A guide to mangalsutras worn across the country

1. A guide to Mangalsutras worn across the country
A mangalsutraisequivalenttoaweddingringworninthe westerncountries.However,owingtothe
rich cultural heritage inIndia,notwostateshave the same manneror type of wearinga
mangalsutra.Asyou descenddownfromthe northstartingfrom Jammu& Kashmir,youwill observe
that eachstate hasits ownideaof how a mangalsutra shouldbe.Youwill readaboutsome of them
inthisarticle.
For Kashmiri Pandits,the ideaof amangalsutraisquite unusual anddifferentfromthe restof the
states.Mangalsutrafor themmeanheavyearringswhichare knownasDejhoor.Theyare made in
goldand are hexagonal shapedornamentwithadot(chunne) inthe centre,woveninaplainred
threadand isgiventothe Kashmiri bride byherparentsduringaceremonyheldaday before the
marriage.
For the westernstate of Gujarat andfor Gujarati and Marwari communitiesacrossIndia,a
mangalsutraalsohappenstobe symbol of statusas forthemit consistsof a diamondpendantona
double strandof blackseedbeads,interspersedwithgoldbeads.Fortheirneighbouringstate,
Maharashtra, the bride isoftenspottedwearingagoldchainwithblackand goldbeadscombined
withtwosemi-circularhollowspheres,whichisknownas wati inMarathi. Wati signifiesthe coming
togetherof the bride andthe groom.
For the fishermencommunityof the westerncoastal region,knownasKoli,the bride wearsapair of
mangalsutra,one forthe husbandand one fortheirdeity,lordof sea.KonkanisandGoanswear
Kasithaali,whichisagoldchainstrewnwithcoral and goldbeadsaccompaniedbythe idol of the
female deityof prosperityandwealth,GoddessLakshmi.
As youdescenddownsouth,the customsandtraditionschange.However,itshouldbe notedthat
fromthe time of originof Mangalsutra,there have beenveryfew variationsinthe southernregion
of Indiaandhence thiscan be termedas beingthe closesttothe original ideology.Tamilianswear
thaali,a thickcord witha religiouslydesignedpendantandonthe otherhand Teluguweartwo
thaali,one of whichisa plaingoldchainwitha semi-circularpendant,whilethe otherisachain with
blackbeads.
SouthIndianChristiansespeciallyfromKeralaandKarnataka,wearamangalsutra,whichisa cross
embossedonthe bananaleaf-shapedpendant.The mangalsutraforthe Kannadigasisembellished
withcoral.
While inthe easternIndia,namelyinBihar,brideswearamangalsutraknownas taagpaag.