Jewellery of Rajasthan

The jewellery in Rajasthan has been acquiring a special position amongst fashionable women since ages. Besides, royal Rajasthani women, these jewelleries are used and possessed by people from all over India. Continuity and the co-existence of India"s urban civilization and tribal cultures have bestowed a particular cultural identity to the traditional jewellery of Rajasthan. This is especially authentic in Rajasthan, where master-craftsmen in the urban centres enjoyed royal patronage and, thus, were able to develop their skills and imagination to create beautiful pieces of jewellery. On the other hand, tribal and rural communities of Rajasthan remain rooted in their traditions. Today, jewellery frames the context of its wearer`s social status.

Jewellery in Rajasthan also serves the purpose of distinguishing one socio-ethnic group from the other one. Several laws were enacted, which clearly restricted the use of the metal in the jewellery of Rajasthan. Royalty alone had the power to display gold ornaments anywhere on their person, whereas the rest of the social classes were allowed to wear gold only from the waist up. All other sections of society were permitted the use of gold in strict moderation, for instance, only in case of nose rings. Otherwise, it was believed that the purity of this precious metal would be tarnished. Thus society in the region was further divided by the wearing of gold.

The jewellery of Rajasthan is much like costume, which is the manifestation of refined design and skill that has evolved by a civilisation over the millennia. The vast and diverse range of jewellery exists especially in the present day as an indication of the creativity and aesthetic consciousness of the Indian craftsperson, as also the innate desire for personal ornamentation. The association between ornaments and religion is very strong in the norms of Rajasthan. Particular pieces of jewellery and even the material declare the religious affinities of a group.

Apart from its symbolic value, the jewellery of Rajasthan is also an important investment because of its easy liquidity. This is especially true in this region with its harsh desert environment, its unremitting internecine warfare and history of turbulent political upheaval. Feudalism, invasions and instability made it essential to accumulate movable assets for security. The precious jewellery in Rajasthan was also an evaluation of survival.

The Soni community is the traditional jewellers of Rajasthan. They use a multitude of materials, both organic and inorganic, from which they create beautiful jewellery. Although the jewellery in Rajasthan is crafted from a wide variety of metals, gold and silver are the most popular. Silver has always been the unmatched favourite in Rajasthan, as it is found in great abundance in the region. Gemstones like diamonds, rubies, pearls, sapphires and emeralds are also widely used for making jewellery in Rajasthan. Grass, straw and feathers are other materials that are widely used for ornamentation by the tribal people. Cowrie shells are used to decorate women"s hairpieces.

Lacquer or lac, aptly termed as "the common man"s gold" is greatly admired in Rajasthan. It is also considered extremely promising and auspicious by certain communities like the Bishnoi. Today, the lacquer bangles are hugely popular for special occasions like family weddings, Teej and other festivals. The lacquer bangles are made through an interesting process, with natural materials.

The coarse lac is initially melted down and overwrought through a muslin cloth. The residue obtained is called "Chapadi". The next stage involves the preparation of the "Guni" and "Batti". Guni is the lac stick and it is prepared by heating together coarsely pounded lac, beroza powder and crushed soapstone. These are finally rolled on to a wooden stick. In order to make the batti or colour cake, the chapadi is initially softened by heating and coloured powder is added. This mixture is kneaded, heated a little and cut into small cakes. Immersion in water then cools these cakes and a wooden stick is attached. Once the guni and batti are prepared, the batti is heated and rolled onto the surface of the guni. Several coatings are made so that the guni gets a generous amount of colour. This coloured guni is then heated and pressed into an unbroken column with a tool, known as "hatta" in their native language. This column is cut to get bangles of the needed size.

Almost two centuries of colonisation could not change the Rajasthani tradition of jewellery as daily wear. While its use as ornamentation may not be so routinely noticeable in urban India, it is still an indispensable part of the everyday attire of the rural Indian.

Jewellery for Women in Rajasthan plays a vital role in lifestyle of the People of Rajasthan. The Rajasthani jewelleries are a part of the daily ornamentation and a mark to describe their present status as well. Rajasthani women adorn themselves starting from their forehead up to the toe. The ornaments of Rajasthani women portray the culture and tradition of the region. They are beautiful and gorgeous in outlook with religious and customary significance.

Head Jewellery for Women in Rajasthan
Rajasthan has a long tradition of ornaments for the forehead. The various types of Head Jewellery for Women in Rajasthan are as follows:

1. Bor: The Bor is usually placed right in the middle of the forehead. The Bor is an essential symbol of marriage and is worn only after the wedding rituals are completed. It is presented to the bride by her husband"s family and is worn everyday for as long as she remains a married woman.

2. Sir-Maang: Sir-Maang is worn only in the parting of the hair. The structure of this ornament is usually a single chain set with precious stones.

