The Karanphool and Jhumka

The jhumka is a beautiful ear ornament with an exclusive Indian influence. It can be exceedingly elaborate or simple and dainty. The size of the jhumka varies from the obviously large to the modestly small. 

The jhumka is composed of two elements. A round disc called the karanphool which sits on the earlobe and dangling from it is an inverted cup or bell which is called the Jhumki or katori and together this ornament is called the Jhumka..

The Jhumka can trace its roots back to the desert kingdoms of Rajasthan. In a  parched desert region where flora is rare the conceptualization of this piece of jewellery was an expression of the beauty of verdant nature. 

Karanphool means a flower for the ear. The Jhumki or inverted cup symbolises the scarcity of water in this region and the two elements put together signify the sacredness of these two gifts of nature which are scarce in the desert. 

These two components of the ornament were detached and could be worn individually too. The Jhumki could be strung into a simple Bali while the Karanphool worn by itself. 

In Rajasthan the Jhumka is set in gold with uncut diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires. Gold balls and beads are generally interspersed to offset the brilliant radiance of these precious gems.  Strands of gold beads strung in gold wire or thread attached to the top of the karanphool or behind it, are either taken around the ear to support the weight of this piece of jewellery or these saharas can also be pinned to the hair to minimize the weight on the ear. 

In various parts of India the Jhumka was generally crafted in solid gold. There is as always a spiritual essence to this piece of Indian ornament. It also symbolized eternal life with the blessings of spiritual awareness. The round disc or Karanphool, worn on the lobe is a representation of the Sun which is a life giver and hence considered most sacred in Hinduism and the hanging jhumki or bell symbolizes the intermittent auspicious silence of spirituality between the two rings of a bell. 

During the Mughal period the Karanphool and the Jhumki became one solid ornament crafted often in meenakari, and in gold embedded with uncut rubies, diamonds and emeralds. Also strings and bunches of pearls; the hallmark of Islamic culture, were attached to the Jhumka. The designs now took on common patterns of Islamic influence. 

The jhumka is a common thread running through the jewellery repertoire of India. Tiny Jhumkas in gold are also crafted for little girls to be worn at weddings and religious ceremonies  from a very early age. 

 Be it north, south, east or west the Jhumka is worn by all Indian women.

 Ballads and songs have been penned by poets romanticizing the jhumka as the cynosure of the lover's love lorn pinning. The jhumka is the all Indian feminine ornament adored by one and all.

Down the centuries the Jhumka underwent several transformations in design and shape yet it maintained its original ethnicity. Sometimes the Karanphool was replaced by a bejewelled petal or a filigreed leaf; and many a times the Jhumki had a precious ruby or emerald dangling from inside of the bell or cup.

In the twentieth century the Jhumka took on a chic contemporary look. It now was set in diamonds and other precious gems complimenting the colour of the ensemble worn by the woman. The dazzle of sapphires combined with crimson rubies or the irredescent sparkle of the the diamond coupled with glowing emeralds made a style statement of their own!

Whether traditional or contemporary the Jhumka is a unique ear ornament exclusive to the culture and style of India!

The Bali or Bala ......The Branding Ornament.

  

The Bali also known as a Bala is a ring ornament worn usually on the lobe of the ear and derives its name from the ancient Sanskrit word baali meaning sacrifice. This ornament in the shape of a loop or hoop in cheap metal; was used instead of thread as a strong 'marker' for branding livestock to show ownership or group them to be offered at the altar of the Gods of a particular master or tribe. 

This branding was also a practice of ancient tribes to mark their slaves and hence was worn by both men and women who were usually farm-hands and labourers working for a particular tribe or rich landlord or dhani.

The practice of using a Bali as a sacrificial or branding marker was abolished and it found its place in the jewellery repertoire of ethnic Indian people; henceforth it was cast in precious metals like gold and silver. 

The Karnavedha ceremony or earlobe piercing of a Brahmin male child is performed during theUpanayanam or thread ceremony. Later this practice was also relegated to the girl child and was not performed amid Vedic chanting or by a priest but by the goldsmiths who were experts at knowing the ancient acupressure point of ear-lobe piercing. Even till date when a child's earlobe is pierced it is done directly with a gold or silver Bali by the goldsmith. 

The tiny gold Bali is usually worn by the girl and then it is replaced by an ear ring of choice. 

There is a difference in design and style of Balis worn by young girls and women. The balis worn by girls are less ornate and lightweight so as not to be cumbersome for the girl.

For women the Bali evolved on the scale of weight and design. 

