Bhai Dooj .... The Tilak of Protection

Bhai Dooj the second day of the New Moon, is the last day of the Diwali festivities.

Legend has it that on this day Krishna visited his sister Subhadara after slaying the Demon Narakasura. Subhadra hailed her brother's victorious return by applying an auspicious tilak of saffron and sindoor mixed with rice grains on the forehead of Krishna.

In Hinduism a tilak is a very potent talisman applied in between the eyebrows which is considered to be the seat of Godly Power. The applying of tilak is considered a powerful protection and activation of Godly fortification.

In another legend the God of Death Yama visits his sister Yami on Bhai dooj. By applying the tilak on Yama's forehead Yami fortifies her brother's powers of Immortality.

In return for their sister's blessings both Krishna and Yama promise to protect them forever and shower them with priceless gifts of precious jewellery.

In keeping with tradition on Bhai Dooj all Indians celebrate this festival with religious fervor. Brothers visit their sisters and complete the auspicious ritual of receiving protection from them by their application of the Tilak, and in return promise their protection to the sister forever.  They bring gifts for their sisters mostly in the form of jewellery, cash. The day is marked with feasting and merriment.

Bhai Dooj is a day when the eternal love of siblings is sealed with the ritual of protection performed in this unique ceremony.

New Year ....

 The next day of Diwali brings in the Hindu New Year. The night of Ghor Amavasya dawns into the first new day of a New Year. 

The intensive pujas performed in the preceding three dark nights brings new hope for the coming year. Evil and negative tendencies have been surrendered at the feet of Goddess Lakshmi who in turn has blessed the people with a shining new moon that will bring a New year of Hope, Abundance, and Prosperity .

On this day the homes are once again cleaned and all the puja paraphernalia of the previous three nights are put away. It is a day for feasting laughter and merriment. 

Traditional meals and sweets are prepared for visiting relatives and friends. 

Homes are decorated with fresh flowers and rangoli designs on floors.

Children are dressed in new clothes and men wear their traditional Indian clothes. Women deck up in the finest jewellery and silk saris.

Jewellery bought on Dhanteras is worn to welcome in the New Year.

People visit each other's home laden with sweets and good wishes. Wearing of new clothes, jewellery, and exchanging of gifts is a tradition on the Hindu New Year since time immemorial.

The earthen diyas continue to light up homes and fairy lights illuminate the garden and trees. 

A symbolic suggestion of darkness overcome by positive brightness heralding in a Prosperous New Year. 

Diwali .... Deepavali

Deepavali is the third day celebration of the five day festival of Diwali. Deepavali means lines of illuminated diyas. Deep is diya and avali means lines or rows.  

Though it falls on ghor amavasya or the darkest moonless night, yet it is considered the most auspicious of the five days by the Hindu Calendar, for on this night the intensive veneration of Lakshmi the goddess of Brightness, Wealth and Prosperity coupled with the lighting of innumerable diyas expels the presence of evil from the minds and  lives of the people.  

The Moonless dark night sparkles with the shining brightness of Lakshmi in the form of jewels, gold coins, innumerable lighted diyas, colourful lighted paper lanterns, and sparkle of fire crackers. 

On Diwali night homes are brilliantly lit with diyas, and decorated with  flowers and rangoli. The murti of Goddess Lakshmi is gorgeously attired in a golden sari  bejewelled in precious jewellery belonging to the lady of the house. Strewn at her feet are gold coins and silver utensils required for the puja. 

Women wear the choicest of dazzling jewellery made of gold and sparkling diamonds, rubies, emeralds and other precious jewels. The sparkle of jewels and brightness of gold is synonymous with Lakshmi.

Legend has it that on this Night the people lined the streets of Ayodhay with thousands of brilliant diyas to welcome home Ram Sita and Lakshman  after fourteen years of Vanvas .

Choti Diwali ..... Kalichaudas.

The second day of the five day celebration of Diwali is called Kalichaudas or Narakchaturdashi. 

Kal means dark and Narak means hell. So this day is symbolic of the doing away of Evil from one's life by continuing the worship of Laxmi who epitomises Prosperity, Light, and Brilliance.

In another legend tied to this day is the story of how Lord Krishna empowered his wife Satyabhama to kill the demon king Narakasura, for it was ordained that he could only be killed by a woman. Krishna's spirit overcame Satyabhama when she struck Narakasura killing him. After the killing of the demon, Krishna smeared his forehead with the blood of the Demon King and then returned to his kingdom at dawn. To celebrate his victory the women of the kingdom smeared sandal wood paste on his body and bathed Krishna in rose water to wash away the filth of Narakasura's negative blood. Hence at dawn on Choti Diwali people take a sandal wood paste smeared, rose water bath.  