3. Seldi: The Seldi is worn at the end of a braid and is a popular hair ornament made of gold or silver and has a conical shape, with tiny bells dangling from its base.

4. Shishphul: The Shishphul literally means a head flower. This ornament is usually made of gold and has three flat floral pendants joined by chains, with smaller pendants in the centre.

5. Tika: A Tika can be a circular or heart shaped pendant with a small chain affixed at the back that has a clasp on its end, which hooks it to the hair.

Ear Jewellery for Women in Rajasthan
Ear ornaments of the Rajasthani women are a charming enhancement to their appearance. The most popular earring is in the shape of a five-petalled flower, set with pearls and precious stones. The various types of Ear Jewellery for Women in Rajasthan are as follows:

1. Bedla: The Bedla is either circular in shape or long and is worn on the upper region of the ear. Two or three are worn together by married women. Bedla are small curved wires, with heart shaped ends.

2. Jhumka: The Jhumka, Jhumar or Jhumri are among the most popular ear ornaments in Rajasthan. They are bell-shaped earrings, made in gold or silver. Rajput and Mahajan women adorn themselves with gold Jhumka.

3 Karnphul: The Karnphul are shaped like a five-petalled flower. They are often embedded with precious and semi-precious stones.

4. Kudka: The kudka is created from brass and worn mainly by Meghvai and Sindhi Muslim women. This earring has two particular semi-spherical parts of different sizes that are linked. The centre of each piece is often set with a stone.

5. Kundal: Kundal are large circlets, set with valuable stones on their noticeable surface and usually enamelled on the reverse side. These are different ear ornaments and are worn mostly by Muslim women in Rajasthan.

6. Nasbi: The central fold of the ear is known as the nasbi and the ornament worn on this part is named after it. This is a small gold ring worn in the centre of one ear. It is put on during marriage and never removed. A popular belief among the people here is that those who wear this ornament secure a place for themselves in heaven.

Nose Jewellery for Women in Rajasthan
Nose Jewellery is the most symbolic and visible ornament to identify how a community decorates the nose. It is worn by a woman at the time of her wedding and is a symbol of her marital status. It is associated with a woman"s honour and "nathni utarna", meaning removing a nose ring indicates her disgrace. The nose ring, worn most commonly in Rajasthan represents the sun and the moon. The large circle represents the sun and under the nose is the hemispherical moon. The upper portion is studded with red stones and the under portion has white ones.

Neck Jewellery for Women in Rajasthan
The neck is often the most heavily ornamented area of a woman"s body. Even within the same community, neck jewellery may reveal an enormous variety. Some of them are as follows:

1. Badla: Badla is a circular, cylindrical, hollow, round circlet piece, which tapers towards at one end. It is generally made in silver, except in certain communities like the Rajput, who use a gold version of the ornament. Only Hindu women wear the Badla after marriage.

2. Galapatti: The Galapatti or Gulaband, is an ornament, literally a `neckband`, made by stringing together small pieces of kundan or Meenakari to form a necklace. The necklace, when worn, covers the neck like a collar.

3. Haar: Haar is a standard term for any long necklace and could also suggest a garland. These necklaces may be of varying lengths, demonstrating tremendous variety of styles and forms. Patri Haar, Ath Pahlu Haar, Lam Haar and Chandan Haar are some of the types of Haar in Rajasthan.

4. Hansli: The ornament Hansli derives its name from the word ham which means `neck`. The whole ornament is made of forged silver and some additional linear designs and sometimes designs are also engraved on its surface.

5. Kanthi: The kanthi is worn close to the throat or kanth. Small gold or silver units are threaded together with rows of black beads. The center piece is a half moon, flanked by two floral units, which are, in turn, adjoined by rectangular pieces.

Hand Jewellery for Women in Rajasthan
Hand Jewellery plays such a vital role in the Rajasthani woman"s life. The short-sleeved "Kanchli" is possibly designed to highlight the wearer"s complicated bangles, which start at the upper arm and move all the way down to the wrists, covering the bare arm. The "Bajubandh" in gold or silver is worn on the upper arm, just above the elbow.

All married Hindu women wear the "Chuda" in Rajasthan. A woman puts on the Chuda at the time of her marriage, offering prayers for her husband"s safety from calamities and the preservation of her marital status. A "Kanganpola" is a circular hollow ring worn above the elbow by the women of the Sindhi Musalman community. "Katariya" bangle is worn below the Chuda and "Mangli" is worn above the elbow. "Bahiyan" is a type of bangle that is worn by most Bhil women.

Finger Jewellery for Women in Rajasthan
A variety of accessories ornaments the fingers of Rajasthani women. The "Arsi" is a silver thumb ring, which is worn in other parts of the country, as well. "Hathphul" covers the back of the hand and although it has several variations, its commonest form has an ornamented spherical plate at its centre.

