!! how lucky you are to literally be dripping in jewels on your wedding day… every girl’s dream!!
This is so cool! I wish I could be an Indian or Pakistani bride.
Bee-yootiful!!! I love the necklaces and the hathpools!
Miss Jasmine I hope you wear so much jewelry that you cant even stand up straight! Hee hee. Seriously all this adornment is SO beautiful, I dont know how you will decide where to “stop”…I’m especially excited for you to unveil your tika…my most favorite adornment!
So pretty. I am actually looking for Hathphools but did not know the proper name to call them. The women that work for an importer I go to call them ring-bracelets and I knew that wasn’t right.
I can’t wait to see what your beautiful ensemble is going to be like.
What everyone else has said - I’ve always admired the gorgeous jewelry but I’ve never really understood the meaning behind it - giving the pieces so much weight and significance only makes them even more precious and special. I very much look forward to seeing your choices for your day!
That’s fascinating. I never knew there were meaning behind it. A friend told me that for some reason the anklets are supposed to be silver for some reason and not to wear gold around your feet. Do you know why?
Are the jewelry heavy at all? I wonder if the brides ever get really tired after the ceremony because of all the extra weight they have to carry. But I bet it’s all worth it!
Wow, what a beautiful and informational post! I can’t wait to see what your wedding jewelry will look like!
Miss Jasmine, thank you for sharing! I loved all the eye candy…
You’re going to look so gorgeous on your wedding day.
I have always found Indian/Hindu wedding customs very beautiful… especially the jewelry. I wore a jewelry set from India on my wedding day. I got many compliments on its uniqueness. Thank you for the explanations on the jewelry and their meanings.
Wow, some of those brides are so incredibly beautiful. And I’m sure you’ll be JUST as lovely, Miss J! Love reading your posts about South Asian wedding traditions — please keep ‘em up!
great post!!!
Mrs. Snow Pea: I’ve actually never heard that before– most of the anklets I’ve owned have been gold. But different parts of India have really different customs, traditions, and superstitions so it could be one my family isn’t familiar with. I would love to know why too!
AKS: Yes, it is really heavy! The few times I’ve worn some ornate Indian jewelry, I couldn’t believe how heavy it all was. I cannot even imagine what it will be like on my wedding day!
Thank you for all the kind words on the post– it was really fun to write and look for all the gorgeous photos!
Thanks for posting this Jasmine. Very informative and such beautiful jewelry and pictures. I love to hear about the meaning behind wedding traditions. And I also can’t wait to see what you pick out. I’m sure it will be gorgeous!
Mr. Radish teaches anthropology and he has to talk about marriage this week, and I think he was trying to include pictures (he always uses powerpoint slides for his lectures) and info about wedding traditions from around the world. I should show him some of your posts.
stunning!!
gorgeous jewelry! thanks for sharing!
My mother loves Indian art pieces, and I saw many when I was growing up. I admired the jewelry in those paintings/tapestries. I used to take my necklaces and wrap them around my head like the tika and hathphool.
SO GORGEOUS! You are so lucky to be wedded in such tradition and beauty!
i LOVED this post! thanks for sharing– and i hope you’ll continue to share the uniquely south asian aspects of your wedding that the rest of us may not be exposed to. it’s all so interesting and FABULOUS!
I’m so glad you wrote this post! I always wondered what all the pieces were called. Now I can send my cousins to this post when they get married in need some help.
Thanks for this awesome post! One of my favorites
So here’s my question: is all this jewelry ’supposed’ to be real gold and gemstones? Do less wealthy brides participate in this custom, and if so, how? (lol that sounds like an essay prompt, hehe) I just wonder ’cause all that blingage has gotta cost a lot! But I guess a lot of it is heirloom, too… k now I’m just talking to myself 
This is great…..I love all of your posts
Mrs. Blueberry: I’m definitely going to write a post on that very subject soon!
