Guttapusalu .... Bridal Necklace for Royalty

There are four prime bridal necklaces worn by brides in South India. Among these the mandatory one is the Thaali which is worn by all brides irrespective of the kind of nuptials they celebrate. Be it a simple affair within two families, or a court marriage or a couple marrying secretly in a temple or an ostentatious affair attended by the entire community or tribe. This auspicious neck-wear cannot be omitted from the solemnizing of the union of man and wife.  

The next two necklaces, the auspicious Manga Malai and the Kasulaperu are part of the bride's jewellery when she is married in a traditionally performed wedding witnessed by the entire community to which she and her husband belong. Generally all three necklaces are worn together by the bride on her wedding day.

The fourth Necklace, the dazzling Guttapusalu Haram is a stunning opulent piece of jewellery worn mostly by the extremely rich and famous. This necklace was worn by the Royal families of South India and as time progressed by the daughters of wealthy men and also women who belonged to the Matriarchal lineage of Southern India. The reason being;  the Guttapusalu Haram cannot be crafted in a modest fashion as it is an extremely expensive piece of jewellery because of the several precious elements  that are absolutely necessary in crafting it.   

South India has been the cradle of bountiful traditions since centuries. It is a place that has been historically rich due to abundance of resources. This necklace has its origins in the history of the Coastal Regions of South India and the Mines of the terrain.

The Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka is the most ancient source of pearls in the world. The pearl banks in this region are situated closer to the South Indian coast. 

Pre-historic peoples living closer to the coastal areas in Southern India may have stumbled upon the first pearls discovered in this region, during their quest for food in the form of oysters. 

The iridescent glow of the pearl inside the oyster created a precious sense of intuitive awesome in the minds of the fishermen who immediately informed the king of their region about it and from then on Pearl Harvesting became the monopoly of the Royal Houses.

For centuries along the Southern coast of India pearl harvesting has been a lucrative ancient trade.

Gold mined in the ancient Kolar Mines of Karnataka along with precious and dazzling diamonds from the mines of Golcunda as well as sparkling emeralds, rubies and sapphires from mines of Andhra and Telangana gave birth to this ostentatious Guttapusalu Haram or--- 

THE QUEEN'S NECKLACE!

It is a necklace embellished with rubies sapphires emeralds and diamonds in the traditional kundan art which sparkle like heavenly bodies interspersed with spellbinding precious pearls in bunches, clusters and strings; around the neck and bosom of the bride. A traditional Guttapusalu Haram when worn reaches the edge of the midriff of the bride's body.  

The main jewel feature of this gorgeous necklace is the bountiful pearls it showcases without which the Guttapusalu Haram cannot be designed.  

This elaborate piece of bejeweled magnificence is set in gold. Some Guttapusalu Haram are intricately and cleverly designed with other precious gems embedded on the reverse side of the necklace, so that it can be worn both ways if so desired. 

The Matriarchal cache of Jewellery passed down centuries from the 'mother to daughter' chain witnesses some of the most awe inspiring Guttapusalu Haram which cannot be duplicated today. The reason for this is that the quality of precious gems used centuries ago are no more available, and the painstaking karigari of the ancient karigars of those times is no more viable in the rushed modern age we now live in. The time that was taken to create one such unique piece of jewellery in the past, is not cost- -effective anymore, as also the intricacies of those designs are a lost art. 

Even so the Guttapusalu Haram created by the present Karigars of Indian jewellers is a   glittering spectacular necklace owned by successful film stars, women entrepreneurs, wives and daughters of Industrialists, irrespective of whether they are South Indians or not. 

Today it is not only worn by a bride but also by Socialites and Celebrities for ostentatious occasions. 

A traditional sparkling necklace that bedazzles the onlooker!

In the present times too, for many young south Indian brides it is their heart's secret desire to be able to wear the Magnificent Guttapusalu Haram on the most significant day of their life----THEIR WEDDING DAY!