Kusum Mehta
In tracing the origin of jewellery in India and its development through the centuries, one is borne on the wings of time into the fascinating realm of our ancient civilization, the historical and cultural past of our country and the rich domains of her art and literature.
The origin and significance of jewellery go back to the earliest times, and one sees it through the ages as a remarkable manifestation of aesthetic urge, the inventive genius, the technical skill, and the prosperity or decline of the nation.
Anklets can be seen at Mohenjodaro, at Harappa, on carved figures of Sanchi and in the earliest sculptures of South India. In the Andhra dynasties, Kondapalli in the Krishna District and Kalahasti in the Nellore district, the kings wore anklets of decorated cloth, as seen in the Kalamkari paintings. There were many names used for these ornaments and the most common was nupura. They were made of beads, of copper from silver and also gold.
A touching verse from the Ramayana also tells of Sita’s jewels which had been found by the Monkeys in Kishinda Ram asks Lakshmana whether he recognises Sita’s jewels, Lakshmana repries :
Naham Janami Keyure
Naham Janami Kundale
Nupura-tu-abhi Janami
Padebhi Vandanet…
As the brother-in-law of Sita, living strictly according to the moral code of that time, he did not recognise her bracelets, nor the earrings, for he never looked at her face but only at her feet, so the only jewellery he was familiar with were her anklets.
In the Bhagwat, Krishna’s Rasa dance with the Gopikas is described in great details.. “the anklets and the waist bells of the Gopis united with Krishna raised a loud sound of divine harmony writes Vyas.
In the Sanskrit drama, the clay cart, Vasantsena takes off her anklets in a dramatic way when she goes to meet her lover, fearing that she may bring trouble to her beloved.
In the monumental treaties, Bharat’s Natya Shastra, the abarya abhinaya is the art of decoration. It is classified into four types: avedhya, that which is to be worn by piercing like earrings and so on, bandhaniya, that which is to be tied, a watch aropya which is placed around necklaces and prakshepya that which is to be worn, anklets.
Bharata speaks of various kinds of nupura, the kinkini, the ratanjala and the Kataka. The kinkini were the ghunghurus, bells that all dancers wear to emphasis the rhythmic beats of the feet. Bharata tells us that kikini, the bells, should be made of bronze, copper or silver. They should possess a melodious tone and be of pleasing shape and have the stars as their presiding deities they should be strung together on a black thread with a knot between each.
The silver anklets of the women consist of one or several of the following pieces (1) a uniform set of about a dozen hoops made of a slim twisted wire (2) a large hollow ring finished with carviys (3) a flat in flexible piece of trellis- work with a narrow rein, rounded in the form of a ring round the anklets (4) a silver chain (jhanjhar) with tiny bellow of the same metal suspended to its edges and (5) a heavy hoops of a plain solid silver bar. The anklets worn among the poor classes are not always of silver, but are often made of some cheaper metal.
The anwat is a silver ring furnished with small bells worn by women on the great toe. The chutki and bichhua are flat rings worn on the other toes, linked together with looping chains which cover the fore-part of the foot. The payal, Chhara, Kari, tora, pahezeb and bank are all different kinds of anklets. Pairi is a heavy ornament for the ankle.
The traditional shapes, though still used lay the lower classes, are now almost extinct among the upper classes and are rarely to be met with in gold ornaments. Sooner or later, however, the ornaments of the village gril also find their way in the porion shop or the melting pot and thus it is that most ancient forms are found only in the base metals worn by the wondering Banjaras and others since the metal has no intrinsic value and can be neither sold or melted.
The traditional ornaments forankle may be classified into three types :
1. Ankle Ring (thinner type)
2. Anklet (thicket type)
3. Ankle Band or chain (pliable)
Ankle Ring : Under this are included this closed rings usually made of silver wire twisted like a rope. These are worn in a bunch of three or eight at a time in each ankle.
Anklet : It is a thick and heavy ankle ornament made of silver mainly; other metals which are used rarely are brass. In Odissa and Rajasthan, aluminium is also reported to be employed. In no case, gold is used in the making of leg ornaments as some sacredness is attributed to the metal.
Anklets are circular or boat shaped. Most of the anklets are circular and they are either closed or have an opening or cleft. The latter variety is provided with two knobs, sometimes carved into the shape of animals head at the juncture.
In Rajasthan, women wear a set of ankle ornaments which consist of one Kara, two Weories, followed by two or three Paijanias, and lastly a Danedar Paijania, or Khokra. Some wear another sort of set made of brass. It consists of one Kadi, which touches the ankle, above it four patris and astly one Khokra. Another set of leg ornaments is made of aluminium and consists of sada kada or Langar numbering upto three, one decorated kada curved with some designs, followed by a Sada Kada, after which a big anklet known as Bada kada is worn.
In former days, women of Jodhpur area used to put on a number of silver ankle ornaments which were cumulatively called Jor and the different items of which were termed by the name of Kadla, Anwala, Nevri, Hiranemi, Tanka, etc smetimes numbering seven on each foot. The Blue and Bhambhi women wear silver anklets called kada and Santh.
Ghunkru is a copper anklet worn in Himachal Pradesh.
The other variety is slightly bent due to constriction in the middle or the ornament is curved in such a fashion that its lateral view gives an impression of boat-shape. The bent variety includes ornaments like Dikupayeri and Banka or Odessa, Kansa Andu or Bihar, Paota or Pauta of Uttar Pradesh, Kadian of Jammu and Kashmir, and thodulu of Andhra Pradesh. Kansa, Andu Kadian, and Paota ar decorated with engraved designs.
In Andhra Pradesh, we find a broad and flat anklet named Pattalu Panjlagu made a silver plate. The plate is highly decoated with fine engravings on the outer surface and has minute hanging globules at the lower margin. It is oval in shape and is provided with a serew device for wearing.
Ankle Band or Chain : This type includes pliable ankle bands or chains worn round the anklet. These are made of small ornate pieces of various shapes and designs connected together and are provided with screw or hook devices for wearing.
They are made of silver mainly, brass or beltmetal is used in a few cases. Most of these ankle ornaments are provided with minute bells which produce tinkling sound while wealking.
This type of ankle ornaments is distributed almost all over India and some examples are Ghumer or Tora or of West Bengal, Payel of Bihar, Dikupairi or Payeri, Pandara, Paunja, Pati Paunjal, Lari and Paijeb of Uttar Pradesh, Payeli and Gulsam Pattion of the Punjab, Tota of Jammu & Kashmir, Tora, Sakhli or Sakli, and Ghungur of Maharashtra, Zanjar and Tora of Gujarat. Tora and Payal of Madhya Pradesh, Pajeb and Tora of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, Pattalu or Powdalu of Andhra Pradesh and Kolusu of Tamil Nadu.
The Paijeb of Uttar Pradesh is worn by both Hindus and Muslims. The Tora of Jammu and Kashmir is worn by married women on ceremonial occasions. In Maharashtra, the ankle ornaments are worn mostly on ceremonial occasion now-a-days. Tora and Ghungur of this state are usually worn by Thakurs and Banjaras respectively.
Whatever happens, the love of personal finery will never disappear from the heart of the Indian woman, so deeply it is embedded in her very soul.
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