Great post! As an Indian bride (and wedding planner) myself, it’s sometimes difficult to find accurate descriptions for our traditions and customs. Do you mind if I ask what region you come from? Some of the items you mentioned aren’t local to my specific heritage. I’m definitely looking forward to the tika and jhumka myself.
A lot of people have commented that everything looks heavy–don’t forget that the sari can weigh enormous amounts as well! Luckily Indian brides sit throughout their ceremony and almost always change before the reception.
boutiquegirl: I’m South Indian (from Kerala) and my fiance is from Pakistan. I know what you mean about it beign difficult to find accurate descriptions for the traditions and customs. Since some of the above jewelry is not part of my heritage either (mainly the nath, chooda, kalira, and jhoomar), I had to do a little homework!
Can you demystify how the tika is attached? I know it has a little hook at the top, but how does it stay?! With a hair pin?
I love and appreciate your posts, Miss Jasmine!
Miss Jasmine - Thanks, I had a feeling you were South Indian but I wasn’t certain. That’s great that you are taking the time to research both traditions–your own but his as well.
Wow! I have never been a jewelry person but these are stunning! I can’t wait to see what you choose for your wedding!
woman007: the tika is usually attached my tiny bobby pins. most of the time, they can stay really well-hidden, plus most brides have the dupatta/veil over that part of the chain.
Great post!
Gorgeous pictures. I love the explanations. You’re going to be a beautiful bride!
Beautiful photos, I love this post because the explanation and the photos are just so gorgeous.
Thanks Miss Jasmine! I’ve always wanted to know how the tika was secured! So beautiful!
Thank you for taking the time to share that with us and explaining what each piece means. I’m Cambodian and our wedding consists of beautiful outfits and loads of jewelries as well. But alas, I don’t think they mean or represent anything. However, our ceremonies means different things. And for each ceremony we get to switch into a different outfit (which was my favorite part)!
I’ve included links to pictures from our wedding back in August… (these are some of the outfits - there’s like 12 altogether)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/Datanie/002-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/Datanie/004-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/Datanie/008-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/Datanie/010.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/Datanie/012.jpg
Dannie: Gorgeous!!! The outfits and jewelry are all so beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing and congrats on the wedding
[...] Bejeweled by Miss Jasmine [...]
[...] Bejeweled by Miss Jasmine [...]
Lovely post. I know it’s already been said, but I’ve always admired/drooled over South Asian wedding jewelry and sari. The brides always look so gorgeous and something out of fairytale. I would absolutely love to have some of those intricate and ornate pieces. Love your cultural posts!
You always have great posts Miss Jasmine. I’m wearing most of the pieces, except the waistband and the nose ring.
I am (or was) an Indian bride too! Miss Jasmine’s post about her childhood memory regarding her mother’s jewelry reminded me that when I was child I always said that I would wear my mother’s wedding jewelry for my wedding. I actually had my wedding clothes designed so that I could. I new that whatever jewelry I wore would always have a special meaning for me but it is even more special knowing that my mother wore it for her wedding too.
[...] my Bejeweled post, several commenters brought up a salient point: How do Indian families afford all this [...]
[...] dresser and she was invaluable in putting the entire look together. First she assisted me with my jewelry. She carefully affixed the tikka to my forehead, the jhumka over my ears, the necklace over my [...]
Mrs. Jasmine, Chicago/LA
Age and Occupation: 25, Attorney
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Attorney
Engagement Date: March 24, 2007
Wedding Date: June 7, 2008
Blogging Since: September 20, 2007
Venue: Hotel on the westside of Los Angeles
About Me: I'm a happy-go-lucky, imaginative spirit trapped in the body of a lawyer. I love reading, shopping, dining out, and exploring my beloved adopted city of Chicago with my fiance. We're planning the wedding of our dreams in my hometown of Los Angeles and we're excited to incorporate our cherished Indian/Pakistani customs and traditions.
thanks for sharing miss jasmine! the jewelery looks amazing. you’re going to look like a goddess on your wedding day!