The Bali or Bala has been designed and crafted in many different ways. In the tribal culture it was designed in heavy gold with animal figures on the bottom arch of the earring while the rest of the hoop was etched in the flora of the forest.  Later as tribes got urbanized the Bali underwent a transformation of sorts. Now the Bali had a more modern look. They were of different shapes and sizes: round, oblong, elongated and tiny loops just touching the ear lobe. Solid gold tubing was used to make the Bali. The thickness of the tube varied according to the design crafted.   Many different craftsmen found this jewellery piece to be an expression of their creativity.  Some were just plain gold loops while others were heavily etched in patterns. Many had small gold balls and Pattis attached to the arch to add a touch of piquant to the piece. Unique patterns styled the Bali with a central beaded dangler of precious gems that moved within the hoop. 

The Mughal rule of India added its own touch to the Bali. Now the Bali had pearls hanging like a shower of dew drops from the bottom arch to give it a feminine touch. Many elaborate Balis were designed with tiny pearl drops all along the arch while some were studded with fixed pearls or precious gems along the outer rim of the Bali. To support this elaborate ear ring strings of pearls were attached to the top of the hoop which were then fixed into the hair. These strings were and are still called saharas which means supports.                                                

The Bali underwent further metamorphosis in the twentieth century. They were now as large as a bangle worn usually by younger women. These bangle Balis were in solid looking but light -weighted gold. Later still the Bali was studded with emerald rubies sapphires and diamonds, set either in gold or white- gold and platinum. 

It didn't end here the Bali made a comeback on the ear lobes of Men too! 

The Bali though with a history of ancient cultures has survived the onslaught of time and still maintains a place of pride and style on the earlobe of the fashion conscious Glitterati Set.

An Introduction to Earrings .......

The ears being on either sides of the face played a very important role in the erstwhile ornaments cache of Human civilizations, so as to lend beauty and verve to the female persona. These ornaments frame the face and thus the kind of ear rings worn by a woman is vital to the enhancement of her beauty. 

 The ear as an organ has evolved in the human being over the millennia. In animals they are like antennae used to detect sound signals of danger in order to safe guard their survival. The ears of animals are able to move in the direction of the external sound to get a sharper audible sound passage piercing the inner ear which sends signals to the brain. On the scale of the evolutionary advancement of the Human, who is also an animal, as the brain developed the movement of the outer ear muscles positioning it in the direction of sound went extinct. 

 Thus the brilliant concept to use this organ as a canvas for jewellery evolved.  

In ancient civilizations ear rings were worn by both men and women. Usually men of power or prowess, like kings and warriors wore ear rings to symbolise their status.   

Ear rings were worn from Biblical times. It is repeatedly mentioned in the Bible as a piece of precious jewellery worn by the Egyptians as well as the Hebrews. On display in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo are various pieces of exquisite gold ear rings that form a part of the collectibles of the boy Pharaoh Tutankhamen. 

In ancient China, earrings developed for health purposes rather than female embellishment purposes, stemming from the result of acupuncture of the ear. The father of Western medicine, Hippocrates, wrote about ear piercing and earring wearing around 470 B.C. as a remedy and treatment for menstrual problems. Ancient people treated diseases of feminine Yin organs via earrings in the left ear and diseases of the male Yang organs via the right ear.

The excavation sites at Machu-Pichu in South America and Mohenjo-Daro in India, the cradle of ancient civilizations of these continents unearthed many specimens of ear ornaments worn by the ancient people. 

In India the earring has a special spiritual significance. One finds it mentioned in the Rig Veda. A ritual called the Karnavedha was performed on both males and females at the time of piercing the ear lobe and the ear cartilage. Karnavedha is a Vedic rite of passage to open the inner ears of the child receiving the sacred sounds of 'AUM'. This rite has a deep mystical and symbolic significance. It is believed that merely hearing sacred sounds has merit in that it cleanses sin and nurtures the spirit. 

The Vedic development of the personality of Lord Ganesha with elephant ears is a silent lesson conveyed that with these gigantic listening organs he has mastered the Vedas by absorbing them constantly. 

It was believed that nerves running from the outer ear to the inner ear connected directly with the brain and hence a constant pressure maintained by ear ornaments kept a keen hold on perception and learning. 

In India from ancient times there are various ear ornaments worn. With the passage of time many of these ancient jewellery pieces were worked and developed into modern concepts of an ancient art. Earrings are worn along the ear cartilage and the lobe.  To name some there is the Goshwara or tiny balis worn along the ear cartilage. Karanphools, Balas, Balis and Jhumka are worn on the ear lobe.

 Also worn on the ear lobe are  jhalars, danglers and chandeliers that nearly touch the shoulders 

In Kashmiri Pandit Hindu culture, a woman needs to have her inner ears pierced before she can get married, this is one of the prerequisites; so as to be able to wear the traditional Dejhor, a must for Kashmiri married women. 

A pair of earrings is an integral part of Indian Shringar or jewellery adornment of the woman.