Going by the title of this post, if you think I am going to talk about the ongoing nepotism saga, you are so wrong.
This post has nothing to do with it.
I wanted to pen this post for the longest time, as it's been a while since I have written about Indian culture and traditions.
So without much ado, lets move on to the purpose of this post.
I am not much of a jewellery person. On a daily basis, you will hardly see me wearing any jewellery barring my earrings and mangalsutra.
But every time, I visit my mom, I try to wear atleast my bracelet, if not gold bangles.
My mom is a strong woman with modern beliefs, but she makes sure she follows all traditional rituals and beliefs that are relevant in today's age and era.
She follows a basic rule regarding culture and traditions...if its not too much of a trouble and does not clash with your values ...Do it.
And that is why she insists that her two daughters wear a mangalsutra and bangles on a daily basis post our marriage.
But what I am going to share today are some of my Nani's beliefs regarding wearing bangles, that my mom believes even today.
They are quite interesting and you are free to take it with a pinch of salt if you like.
My Nani was a mothers to 6 daughters who were all educated, independent and working. And though she was the main and driving force behind all her daughters being educated and working, every time her daughters left the house for work, she would insist that they wear atleast a gold/silver chain along with gold/silver bangles.
My Nani always told her daughters that most Indian traditions and beliefs have a scientific reasoning behind it, even though we might not know about it.
She said that physically, women are weaker than men and more susceptible to diseases. As a result our culture insisted on women wearing different jewellery made from metals like gold, silver and brass, so that the chemical properties of this metals would help to strengthen the bones of women. Due to the friction of these metals on the body their properties enter the body making it strong and endurant. Hence she believed that women of older generations were stronger and less susceptible to diseases as compared to the current generation.
Also, my Nani believed that just like the ringing bells in temples ward off negative energy, the clinging sound of bangles and anklets keep negative energies out of the house and maintained the balance of positive forces in the household.
While I really enjoy listening to all the cultural and traditional beliefs our ancestors followed, as far as I am concerned, I cannot wear jewellery everyday. I reserve then for special occasions.
What is your take on jewellery? Do you wear it everyday?
Posts