Choti Diwali celebrations are austere. In the evening diyas are lit at the entrance and every window of the house to ward off evil with the brilliance of their created energy. Wearing lighter more austere jewellery by women is mandatory for the evening puja of Lakshmi on Kalichaudas night. The brilliance of the small gems coupled with the gold of the ornaments is worn to create an atmosphere of Brilliance, Prosperity, and Abundance.

Dhanteras .... The Auspicious Day of Wealth.

Dhanteras is the first day of the five day celebration of Diwali. 

On this day Goddess Lakshmi is welcomed into homes leading up to Lakshmi Puja on Diwali night.

The story of Dhanteras is about the son of king Hima. 

It was prophesied that on the fourth night of his marriage, when asleep, the Prince would die of a snake bite.

Terrified, the Prince's new bride on that night piled all the Kingdom's gold coins and sparkling gem encrusted golden ornaments at the gates of the Palace. She lit diyas all over the place and sat up all night telling the Prince stories and singing to him  to prevent him from falling asleep.

In the dead of the night Yama the Lord of Death came to the Palace gates taking the form of a poisonous snake. As he tried to slither inside the threshold his eyes were dazzled and blinded by the brilliance of the burning diyas, the huge pile of gold coins and the sparkling ornaments at the threshold. Helpless he sat on top of the golden heap and got lost in hearing the interesting stories the Prince's wife was telling her husband. As dawn broke Yama realised that the time of the Prince's death had passed, so he quietly got up and went away.

On Dhanteras night, people light diyas on the threshold of their homes. They pray to the Goddess of Wealth in the form of gold coins and dress up in golden jewellery studded with diamonds, emeralds and rubies that emit stunning brilliance, to dazzle and shine so as to ward off evil and bad luck.

The philosophy hidden in the mythological story is..... 

To annihilate the doom of calamity; be it health, bankruptcy, or material paucity, the possession of wealth is a must. 

This only comes with the worship and blessings of Goddess Lakshmi !

Laxmi Haar .... Prosperity Declaration.

In spite of its sojourn into Mars and its capitalization of high- tech Cyber Space; India is deeply influenced by thousands of years of spiritual consciousness encapsulated in the hundreds of Gods and Goddess of its religion. 

These religious idols are just representations of various energies which are part of the ONE SUPREME ENERGY-GOD; required to live a meaningful human life. 

The iconography of this school of thought is everywhere in India. Be they personal alters in the home, or public Temples, or walls of business establishments, even in account books of enterprises.

 Jewellery obviously too had been cloaked in this belief. The favourite God Icon for most people in India is Goddess Laxmi; the Power of Prosperity and Success. 

The Laxmi Haar is not confined to any particular region of India. It is found all over the country crafted and designed according to the specifics of the region.

This magnificent necklace of Laxmi is owned by a woman of great wealth for it is an awesome piece of jewellery par-excellence!

Usually the Laxmi Haar is designed as a huge central pendant of the goddess astride a blooming Lotus throne encrusted with precious gems of the finest quality. This element of the necklace is painstakingly crafted with attention to the smallest detail. It is like wearing a temple in the centre of the necklace. 

The Icon of Laxmi is made of solid gold. Her crown is encrusted with small sparkling diamonds. Her garments are studded with multicoloured jewels; a mix of rubies, emeralds, sapphires and diamonds. Her eyes are of the tiniest corrals to denote a fiery piercing glance of prosperity!  She is resplendent with jewellery of the finest and choicest of gems. 

The full bloom lotus, the throne on which Laxmi sits; sparkles with pink and red rubies. The base leaves of the lotus are studded with deep green emeralds. 

The craftsmanship of this central pendant is detailed in micro-mini sculpts and gems. Attention to detail and finery of the craftsmanship of this opulent Necklace decides its value. 

On either sides of this central pendant are series of smaller Laxmi iconic pendants designed on identical lines but more austere than the massive temple centrepiece. Completing the necklace are outlines of sparkling diamonds around each and every pendant, with pristine white precious pearls dangling at the edges. 

Laxmi being synonymous with GOLD it is mandatory that the necklace shows more of the gold element while being masterfully bejewelled with precious gems. 