Hip Jewellery for Women in Rajasthan
The exquisite ornaments that grace the waistline enhance the wearer"s charm. "Kanakti", "Kamarbandh" or "Kandora" is a heavy girdle worn around the waist by almost all women in Rajasthan.

Feet Jewellery for Women in Rajasthan
The ankles and feet, like all other parts of the body are broadly decorated. A large variety of rings, usually known as "Angushlha" are worn on the feet. The "Avla" is a hollow, evenly circular ring. "Bichiya" is symbolic of the woman`s marital status. "Hirmani" is a single solid wire worn on one foot. When three leg ornaments, the "kada", "nang" and "payal", are worn as a set, they are known as a "Jod". "Rimjhol" is an evenly formed ring and is an ornament, which tinkles with foot movement.

Jewellery for men in Rajasthan is exquisitely beautiful and attractive in appearance. Although male jewellery has witnessed a declined graph, over time, traditional gold and silver ornaments are still worn by rural men in the state. Turbans have acquired different heights of popularity under the Mughal dynasty. It was also during this time that extraordinary turban ornaments became popular. These were the sarpech, kalgi, sarpatti and turra.

The kalgi is a type of Rajasthani jewellery for men that were a feather plume inspired by the feathered crests of the wonderful birds, native to their region. The most distinguished Mughal kalgi-design possessed three black heron feathers and only members of royal family could wear this kalgi. Sometimes, metal-sheets were replaced for feathers. The sheets were beaten into fine strips and, then, carefully designed in the shape of feathers. The sarpatti is another turban ornament that primarily came into vogue around the late eighteenth century. It is essentially a synthesis of the sarpech and armband and consisted of hinged units, their numbers ranging from three to seven, with a kalgi attached to the central unit. Sometimes, a single gemstone pendant used to hand from the sarpatti. In another design, the entire ornament had several gems fixed like a fringe at the lower edge of each unit.

The sarpech is a compound of two words, namely sar literally meaning `head` and pech, referring to a screw. As an ornament, although it was flat, it was shaped like a single vertical feather, with a curved tip. Crafted from metal, it was set with gems on the obverse side. Sometimes, even the reverse was elaborately enamelled or decorated with precious stones. It was worn by tucking its gold stem, usually called the quill, into the folds of the turban. The turra often shaped like a fan, is an ornament and used on the turban. Baleora is a gold necklace, commonly worn by influential Hindus; it consisted of seven chains that were further adorned with seven clasp units, which were set with gemstones. A screw was built into the back clasp to fasten the entire piece. The necklace had an elaborate central pendant called a dhuk-huki or jugni, ornamented with gemstones. Another common neck-ornament is the gop and jugavali. It is a circular torque with a stunning pendant known as the jugavali.

Hansli is an ornament that is worn by men, women and children. It derives its name from the collarbone on which it rests. The basic form of the hansli is a rigid circular silver torque with a hollow or solid construction. The men`s hansli is distinguished from those worn by women and children by the presence of bells or ghughra. Rigid gold torques, with gemstones and enamel work were also worn in some communities. Motimala or Manakmala is an elaborate necklace made of pearls, emeralds or rubies. It usually has five or seven strings of varying or similar length. The ears of Rajasthani men are pierced at a very early age. Ear-piercing is considered to be auspicious and an elaborate ceremony generally marks the occasion. Balas is gold wire hoops, usually strung with precious stones, like pearls or rubies. Jhela and Murki are small ear-rings that are worn on the earlobes and are often shaped like six-petalled flowers.

Khag or Kandhe-Ka-Gahna was made of gold, its facade side set with gemstones and enamelled on the reverse. Although its earliest records in India date back to the twelfth century, this ornament has seen several innovations introduced to its design. It was worn either on one or both shoulders. The bajuband or the armlet was usually made of floral motifs and these designs were marked with precious stones. Beenti are rings worn on the fingers. Kada or the bracelets are made of either gold or silver. It is a common piece of jewellery and worn by almost all Rajasthani men. Belt Buckles are lavishly ornamented in Rajasthan, especially in case of men. These ornaments are made of both gold and silver and the inner plate may often be enamelled.

The gajjalu are cast brass ankle bells that are sewn on to a strip of leather and worn by male-dancers when they perform. This is a theatrical costume-jewellery worn only by performers for any special occasion. The tazim is crafted in gold or silver. It is a hereditary chain anklet that was a sign of special recognition and honour granted by a ruler. It was worn on the right ankle; however, when granted in pairs, they were worn on both ankles. The receivers of this ornament were called tazimi sardar and were entitled to several privileges. In contemporary days, villagers wear tazimi on their right ankle during their marriage. Amulets are protective pieces of jewellery for the Rajasthani men and believed to bestow good luck to the wearer and are found in most of the traditional societies in the subcontinent. In Rajasthan, the choice of amulets is more often dependent on the wearer`s community or clan and its patron-deity, rather than on individual choice. Amulets may be worn either as necklaces or bracelets. Amulets come in a wide variety of shapes.

