Traditional Ornaments
of Punjab
Rig-Veda, the oldest book in
the world, mentions ornaments worn by the gods. Rudra, a
Vedic deity, is described as "shining with brilliant
gold ornaments" and "wearing" an adorable,
uniform necklace". According to this book the demons
also had plenty of gold and jewels and the kings and sages
prayed to the God for valuables of that kind. Kakshivat,
the sage, prayed for a son "decorated with golden earrings
and jewel necklace".
No doubt jewellery making is an ancient craft that goes
back to the cave man and its popular use in ancient India
is well established.
Jewellery in India also has had social and economic implications.
It is an investment as also a saving for emergencies. The
jewellery given to the bride at the time of the marriage
becomes her own possession called stridhan, woman's wealth.
This was in addition to the love of personal adornment inherent
in the women folk. But for mortal humans it also symbolises
the concept of immortality. Precious stones and precious
metals, distinguished by this classification from other
substance have, throughout the ages, stood for power and
wealth. And this concept of power and wealth, as imbibed
through ornaments, seems to have remained integrated in
the psyche of the Punjabi women through the ages and remarkably
so despite a stream of war and rapine that marked the life
of the people of the land of five rivers with continuous
vicissitudes.
Ornaments, as symbol of power, wealth and feminity, and
also as an investment by the Punjabi women, are found in
many varieties and forms. B.H. Baden-Powell, in his book
Handbook of the Manufactures and Arts of the Punjab, published
in 1872, lists 97 names of ornaments used in Punjab. And
this list is by no means exhaustive, because an endless
variety of ornaments are used in local parlance, often only
locally understood, and each little change in the size or
pattern of an ornament merits a different name.
The reason for the prolification of names is the multiple
variations of the same piece of ornament. For instance,
an ornament called sagi is a central head stud that supports
the phulkari or dupatta or other headgear. It is a hemispherical
boss with raised work, all over with floral patterns carved
out in horizontal circles, encased in lines and dots and
dashes, and a star in the centre. Now there are half-a-dozen
varieties of sagi. When at the top-centre a coloured stone
is fixed in it, it becomes sagi uchhi. Where several round
beads are hung at the edge with silver chains, it becomes
sagi motianwali. When two additional sagis are linked to
the upper side they are known as sagi phul. A slight variation
in its complex shape turns it into sagi chandiari. When
green or blue enamelling is done on it, it becomes sagi
meenawali. This ornament is also known as sisphul, chaunk
or choti phul.
In addition to it there are more ornaments used for the
head, followed by ornaments used for the ears, the neck,
the arms, the fingers, the anklets and the feet. Thus the
names of traditional ornaments used in Punjab may well run
into hundreds. According to the handbook of Manufactures
and Arts of the Punjab, there is a complete range of traditional
jewellary worn by the Men and Women of Punjab, not only
for the enhancement of physical beauty but also for the
retainment of the traditional Punjab culture.
An
endless variety of ornaments are used in local parlance.
HEAD
ORNAMENTS
Mens
Sarpesh the jeweled aigrette worn in front of the turban,
Kutbiladar an oval pendant worn over the forehead,
Kalgi Plume in jeweled setting,
Mukat or Mutakh a head dress worn by Hindus at weddings,
Turah-I-marwarid tassels of pearls worn on the turban
Womens
Sisphul, chaunk or choti phul a round boss worn on the
hair over the forehead, it is cut or indented so as to
resemble a gold flower like chrysanthemum.
Mauli a long chain made of rows of pearls separated
by jeweled studs, about 8 inches long hanging from the
head on one side.
Sir mang a pendant worn on the head by Hindus.
ORNAMENTS
WORN ON THE FOREHEAD
By Women only
Damni or dauni a fringe hanging over the forehead on
either side of the face, some of these are richly jeweled.
These are of various varieties like kutabi and sosani
Tika or kashka small ornament on the forehead which
hangs from the middle of the head on the forehead with
a chain. (pendant).
Chand bina a moonshaped pendant.
Tawit small amulets worn on the head.
Jhumar a tassel shaped ornament or pendant.
Guchhi marwarid a cluster of pearls.
Bindi small tinsel forehead ornament.
Barwata tinsel stars worn over the eyebrows, not to
be confounded with Bhawata, an armlet.
EAR
ORNAMENTS
Mens
Bala very large ring worn by Khatris, Sikhs and Dogras,
they have a pearl strung on the gold wire of which they
are made.
Murki - smaller earrings of the same shape.
Dur a small earring with three studs.
Birbali a broad earring with three studs.
Durichah an ear-ring with pendant tassel
Womens
Bali or Goshwara a set of rings worn on the edge of
the ear.
Bali Bahaduri it has a large pointed stud in the center.
Karnphul, Dhedu and Jhumka all forms of tassel like
ornaments, made with silver chains and little balls.
Pipal-watta, or Pipal Pata like a murki, but has a drop
or pendant to it ending in a fringe of little gold pipal
leaves.
Kantala A similar ornament like pipal-watta but this
has a stud besides the pendant.
Bala Khungri a heavy fringed earring.
Bala Katoriwalla an earring with a bowl-like pendant.
Khalli small earring;
Jalil A small earring with a small jeweled central stud.
Phumni silk and tinsel tassels.
Machh Machlian a small gold figure of a fish worn as
an earring.
Tid-patang a crescent shaped jeweled pendant. Along
the lower edge of the crescent hangs a row of gold pipal
leaves.
Tandaura, Dedi a huge star-shaped jeweled stud.
