subject: 2011 Bridal Jewellery Trends In India: Know The Facts About Jewellery Designs [print this page] Gold is one of the most important metals that are used in India for the making of bridal jewellery. Gold is not only preferred for its ductility and chemical characteristics, but for its symbolic significance. Gold is considered to be one of the most auspicious of all metals. In South India, almost every woman is supposed to wear gold extensively. Especially, bridal jewellery in South India consists mainly of gold jewellery. There is not much incorporation of gems and stones in traditional south Indian bridal jewellery. Gold is primarily and profusely used to create extravagant bridal jewellery. In this article, we shall take a look at the typical traditional bridal jewellery in South India.
South Indian Gold Jewellery Designs
In South India and in most other parts of India, jewellery is not only ornamentation, but an investment to secure the future of the bride. In an Indian Society, marriage is considered to be the final settlement for a girl and right from the day a girl is born, the parents are concerned about arranging for her wedding. There are some families that even feel burdened at the birth of a daughter, for it means, that the parents have to invest huge amount of money for getting the girl wed when she grows up. In a typical Indian family, the jewellery that is given to the bride acts as the biggest security for her future. Gold has always had great return value and therefore, it has been considered as one of the most favorable types of investment.
Jewellery Designs in Kerala
Let us start with the jewellery patterns in Kerala. Kerala flaunts jewellery in solid gold with the bride being decked up in ostentatious jewellery right from the head to the toe. Brides in Kerala wear special jewellery that is meant to be worn on the forehead. It is an exquisite piece of jewellery that has three laces of gold. The central lace is places vertically down the central parting of the hair and the centre of this lace divide the horizontal laces that run along the forehead and is clasped to the hair.
Glimpses of the South Indian Bride
The hair is extensively decorated with beautiful gold hair pins and laces. Women in South India are known to preserve long lustrous hair which is beautifully adorned with gold coin shaped hair pins. Natural flower is also extensively used as an ornament for South Indian Brides. The wedding attire for women in Kerala is a white silk sari that has broad golden border and it looks perfectly well coordinated with the heavy gold jewellery and white fragrant flowers to adorn the hair. Some of the most popular jewellery from Kerala are Kasu Mala, Nagapada Thali, Palakka Mala, Karimani Mala, Mullamottu Mala, Cheruthali (Thalikoottam), Manga Mala, Addiyal, Poothali, Kashali, Jhimki, Poo thali, Manga Mallai, etc.
There is a special piece of jewellery to adorn each and every part of the body. Matha patti for the head and for the forehead, various types of pure gold necklaces and chains of varied lengths, bangles, armlets, bracelets, laces around the waist and around the anklet are the basic types of jewellery pieces that are a must for every girl. In case of Tamil Nadu however, wearing gold on the feet is absolutely not allowed. Gold has religious and spiritual significance to the Tamils and therefore, gold cannot be used to adorn the feet. In Kerala, anklets and toe rings are extensively used to adorn the brides feet.
Conclusion
When we say Indian gold jewellery, the first state that comes to our mind is Kerala. The way Indians wear gold jewellery at times may seem too extravagant to people elsewhere in the world. However, in India, it is not only a way to adorn the bride, or celebrate the auspicious event of wedding, but a reason for the woman to feel proud of her beauty and grace.
