Nathori .....The Ancient Nose Ring

In Prehistoric India the nomadic tribes and forest people later called the Banjara and Adivasi made a statement of their fierceness and supremacy by the men piercing the septum of the nose with the bone of the animal they had hunted. With the passage of time, when the tribes were better organised and moved towards progress, it became the symbol of power and wealth and graduated to being cast in gold and silver and worn by both the men and women of the tribe. 

Much later the Nathori was absorbed into the female jewellery collection of the clans. 

The Nathori is a small ring with a movable bead; which is pierced into the soft cartilage at the bottom of the septum. It dangles daintily just above the upper lip of the woman adding a touch of provocative sauciness to her face. Because of the dangling effect of this small piece of jewellery it was sometimes also called a 'jhoolna'.

Nathori is visible in the Indian Iconography of Krishna and Radha. In the Raas Leela Pichwai paintings around India, Krishna along with Radha and the Gopis is also seen wearing the Nathori which goes to prove this dainty piece of jewellery's popular use in India since ancient times. 

 In Bengal it was a common practice for married women to wear the Nathori, but later women preferred the nose stud on the left side of the nose. But the Santhal tribes of Bengal and rural women of the state wear the Nathori to this day. 

The Nathori holds an important place in the ancient jewellery repertoire of an Indian woman. 

Since it is not an easy ornament to be stolen; traditionally it was believed to be the security of a woman. If all else was lost she could pry out this ornament and sell it to survive. It was sanctioned as the woman's personal wealth; so much so that it was the single piece of jewellery that was not removed even when she was laid on the funeral pyre. 

When the hippie movement came to India in the mid 60's and up until mid 70's they revived the Nathori. Body piercing was a fashion statement for the hippies and in India they came upon the tradition of the Nathori prevalent in the tribes and forest clans here.

Adopting this fashion they took it back to the United States and Europe and there it was considered a sign of the Cult.

The Hippies faded out but the Nathori was then taken up by the fashionable Ramp Walks of Paris and America. Contemporary jewellery around the world showcased the Nathori in different and modern styles to add subtle glamour to the Fashion Elite.

The Nathori is still preferred by young people who are extremely fashion conscious and are looking to make statements with their personalities however shocking and bizarre it may seem to the rest of the world!

A Nathori in today's age and day; has undergone a metamorphosis from its humble beginnings in the forests and hinterlands of India to the glitzy fashion world of the West! 

Innovative ideas have taken the Nathori to be preferred by frequent wearers. It no more has to be a pierced ornament of the septum but can be worn as a 'mock' clip on. 

Today in Contemporary Indian jewellery the Nathori is studded with diamonds, rubies, emeralds and pearls in precious metals like gold, platinum and white gold. It is worn not only with traditional attire but also with the savvy Black Cocktail Dress!