The sher-nakh-jantr is a silver amulet that is curved like a tiger`s claw. Metal plaque amulets usually have a relief-worked image of a Hindu deity, accompanied by his vahana or vehicle. Amulets may also depict folklore heroes. Amulets often feature geometrical shapes. Squares, rectangles and pentagons are representative of a house, six-sided amulets are known as patri and are representative of a temple, and circular amulets called mandala are believed to ward off evil spirits. Jewellery for Rajasthani men made from coins, which are no longer in circulation, also falls under the classification of talismanic jewellery, although they might, at first sight, appear to have complete ornamental value. Coins could be easily conceived of as amulets, partly because metals are considered holy by the local people and because of the stamped images on them.

Ornaments in the lives of Rajasthani people are, thus, interwoven into the fabric of everyday life in Rajasthan. Crafted from a wide variety of raw materials, they serve too many purposes and their designs range from the simple to the highly elaborate ones. They emphasize the striking appearance of the Rajasthani people, giving Rajasthan its awesome splendor and commemoration.

Tribal jewellery of Rajasthan takes an important position in the Costumes of Rajasthan. Tribal people of Rajasthan like to pamper themselves in various types of ornaments. Rajasthani tribal jewelleries are wide in numbers and they can mesmerize the viewers. Tribal jewellery can be mentioned as one of the chief attractions of Rajasthan. The wide range of tribal jewellery of Rajasthan varies from its chunky tribal jewellery to enameled gold to modern diamond jewellery. These have a huge market worldwide. In Rajasthan, men and women can be seen with colourful necklaces, armlets, anklets, earrings and rings. Silver is more commonly worn by the rural women and is certainly more affordable.

Various kinds of Tribal Jewellery of Rajasthan
The royal attire in this region is `Sarpench` i.e. a kind of turban ornamentation and also a variety of necklaces, which are very different and unique in its nature.

Another important variety for tribal jewellery of Rajasthan is `lac`. There is production of several colourful bangles, which are made of lac and set with semiprecious stones in it. These make an economical buy for the classy people.

Rajasthan`s silver tribal jewellery is very famous as it is exported in different parts of the country as well as outside India. It is a delightful collection of earrings, bracelets, bangles, amulets, anklets, hairpins and necklaces. These have a characteristic oxidized appearance, which attracts foreign buyers.

Silver and gold work `old pendant` is somewhat antique tribal jewellery from Rajasthan. This main case of this pendant is made of excellent silver and pure gold wirework piece seated inside. These have an ethnic look which attracts lot of tourists. Anklet pair with bells is a beautiful tribal old silver broad ankle bracelet pair from Rajasthan. This looks grand as it enhances the beauty of a woman. This is mainly popular among Banjara tribe of Rajasthan. This represents nice workmanship, wide link chain design and attached hollow balls in-group all around.

Ethnic bracelet or `upper armlet` is again very precious for the tribal folk of Rajasthan. The semi-flexible body of broad braided wire has a central floral ornament. All of these have a traditional look that offers a wide range of exquisite jewellery. Neck ring or `Hansuli` is a unique tribal jewellery that is not seen everywhere in contemporary life.

Madliya Thread Necklace
`Madliya thread necklace` is a beautiful traditionally designed silver necklace. This is predominant in Rajasthan. The traditional design can be described as a silver pendant or Madaliya, which is strung in traditional way in cotton cord with four nice cut silver beads.

Belt
"Belt" is an important form of Rajasthani tribal jewellery. This is basically a beautiful tribal old silver flexible belly chain. This is found everywhere in Rajasthan, especially in the tribal areas. This has good screw opening system, which makes it very convenient to wear. Sometimes mango shape pendant are found attached with the belt while line of link chain are present in the middle loop.

Toe Rings
`Toe rings` in Gajre design is also a variety of tribal jewellery of Rajasthan. This is basically a very nice tribal old silver toe rings pair. These are common in Rajasthani tribal women. These are of different styles and structures. Some are plain and simple while some are of special textures. These beautiful old silver rings are widely used by the tribal women folk from Rajasthan. This is made of one piece of silver, which looks, simple as well as smart. Men and women both can wear these rings. The range of earrings used amongst the Rajasthani tribal is wide in number. These vintage antique tribal old silver earrings are very famous among the tribal folk. These are also known as earplug pair or `Tokariya`.

These are all specialty of Rajasthan but more specifically worn by Rabari tribe of Rajasthan. These ornaments have beautiful handmade design and attached bells in all the bottom loops. Besides, the above mentioned ones, there are a lot more that have made the collection of Rajasthani tribal jewellery truly exquisite and incomparable one.