From the Kashmiri Gunus to the Mughal Passa: North Indian Wedding Jewelry You NEED to Know About

Published: Tue, Dec 06, 2022
North Indian wedding jewelry ideas

The culture of North India is known to follow the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb (Hindustani for Ganges–Yamuna Culture), a syncretic blend of Persian Islamic culture and Yamuna-Gangetic Hindu civilisation. The tehzeeb encompasses a specific dialect, literature, leisure activities, attire, demeanour, worldview, art, architecture, and cuisine. As a consequence, this blend is also visible in the Indian wedding jewelry belonging to this region of the country.

Indian Wedding Jewelry of the North

North Indian wedding jewelry varies as we move from the highs to the lows of the land. Let’s take a look at some of the unique wedding jewelry of some of the states of North India.

Kashmir

Indian wedding jewelry

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Atheru

It is a typical ear wedding jewelry donned by Kashmiri brides. It comprises three decorative components: the athoor, dejhoor, and atah. It is a gift from the bride's in-laws.

Dejhoor

Dejhoor represents marriage for Kashmiri women. It is worn on the upper part of the ear and is thought to have been created by the legendary Kashmiri Acharya to enable women to absorb holy power.

Gunus

The Gunus is a gold Indian bracelet that is one of the numerous pieces influenced by animals and features either a lion or a snake on each end. This stunning piece of jewelry works well with both classic and contemporary outfits, and it may be used with clothes other than bridal ones.

Kaskar

These are thick gold bangles that Kashmiri brides generally wear along with other bangles and bracelets on their wedding day.

Himachal Pradesh

Traditional Indian wedding jewelry

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Khul Kantaie

The Khul Kantaie belongs to the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh and forms part of a Himachali bride's wedding jewelry. These bridal earrings are worn from the hair to the ears and comprise several, often two dozen earrings placed on a strip of fabric.

Chudamani

Chudamani is a lotus-shaped headpiece that is donned by parting the hair and is an important component of all Himachal costumes.

Kach

The Kach is a type of Himachali choker and is made of several silver beads placed in rows between triangular silver plaques. It features a small pendant-like element at the center with ghungroos attached to it.

Chiri Tika

The Chiri Tika is a head jewelry piece worn by brides in the Gaddi district in Himachal Pradesh. The word "Chiri" in the colloquial tongue means bird, and thus this piece of head wedding jewelry features a central tika element with bird motifs.

Chandra Malang

The Chandra Malang is a type of coin necklace and is a favorite among Pahari women of Himachal Pradesh.

Uttarakhand

Traditional Indian wedding jewelry

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Galobandh

One of the most well-known pieces of jewelry in Uttrakhand and an important part of its wedding jewelry is the galabandh, which Kumaoni, Garhwali, Bhotiya, and Jaunsari ladies and brides wear. Galabandh, as its name suggests, is a choker necklace worn around the neck.

Pahunchi

Pahunchi, which is essentially a gold bracelet, is immensely popular in Uttarakhand's Kumaon and Garhwal regions. Pahunchi is regarded as a lucky piece of wedding jewelry for married ladies in Kumaon. Married ladies typically wear it during holidays and significant family gatherings.

Tehri Nath

The Tehri Nath is one of the most significant pieces of wedding jewelry for a bride from Uttarakhand. The Tehri Nath is one of the most well-known varieties of nath. It is a large nose ring shaped like the moon and is renowned for the exquisite artistry that goes into its creation.

Karnfool

Karnfool, which means the flower of the ear, is a piece of wedding jewelry worn on the earlobe. It is worn by the majority of Pahari women.

Punjab

Traditional Indian wedding jewelry

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Chooda

Chooda is an important part of traditional wedding jewelry for a Punjabi bride. It is a set of bangles that feature inlay work and are red and white with ivory carvings. The maternal uncle and aunt of the bride present her with the chooda set.

Kaleere

Kaleere are another important piece of Indian wedding jewelry that are part of a Punjabi bride’s trousseau. They are umbrella-shaped ornaments with multiple strings hanging from them.

Uttar Pradesh

Traditional Indian wedding jewelry

Bride wearing traditional head jewelry (jhumar, also called chapka). Some were made with obverse and reverse sides (do-rukh), each ornamented with different gemstones to be reversible. She also wears a forehead ornament (mang tika) with pearl-strung support (mang patti) and a nose ring (nath), both symbolic of marriage in northern India.

Image courtesy: Traditional Indian Jewelry of India by Oppi Untracht

Passa

Jhoomar, sometimes referred to as Passa, is an Indian wedding headpiece that is worn on the left side of the head. Given its clear Islamic influence, it is primarily worn by north Indian brides and is a crucial component of a Muslim bride's jewelry. The Mughals brought the Jhoomar to India, and the people of the North added it to their collection of jewelry.

Katesari

Katesari is a type of choker necklace belonging to Uttar Pradesh. It is frequently made of silver and comprises parts with a transparent glass stone with a red dot in the middle that is foil-backed.

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