This gorgeous and opulent Laxmi Haar is not only the desirable possession of a woman but also that of a man because when worn by his wife it showcases his prosperous status in Indian society! 

Linga Padakka Muthu Malai ..... Shiva Necklace.

Originally jewellery around the world was conceptualized as beautiful ornamentation to adorn the bodies of human beings; be they male or female.

It is only in India that the Jewellery of the land along with being a spectacular adornment carries in its designs a vast abundance of cultural and religious heritable connotation of its civilization. 

The LINGA PADAKKA MUTHU MALAI or GAURISHANKARAN is an ancient necklace from Tamil Nadu. It is not just an ornament to enhance the beauty of a woman but carries the auspices of Tamil culture within its design and construction. 

Broadly "Linga Padakka Mutthu Malai" translates into the sacred ornament of Lord Shiva the forest dwelling God of the Tamil people.

The early Dravidian religion constituted a non-Vedic form of Hinduism . The Agamas worshiped sacred flora and fauna. Their Gods were represented as animals and flowers which later got infused into the Dravidian-Aryan form of Hinduism.

Shiva was a Dravidian God, a protective keeper of animals who was later absorbed into the amalgamation of Vedic Gods with Dravidian ethos. 

This necklace has all the elements of nature and worship. Precious gems from the earth, pearls from the sea, flower motifs from flora, peacock imagery from fauna and a Godly icon from the religious scriptures. 

In this unique necklace the central pendant is a huge lingam shaped precious emerald the symbol of Lord Shiva; set in an elaborately encrusted base of deep red rubies supported on either side by two bejewelled ruby peacocks with their ornate emerald encrusted plumes swinging upwards. A Peacock is considered sacred in South India because he is the mount of God Murugan the son of Lord Shiva. Below this huge pendant hangs a smaller bejewelled lotus pendant; the symbol of untouched purity in Hinduism. Rows of flawless pearls strung on either sides of this elaborate auspicious pendant complete the necklace. 

It was believed in Ancient Southern India that flawless pearls warded off evil and hence these pristine white treasures of the sea were a favourite at the courts of medieval kingdoms like Vijayanagar and Thanjavur.

Sometimes this bejewelled pendant had a flat box at the back which held a talisman or a scroll of sacred words or mantras to keep the wearer protected by the power of God. 

The Linga Padakka Mutthu Malai along with other ornaments crafted in the choicest of jewels, were first gifted by the King to the Temples of his kingdom to be worn by the Gods, while equally precious replicas were worn by the King himself and the Queen. 

Because of this customary practice, these typical designs featuring Hindu gods, goddess and religious emblems came to be known as Temple Jewellery.

The main feature of Temple Jewellery is that it is resplendent in precious rubies and sparkling emeralds set in solid gold.

From the Temples to the King's treasury, this gorgeous unparalleled Temple Necklace has now come to be a favourite among all Indians. 

The sparkle and dazzle of precious gems encrusted in the Linga Padakka Mutthu Malai off sets the beauty of a typical Indian Woman seeped in the traditions of her country. 

  

The Rani Haar ..... Regina Grande

Rajasthan reached the pinnacles of glory during the reign of the mighty Maharanas and their bejewelled Maharanis who held sway over these vast tracts of affluent desert lands of India. The Maharanas were Warrior Regents who protected and ruled their land with fierce loyalty and pride. Their consorts the Maharanis or Regina Grande were the female reflections of their Lord and Master and held court in the inner confines of the massive havelis or palaces of Rajasthan.

On Tilak Poshi Divas or coronation day of an ascending Maharana, the Regent and the Regina Grande were a dazzling spectacular pair to behold! Dressed like Gods they entered the Durbar or the Ceremonial Palace Hall amid the sounds of trumpets, drums, showering of rose petals and hails of "Maharana aur Maharani ki jai ho!"

The Maharana would be dressed in the finest gold spun brocades, silken turban (before coronation) and mind boggling priceless jewels from the treasury of his ancestral Kingdom. From the kalgi of his turban to the jewel stitched angrakha of his royal clothes he was an extravagant picture of the awesome power of his land. The layers of cascading necklaces he sported were rows upon rows of inestimable precious gems. Each emerald, ruby, sapphire or diamond the size of a pigeon egg.

     

 The Maharani would be an even more dazzling representation to behold! Dressed in a spun gold brocade ghagra- choli,gossamer odhni of vibrant colours all created with gem stitched designs; ornate with bedazzling jewellery from head to foot in the choicest most precious jewels she would shine like a beacon of irredescent light walking besides her powerful Ranaji.

