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. 

Aad .... A Spectacular Ornament

Rajasthan which literally means the land of Royalty originally was a desert expanse with a large number of nomadic tribes roaming this arid yet rich terrain. 

Traditionally the wealth of each tribe lay in the jewellery worn by its women who wandered the desert through the seasons, tending their herds, working in rock mines, cooking and raising children all the while laden in heavy chunky metal and silver jewellery. Wearing wealth converted to jewellery has been an integral part of nomadic life in Northern India as these sections of humanity were constantly on the move.

 As the tribes warred for supremacy and got banded together under one chieftain or Raja; the birth of a new epoch dawned in Rajasthan...the era of Kings. 

Royalty now lived in magnificent Palaces and lesser vassals in opulent mansions called Havelis.

The traditional jewellery pieces worn by their wandering nomadic ancestors were retained in the cache of the Rajputana Royal Jewellery. Metal and silver gave way to a more precious element—Gold, and the traditional designs were now encrusted with valuable or priceless gems. 

Coupled with the royalty of the Rajputs, the tradition of their nomadic ancestors behind them and the influence of the new breathtaking Mogul jewellery  of India ; a unique visually striking piece of jewellery called the Aad or Timaniya was born. 

Originally the tribes who wore a basic version of the now sophisticated Aad attached a customary significance to the then called Timaniya which was that it taught the bride nuances of humility and the idea of bowing her head due to the rigidity of this necklace! 

The Aad is a massive gold necklace that is made of two elaborate components. The highlight of the necklace is a large curved pendant that goes around the throat with broad rims inlayed with uncut diamonds or tiny pearls on the top and bottom. This large pendant could also be called a choker. The pendant or choker could either be made of interlocked individual pieces or can be a single piece of rigid gold inlayed with rubies emeralds sapphires and uncut diamonds.

Below the choker is attached a bib or curtain like necklace- mesh that cascades all the way to the bosom. The size and extension of the bib can vary according to requirement.

The bib or mesh is an intricately patterned  masterpiece of gold interspersed with gorgeously dazzling precious gems in designs of leaves and flowers or geometrical angles. At the bottom of this elaborate ornament are hung huge droplets of either emeralds or rubies to add a spectacular effect to the entire necklace. 

Being an extremely heavy piece of jewellery the Aad is traditionally secured firmly behind the neck by two thick woven strands of resham doras ending in tassels of pearls attached on either sides of the choker.

The Majestic Aad was specially designed to satiate the opulent tastes of the queens of Rajasthan but later it formed a part of the repertoire of Rajasthani Bridal jewellery.  In today's world the magnificent Aad is also crafted in Polkis and Kundan.

The Rajasthani Aad is every bride's DREAM COME TRUE!

Dusshera ... The Battle of Good over Evil.

Dusshera is the celebration of the triumph of Good over Evil. The circumstances leading to this great conflict between Ram and the asura king Ravan have a great significance on the jewellery repertoire of India. 

When Ravan abducts Sita in the guise of a Brahman who has come begging for alms Ram and Laxman are away hunting in the forest. Sita wails while Ravan forcible carries her into his Pushpak Vahan which ascends into the skies flying them off to his Kingdom Lanka. There is no one to hear the desperate call for help of Sita. A desperate Sita not knowing how to let her beloved Ram know of the treacherous abduction starts dropping her jewellery one by one to mark the route of the flying machine. 

She first drops her diamond and emerald studded nupur or anklet next she drops her ruby bangle; as the Pushpak Vahan flies ahead, she drops her Sapphire kangan. all this while Ravan is laughing and mocking her about her Ram never knowing about her whereabouts. Being a male Ravan doesn't even notice what the desperate Sita is doing. As she drops one of her sparkling Navratna Jhumkas it falls next to Jatayu who is resting on the ground. He immediately looks up and seeing a struggling Sita in the clutches of Ravan soars into the heavens to rescue her. A battle ensues between the Eagle King and the Asura King. Sita in all this mayhem continues to drop her jewellery to mark the trail of flight of the Pushpak. She now drops her dainty diamond studded pearl and ruby Guluband. Jatyu being old is defeated by the demonic Ravan and falls to the ground. The Pushpak gathers speed and crossing the tip of the Indian peninsular reaches the skies of Lanka. The abduction of Sita is completed.

