Bangles and their Importance to an Indian Bride
An Indian bride’s attire is never complete without the colourful bangles stacked on her wrists and arms. It is not only important as an ornament but also because of its traditional significance.
Bangles are an important part of each Indian bride’s wedding pieces of jewellery. A very distinct way of adorning the Indian bride is by making her wear numerous bangles on both wrists. It’s not merely a statement of beauty but also ties into event’s essence and tradition.
Significance Through History
Since ancient times up to the modern-day, bangles have been worn by Indian women. Historically, the name “bangle” came from the Hindi word Bangli or Bangri which means ornament to adorn the arm in Sanskrit. Yet nowadays, you will see that women in different countries also wear bangles. Bangles indeed have a certain powerful influence on women through different generations and cultures.
The Bangles’ Material
Bangles come in different kinds of materials. They can be made of glass, lacquer, shell, gold or other metals. It is said that soon-to-be and newlywed brides must wear these kinds of bangles for the prosperity of married life and long life for their husbands. There is an Indian superstition that breaking lac or glass bangles bring bad omen to newly-wed couples. Contemporary brides use more metallic bangles.
Colours and their Meaning
You may have noticed how red and gold are the most common colours during Indian weddings as well as the bridal bangles. This is because red signifies energy and gold signifies fortune, a perfect combination of blessing for the bride and the groom. However, more brides are opting to use other colours for their weddings as well. If you want luck, you can wear green bangles coupled with silver for strength. Yellow, as always, signifies happiness, orange is for success, blue is for tranquillity and wisdom while white is for a new start.
If you want all the good things in your married life, wearing bangles with all these colours is also a great idea as long as it will also complement your wedding dress. The colour you choose along with its significance or blessing is not only for yourself but also for your better half. If you want wisdom and strength for your husband, adding silver and blue to your bangles would be a good idea.
Sizes and Designs
Bangles can come in various designs and in different sizes. Although this doesn’t necessarily hold any particular importance, it pays well to wear the most fashionable bangles on your very special day. Some bangles are beautifully detailed with gems and intricate designs while some are plain and have glitters or forms.
Other Indian Traditions
India has many diverse cultures with different wedding traditions. In southern India, there is a tradition of wearing gold and green bangles for fertility and prosperity. If you are a Bengal bride, you will probably wear the shell and coral bangles and receive an iron bangle with gold plates from your new mother-in-law once you officially come to your new home. There are many more traditions with regards to wedding bangles, but one thing is for sure, bangles will always be part of an Indian bride’s essentials.
