For today, I'll tell you about the symbols worn by married Hindu women and their significance.
As far as I know, according to the Hindu Culture there usually are 5 signs of the marital status of women. These are -
Mangalsutra,
Sindoor, toe rings, bangles (especially glass bangles),
bindi and a nose ring.
Okay, what are these things and what do they stand for?
Mangalsutra - A mangal sutra is an Indian (and Nepali)symbol of Hindu marriage, consisting of a gold ornament strung from a yellow thread, a string of black beads or a gold chain. It is worn on the neck by a married Hindu woman until her husband's death. The word mangalsutra means an auspicious thread or cord.
Sindoor-
Sindoor is a red powder used by married Hindu women. During the marriage ceremony, the groom applies
sindoor to the parting of the bride's hair to show that she is now a married woman. Subsequent sindoor is applied by the wife as part of her dressing routine. Once widowed, a woman is not supposed to wear
Sindoor.
Toe rings - It is worn as a symbol of married state by Hindu women and is called
bichiya (pronounced: bee-chee-ya) in Hindi. They are usually made of silver and worn in pairs (unlike the trend in Western countries, where they are worn singly or in unmatched pairs) on the second toe of both feet. Some
'bichiya sets' may have pairs for four of the five toes, excluding the little pinky. Also, traditionally a large ring was worn on the great toe of the left foot to indicate a married status.
This was a traditional symbol and modern-day married women do not often wear it, so it is not necessary that every single Hindu married woman would be wearing it.
Bangles - Hindu married women always wear some bangles round both their wrists as it is considered inauspicious to be bare armed. It is often said that (in the context of Hindu culture) a woman is incomplete without bangles. Bangles are not just ornaments but a part of womanhood and honour. Here's a short article on bangles and their significance in Indian culture -
www.india-crafts.com/gems_jewelry/bangles/ - it can explain better!
Bindi - This is that red dot on the forehead! A
bindi (from Sanskrit word
bindu, meaning "a drop, small particle, dot") is a forehead decoration worn in South Asia[1] and Southeast Asia. Traditionally it is a dot of red color applied in the center of the forehead close to the eyebrows, between the eyes.It may also consist of a sign or piece of jewelry worn at this location.
Traditionally married Hindu women wear the red bindi on their forehead, between their eyes. The traditional
bindi is usually made of a red powder (same as that of
sindoor), but these days we also have designer stick-on
bindis in various colors, designs and shapes. Also, in modern society any female can wear a bindi regardless of her marital status or age - though Hindu widows are still barred from adorning themselves.
Nose-ring or Stud- It is a traditional custom for Hindu married women to wear a stud or a nose ring. Women pierce their nose either on one side or on both sides. Gold or silver studs embedded with stones of different sizes and shapes are worn. Small rings instead of studs are also used. The nose ring is considered as a symbol of marriage. Nowadays it is also worn by unmarried girls. Some staunch Hindu women remove the nose ring only if they become widows, so this one's an important symbol too.
Of all these symbols, the
mangalsutra and the
sindoor are the most important ones. The red powder is mainly used because the red color is believed to denote love, marriage etc. These symbols are very important, sacred and dear to married Hindu women and have very strong cultural and religious value attached to them. So the next time you see an Indian Hindu woman wearing these symbols, you'll know it's no crazy fashion but rather her heritage.
