South Asian Tradition: Wedding Bangles

With over 30 different languages and 2000 dialects in India alone (wow!), I guess we shouldn't be too surprised that there are many different customs and traditions that make up the wedding ceremony. One of my favorite highlights during the wedding is seeing the bride's stunning jewelry. The sparkle, the jewels, the colors...

Simply stunning, isn't it??

The specific jewelry piece we're highlighting today are the bride's wedding bangles, called the Chura [CHOO-RA]. Depending on which region you're from, the style, colors, and customs of putting the bangles on can greatly vary.



In this picture: Monisha Dhar-Gandhi



If the bride is from Bangladesh, she is given a white, red, and gold bangle to wear in a row between all her other beautiful bangles. The white bangle is called a shaka, the red is a paula. The bride is supposed to wear during the ceremony, and every day after, signifying her marraige. The white bangle is made of conch shell and the red is made of coral.



The bride is also given a Loha which is an iron bangle presented to her from her mother-in-law, and it's significance in the Bengali culture is that similar to a wedding ring.

The ceremony of Shaka Paula is a ritual in which sumangalis or seven married women put red and white coral and shell bangles on the bride. This is done amidst Sanskrit shlokas that are chanted by a learned priest. At this time the bride also wears the iron and silver entwined bangle sent by the groom to signify that their relationship shall be tough and long lasting. (source: articlesnatch.com)



Bride Surabhi Jolly-Mahajan
during her Chura ceremony



If the bride is from the state of Punjab and is Hindu or Sikh* by religion, the Chura is presented to the bride within a ceremony with a priest, the bride's maternal uncle(s) and aunt(s) and the bride. The rest of the bride's family and close friends are near her during the ceremony. The priest performs a prayer and asks the maternal uncle and aunt to wash the Chura in a milk bath. Once the prayer is completed, the uncle and aunt slowly put the Chura on the bride's wrists. This is a symbolic and at times emotional since it is the first ritual of the family giving away the bride. Symbolic of love and unity, the colors of the bangles are generally white and red.



Surabhi receiving Kaleeras on her Chura



After the Chura have been put on, the family members and friends offer sweets and blessings to the bride. Along with the Chura, the bride's sisters, cousins, and friends tie Kaleeras onto the Churas. They are the silver, beaded, dome style decorations that are added to the front of the set of Churas. These are put on to literally prevent the bride from doing any more house work. There is also tradition of bouncing them on all the young unmarried brothers/sisters/friends for good luck for their future wedding announcements to come sooner then later. 

After the wedding is over, the bride is recommended to wear the Chura for a minimum of 60 days, however 1 to 1.5 years is the tradition, and making its way back to a trend! It is typically a family decision and the groom's family are now the head influencers in decision making.  At the time that the Chura are removed, a small puja (prayer) will be done at the same time.  The Chura are a traditional representation of being a new Indian bride and for the bride a constant attachment to the bride's family even after leaving the home and joining the grooms family. 



Our stunning bride with her Chura!



The state of Gujarat has a slightly different custom. The Mamas (maternal uncles) present the Chudo (as it is so called for Gujarati weddings) to their niece for her wedding day. Traditionally, the Chudo is a bigger bangle rather than thin bracelets and made out of "haathi daant" (elephant tusks), but other materials are used now as well.  Gujarati brides wear other bangles as well, in auspicious colors. Putting the Chudo on the bride is similar to other cultures in that the Mamas partake in this ceremony.   

*Our readers have educated us in that Gujaratis wear "Chudlis" from the girl's side and "Chudlas" from the boy's side... learn something new everyday!

Image courtesy of Katha Images

Hope our readers enjoyed this short culture lesson about the different styles of wedding bangles and the varying customs in different parts of South Asia!

*Modified 3/31/11 2:55pm