THE PEOPLE

ORNAMENTS

Fashions in ornaments have undergone a great change in recent years, emphasis now being shifted on simple ornaments made artistically and having less weight. The innate crave of the female heart for ornaments continues despite social, economic and political upheavals and women continue to be zealous about ornaments. Only fashions have changed.

Investment in the form of ornaments is considered as unproductive investment yielding no returns. Such a change in the attitude coupled with high price of gold, insecure economic condition and a change in the taste has led to a change in the pattern of ornaments used. The general trend is to wear a few ornaments.

Ornaments are used chiefly by women and children. Men hardly use any ornaments now-a-days. Formerly, a gold necklace called sakhali, goph or kantha, a pearl ear-ring called bhihbali, a fold wristlet called poci and angathis (finger-rings) were the chief ornaments for men. Then came buttons, links, tie-pins and wrist-watches of precious metals. These are also used rarely now-a-days. Orthodox Jains wear ear-rings, gold chains and angathis (finger-rings).

Women's ornaments show a large variety. Mangalsutra i.e. a necklace of black beads strung together either in gold thread or in a cotton thread is a must for a married Hindu woman with her husband alive. In rural areas such a necklace is called dorale. She should also wear silver rings (called masolya) and golden rings (jodavis) on fingers of her feet and a nose-ring (nath). In urban areas such rings are worn only for a year after marriage. In it is a general understanding that ornaments used for feet by all except royal families should always be of silver-Ornaments of daily wear are a gold chain or a mangalsutra, gold bangles (bangadya) and kudis (ear-tops of seven pearls set in gold). In case of ornaments which are compulsory, poor women buy cheap articles or otherwise go without them. Women of the middle-class often have some other jewellery articles which they use for festive occasions. Among the well-to-do, women often have a galaxy of ornaments. In aristocratic families old ornaments[Head ornaments—Bindi of pearls and jewels. Hair ornaments—Mud, agraphul, bindi bijora, gonde phul, etc. Ear ornaments—Chaukadi and kudi of pearls and precious stones, bugadya, lavanga, vel, etc. Nose ornaments—Nath (nose-ring of pearl or gold beads), sunkale (nose-ring), camaki, morni, etc. Necklaces—Candrahar, caplahar, mohanmal, ekdani, tikka, sari, thusi, kolhapuri saj, pot, tanmani, petya, lappha, etc. Hand ornaments—Bangadya, patalya, tode and vaki.] can yet be found and were in use till recently.

There is a considerable variety in design and pattern, especially in bangles, necklaces, ear-rings and rings. Many of the old patterns in ornaments have been revived with a little change e.g., lappha, tanmani, nath, camaki, mohanmal, hair ornaments like motyacha vel, gulabace phul, etc., tode and many others. Besides these, innumerable patterns have come up and others are coming up.

Those who do not afford ornaments of gold use either silver or other imitation jewellery articles. The enormous increase in the price of gold during the last half of a century has brought into fashion cheaper but showy ornaments and the use of artificial jewellery and glass beads has now become common especially to young girls.

Ornaments for babies are gold chains (Sakhalis) with a pendant, silver or gold chains round the waist and kadi (wristlets for boys) or bindlya (bangles for girls). Black beads strung together in gold or silk thread or pieces of black thread tied round the wrist of a child are believed to protest it from evil spirits. Rings of silver or copper called vale are worn by boys and toradya by girls round the ankles. As children grow and move out by themselves, they are generally left without ornaments.