The cynosure of all eyes in the Durbar Hall would be the Royal Rani Haar that the Maharani wore for her Majesty's Coronation. 

The Rani Haar was especially designed for the Regina Grande to be worn on the occasion of Tilak Poshi Divas.

A piece of jewelry the likes of which could not be found anywhere except in Royal Vaults.

The Rani Haar constituted four to five long ropes of emeralds rubies sapphires and pearls strung to reach the waist of the Maharani. Breaking the long ropes of jewels at intervals to basically support the massive length of the necklace were large three or four pendants on either sides at regular intervals. These pendants of gold kundan work had spectacular mixes of precious gems encrusted within. Each supporting pendent was rimmed with pearls and small diamonds to release the vibrant colours of the emeralds rubies and sapphires in the Kundan design. 

The bejewelled ropes ended on each side of a gigantic central pendant of royal dimensions. This center piece was designed with jewels the sizes of which were not to be found outside the Vaults of the Kingdom.

The precious gems shone majestically in a unique design of Royal extravagance. 

The weight and size of this necklace could only be sported by a Regina Grande encouraged to be carried by her powerful position as the Maharani.

The Rani Haar today has been toned down considerably to suit modern times. It is worn along with the Aad at Rajasthani Weddings and is an essential part of the bridal jewellery repertoire of Rajasthan.  

Chandra Haar ..... The Moon Necklace.

The Chandra Haar is an ancient, significantly auspicious ornament in the bridal jewellery repertoire of Northern India.

In the Epic Ramayana it has been chronicled that Prince Ram of Ayodhya won the hand of the beautiful Sita in a swayamvara organised by her father King Janak of Mithila 

After the swayamvara Sita's father invited King Dasharatha of Ayodhya, Ram's father, to come with the royal wedding party or baraat to perform the sacred nuptials of Ram and Sita. 

Legend has it that Sri Ramchandra the heir apparent of Ayodhya married the pious Sita amid great pomp and fanfare in Mithila. 

Along with the various gifts and essentials required to celebrate the wedding of a Prince, Queen Kaushalya   Ramchandra's mother had a magnificent necklace made for her son to garland Sita with during the wedding ceremony. 

This Necklace was named CHANDRA HAAR after Prince Ramchandra.

CHANDRA translated means MOON and adding it as a suffix to the name of a royal prince equated him to be none other than the Moon God himself. 

The Chandra Haar that Queen Kaushalya had especially customized by a rare community of Brahmin Karigars who came from a village close to Ayodhya was an extraordinary ornament the likes of which were not to be seen in the entire land of Bharat.

This Chandra Haar was literally like a garland which ended at the waist of Sita. The ornament was painstakingly and intricately crafted with five ropes of the choicest sparkling diamonds with delicate strands of parallel pearls on either sides of the necklace, to be attached to a spectacular full moon shaped gold pendant encrusted with flawless diamonds of different sizes circling a huge central solitaire diamond which was one of its kind in Bharatvarsh at that time. Flawless pearls were embedded between the diamonds to add an ethereal look to the Moon Pendant which was encircled by seed pearls strung in gold wires to complete it. 

Six crescent shaped pendants were added at intervals between the diamond ropes on either side, to lend support to this garland-necklace. The crescent pendants were in solid gold embedded with pearls and diamonds. Tiny pearls hung all along the curve of each crescent. 

The entire Chandra Haar crafted in diamonds and pearls was a spectacular representation of the Moon in a starlit golden sky!

Amid chanting of Vedic mantras, showering of marigold and rose petals, Sri Ramchandra garlanded the pious Sita with this awesome necklace while she in turn shone like moonlight with the reflection of the pristine priceless diamonds of the Chandra Haar, lending pure moonshine to her coy yet serene face. 

Thousands of years later, even today, the Chandra Haar is a necklace that is presented by the mother-in-law to the bride and garlanded by her son the groom during the wedding ceremony. 

Over the years the Chandra Haar underwent many changes. The basic design of the Moon and crescents remained the same but modern age karigars diminished its size and also added various precious gems like emeralds and rubies to add colour to the necklace. 

Many a times to suit functional modern times; the Chandra Haar is made more chic by designers using just the crescent moons to go around the collar bone of the bride. 

This ostentatious and spectacular necklace is not just ornamentation for an Indian bride, but carries the culture of India in its design.