On returning to their hut Ram and Laxman are horrified to see Sita missing. They understand that she has been abducted because of the chaos of things strewn all around. Laxman finds Sita's nupur and recognising it he cries out to his brother who rushes to him. They follow the trail and find the next piece of jewellery the ruby bangle. Ram exclaims "look Laxman this is Sita's chudi!" But Laxman fails to identity the piece of jewellery as he has never looked beyond the sacred feet of his bhabi. Ram being Sita's husband identifies all the pieces till they reach a bleeding Jatyu whose mighty wing has been chopped off by Ravan. He then confirms that the asura king of Lanka has carried off Sita ma to his kingdom beyond. 

Ram gathers an army of monkeys and other allies crosses over to Lanka and battles with the forces of Evil of the Asura kingdom. He defeats Ravan in a terrible battle that lasts for ten days and nights and rescues his Sita from the captivation of the Asuras. GOOD triumphs. This day of victory is called Dusshera.

In India the personal jewellery cache of any woman is her unique possession. Be she a queen such as Sita, or an ordinary common woman, it is exclusive to her identification. 

Thaali ..... The Mangalayam

In India since ancient times it has been embedded in its culture and religion that marriage is just not a legal union of two people wanting to spend the rest of their lives together but a bond deeply rooted in emotions and blessed by the Gods. 

In other words—"marriages are made in heaven" and tied firmly by tradition. 

To further seal this union there are certain symbols and customs acted upon since time immemorial, to give credence to this unwritten time-honoured commandment. 

Among them is the wearing of the Thaalior Mangalyam by South Indian Brides. 

The Thaali is a matrimonial talisman tied around the bride's neck by the groom to ward off the effects of the evil eye that may befall their auspicious union. Though not mentioned in the Vedic Religion which later came to be known as Hinduism, yet this quaint custom has its roots in the culture of the people of the region. It symbolises the love and loyalty of the woman for her man and the responsibility of the man in every which way towards his wife. 

The Thaali in ancient times was a flat gold locket engraved with religious and caste specifications strung by a gold thread smeared with turmeric but as time progressed the Thaali too evolved and the gold thread was replaced by a gold chain. In fact the Thaali actually has three threads or three chains threaded as one into the gold locket at the bottom. 

Earlier the religious implication of the Thaali was only twofold. The followers of Shiva engraved 3 horizontal lines and the followers of Vishnu etched 3 vertical lines in their Thaali design. However, the introduction of the caste system divided the design for the Thaali in Southern India and it now can be found in various designs pertaining to the various castes and sub-castes of the region. 

Besides religious connotation the Thaali also had health properties taken into consideration. It was believed to regularize a woman's blood circulation and to have the ability to control the level of pressure in a woman's body. That is why it was advised to keep the Thaali hidden or covered as the constant friction of the gold with the body would result in these health benefits.

In India when a girl gets married it is believed that she not only weds the groom but is forever wedded to the family of her husband which she is embracing in wedlock.

Traditionally the Thaali is tied with THREE KNOTS, first two of which by the bride groom and the third one by the sisters of the bride groom. 

The significance of this is mainly to take an Oath towards maintaining the united married life and protecting the family interests. 

The first knot symbolizes the unity between the two with a firm commitment to each other through the marital bondage. This is amply borne out in all the rituals of the marriage. 

The second knot symbolises the unification and firm commitment to her family by her husband and the third one, which is normally tied by the sister of the groom, is the reciprocal commitment and assurance of the boy's family to the girl's prosperity and well being and the progeny brought through this bondage. 

The Thaali crossing religious barriers is also worn by the Christians of Kerala and they call it the Minnu. In certain regions of Kerala the Muslim women too wear the Thaali. The only difference is that the design and religious etchings are different.

This ornament is no ordinary necklace meant for decorating the woman. It is an extraordinary piece of jewellery that emotionally binds the love, loyalty, and commitment of the couple in its slender thread forever. 

Despite the compulsions of modern times where couples step out of wedlock for specific reasons, yet the Thaali finds itself firmly placed around a bride's neck once again even if she marries for a second time. 

Culture and tradition win over emancipation and western education!

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!