Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India encyclopedia

LIFESTYLES

Astur : An ornament worn singly and next to the hand.

Babhunta : A round armlet made of five pieces strung together, and worn lowest on the arm. Bajuband : A broad belt-like ornament, generally mounted on silk and tied on the upper arm. Bajubandooloos : A bajuband or an armlet worn by men. Baza or Bajuband : A wide armlet. Bazu Sada : Bazu and Sad are the Persian words re- spectively for arm and plain. An arm ring has long been one of the special signs of kingly dignity in the East, and perhaps especially so in Middle Asia and the kingdoms of which Persia was the heir. Bazu-Tawiz : An armlet with an amulet. Bazu-sar-Ghundika : An armlet with a stud or button or pendant. Berekhi : An arm ornament worn by women in the western part of Bihar. Bhawatta : A square gold ornament, worn on the upper arm. Bhujband or Bajuband : A trinklet adorned with semi- circular ornaments made hollow, but filled with melted resins. The ends are furnished with loops of the same metal, generally silver, and secured by silken skeins. Bijawath, Bijeth and Bijanta : These are five ornaments strung together and worn below Baza or Bajuband. Dhulai or Baota : An ornamented gold ring for the arm. Jhabuja : An arm ornament in shape like that of an in- verted cup hanging from the arm, and to which bells (bachwa) are attached; and ‘ghundi’ or little ball pen- dants hanging from the Bazu or Anant. Kammarpatta Molatador : A zone worn round the waist. Kanakanaloo : An ornament worn on the wrist by women. Mundali : A clasp. Nauratan: It is the same as Bajuband. The ornament consists of a band of nine gems set side by side and tied by silk ties. Paan-panawa or Balamtar : An ornament worn on the back, between the shoulder; Hindus call it ‘Pan- panawa’ and Muslims ‘Balamtar’. Sikri: A long chain worn on the upper part of the arm. Tad or Tar : Tar means wire. A wire of precious metal shaped like an arm ring. Tawiz : An amulet worn on the upper arm. It is same like Nahar-ka-kara, only difference is in its being more ‘charged’ to ward off any evil. Trying it on the arm signifies providing more strength to the arm. Govamolatadoo : A girdle worn by men and women. Jausan, Pat : Worn principally by Muslim women on the upper arm immediately below the bazu.

ornament is made representing the first wife, which the second wife wears. Silwatta : An amulet case shaped like a small gold pillow or bolster with two rings attached to suspend it. Suti : A kind of neck ring especially popular in the North Bihar (Tirhut) region.. Tawij : Most of the Hindustani women wear round their necks, strung upon black silk thread. Tawijes are the silver cases enclosing either quotations from the Koran or any Mantra (incantation), some mysti- cal writings, or some animal or vegetable substance. What ever be their contents, great reliance is placed on their efficacy in repelling disease and averting the influence of witchcraft (jadu), of which the people of India, of every sect, entertain greatest apprehension. Hence it is not uncommon to see half a dozen or more of these charms strung upon the same thread; some- times with the addition of Baghna (the teeth and the nails of a tiger or tiger’s claws, which are hung round the neck of a child). Teota : An ornament with one row of beads only. Tilari or Panchlari: A set of three or five chains of various lengths. Timania: An ornament with three pieces or an orna- ment with three gems studded on it (Ti or Tri means three). Tokhli : A flat square plate engraved with figures. Tonk or Hasli: It is a solid collar of gold or silver, weighing from four ounces to nearly a pound. Being made of pure metal, they are easily bent, so as to be put on and off. They are commonly square in front, under the chin for several inches, and taper off gradu- ally to not more than half their greatest diameter, terminating at each end with a small knob, cut into po- lygonal form. This ornament is sometimes carved in the Oriental style, either through the whole length, or only on the front. Tulsi : Nearly the same as the Do-lari, except that in- stead of the gold-beads being round, they are of an octogonal shape. Tulsi however, means “the sacred basil” (Ocy mum sanctum), so rosaries used by wor- shipper of Lord Vishnu are made of Tulsi wood. Vajratik : Literally thunderbolt spangle, a “lightning guard”. Vindivijora : Literally a thumbscrew.

Athapahalu-kara : Octagonal bracelets or bracelets with octagonal or hexagonal heads. Bain : An armlet, broad and heavy.

Bangdis: Gold bangles.

Bani: A long sleeve or tube wom on both arms, like a lot of churis fastened together. Banka : A thick gold bracelet, mostly wom by Hindus. Chand; puths; todas or cords: A rope-shaped orna- ment. Chhanni: A bracelet. Chur or Chura : An ornament consisting of several ‘Paatris’ joined together. Churis : Churis of sorts, as for example, Kan- takhaarat Churas, Kanganidar; they are generally made of a flat ribbon of gold or silver bent round. Gajra: A flexible bracelet made of square gold studs mounted on a silk band. Gokru : A bracelet enriched with bells, also wom on the ankles. Got : An ornament in circular shape (‘got’ means a circle). Gujri or Gujarni : This ornament is wom on both the hands and feet. The name is probably derived form the Gujar tribe, who are mostly shepherds and herds- men in Rajasthan. It has little balls or bells upon it. Gunthua-kara : A bracelet of strings or wires. Himbalai : An ornament wom alongwith Bangris, sin- gly and next to the body. Jadau Pahunchi: A Pahunchi, or bracelet set with gems. Jhankangan : A small hollow karas, with grains intro- duced into the hollow to ratde. Kangan or Kara Zanana (bracelets made specially for women): A delicate bracelet suiting feminine taste. Kangan, kara or gokru : A bracelet of stiff metal wom bent round the arm; when the edges are serrated it is called ‘gokru’. Kangans, Ek-hara and Do-hara : One-rowed or two- rowed braclets. Kara : A ring wom on the wrist, ankle etc. These rings are commonly hexagonal or octogonal, of equal thickness throughout, and terminated by a knob at each end, the same as in the Hansli or Hasli. Lahsun-ke-phant-ki-Pahunchi : A braclet designed like garlic bud with a crevice in the middle. Both (49 & 50) varieties of braclets are formed of small pointed prisms of solid silver, or hollow of gold filled with melted resin, each about the size of a very large barley-corn, and having a ring soldered to its bottom. These prisms are strung upon black silk as close as the pointed or perhaps rounded ends will admit, in three or four paralled rows, and then fastened. Nahar-ka-kara : A tiger-headed bracelet of Azhdaha, a dragon-headed bracelet. These are the technical names for bracelets or anklets, the heads of which terminate in the forms of the heads of animals. Nogri or Naugari: A bracelet composed of balls or clusters of grape like balls.

Zangiri : A set of charms

Arm ornaments

Anant (literal mean- ing endless) : A large thin but solid ring of gold or silver chiefly used by Hin- dus; the same idea is symbolised by a snake ring in which the serpent’s tail is in its mouth.

Wrist ornaments

Aak-ke-phula-ki-Pahunchi: A braclet shaped like flower of Aak (Asciepias gigantea).

Anant, Taar or Tciruja : Arm ornaments or small arm- lets worn principally by Hindu women. These are quite similar to ‘babhunta’. Baank : An armlet made of one piece. It is worn by Hindu women on the right arm, but by Muslim women on both.