Mor Phunwar pendant of jewels being an imitation of
the figure of a peacock.
NOSE
ORNAMENTS
Womens
Nath a large nose ring, one side of ring being ornamented
with a belt of jewels or a few pearls hung on to it.
Bulak a small pendant either worn hung to the cartilage
of the nose, or else strung to a nath.
Latkan a sort of ornament of pendants put on to the
thin gold ring called a nath, and hanging from it.
Morni a small pendant for the above, shaped like the
spread out tail of a peacock.
Laung a small stud let into the flesh of the nostril
on one side, generally of gold, with a pearl or turquoise
on it.
Phuli a small ring with a single emerald, or other stone
of an oval shape, as a pendant.
Bohr a dangling pendant of gold pipal-leaves.
NECKLACES AND NECK ORNAMENTS
Mens
Mala a necklace of large beads handing down long and
loose.
Kanth-kanthi this fits rather close to the neck, the
pendant may be omitted. This is also worn by women.
Nam an amulet, round or star shaped, suspender from
a twist of colored silk thread fastened round the neck
by tying at the back, nearly like jugni.
Tawiz - a square amulet, jeweled or otherwise.
Takhti a flat square plate engraved with figures etc.
Zanjiri a set of chains.
Chandarmah a large gold flat medal suspended by a single
ring on a silk chair or cord.
Womens
Chandanhar a collar or necklace of a great number of
chains.
Mala a plain necklace of pearls or gold bead, hanging
down long.
Champakali a necklace like a collar with pendants, the
pendants or rays are either of plain metal or set with
stones.
Jugni a single jeweled pendant, hanging from a necklace
of silk and elongated in shape.
Mohran a gold mohur or coin hung by a silk necklace.
Haul Dil a sort of amulet of jade cut in curves round
the edge.
Hassi or Hass like a torque, a ring or collar of silver,
thick in the middle and thin at either end.
Guluband a jeweled collar.
Mohnmala a long necklace made of large gold beads, with
an interval of gold twisted thread between each bead.
Atradan a square jeweled or plain gold pendant attached
to a silk chain.
Kandi a chain of silk carrying amulet cases.
Silwatta an amulet case, shaped like a small gold pillow
or bolster, with two rings suspended from it.
ARM
ORNAMENTS
Bazuband a broad belt-like ornament generally mounted
on silk and tied on the upper arm.
Nauratan almost like bazuband, the ornament consisting
of a band of nine gems set side by side and tied by silk
ties.
Taviz an amulet worn on the upper arm.
Anant meaning endless, a large thin but solid ring of
gold or silver, used chiefly by Hindus.
Bhawatta a square gold ornament, worn on the upper arm.
BRACELETS
Mens
Ponchi a series of strings of shells or small gold elongated
beads worn on the wrist.
Kangan or Kara or Gokru a bracelet of stiff metal, when
the edges are serrated, it is called gokru.
Womens
Ponchian worn on the wrist, which are a several categories
called kutbi, chuhadandi (the beads like a rats teeth),
iliachdana (like cardamom grains) etc.
Kangan - worn on the wrist are generally of gold.
Banka thick gold bracelets, mostly used by Hindus.
Gajra a flexible bracelet made of square gold studs
mounted on a silk band.
Churi of several varieties generally made of a flat
ribbon of gold or silver, bent round.
Bain long silver sleeve or tube worn on both arms, like
a lot of churis fastened together.
Band an armlet, broad and heavy.
Jhankangan small hollow karas with grains introduced
into the hollow to rattle.
FINGER RINGS
Anguthi
a ring set with stones also called mundri.
Challa a plain hoop or whole hoop ring, with or without
stones, being of gold or silver, but the same all round,
challas are worn on the toe also.
Angutha a big ring with a broad face worn on the toe.
Khari Panjangla a set of finger rings of ordinary shape.
Shahelmi or Khari a ring of long oval shape.
Birhamgand a broad ring.
ANKLETS
Pahzeb various ankle ornaments made with chains and
pendants of silver, which clink together when the weaver
walks.
Chanjar a large hollow ring which rattles when the wearer
walks.
Kharian-apir or khalkhal like karas worn on the ankles.
Khungru a ring or ankle of long ornamental beads of
silver worn on the feet.
Zanjiri a set of chains with broad clasp, also known
as tora.
Athough ornaments are much
influenced by changing fashions, their continuity remains
alive by peridocial revivals. And this is also true of the
ornaments used by Punjabi Women, for many discarded designs
have recently been gaining a fresh popularity. Some designs,
however, remain always in vogue.
Gold has remained the most valuable as well as the most
prominent metal for making ornaments. It was procured from
several sources. According to Monograph on the Gold and
Silver Works of the Punjab, compiled by E.D. Maclagan, and
published in 1890, gold was procured from several sources.
Its local source has been several of the small seasonal
rivulets that descend from lower reaches of Himalaya and
the Shivalik range of mountains. But the gold found in the
sand of rivers has been - quite insignificant, and has had
to be imported. The English, Australian and European gold
was termed locally as passa and it came in the form of a
lump or ingot. Panna or patra is the gold in the form of
leaves. When old ornaments are melted down and sold in lump
they appear in various sizes and shapes with various rates,
and is known as desi passa.
Several types of coins used to be melted and then made into
ornaments in Punjab, such as Russian mohar, Jaipur mohar
and ashrafi, Dutch ducats, Aurangzeb mohar, old mohars of
Murshedabad and Farrukhebad etc. Russian gold was imported
largely in the shape of five-rouble pieces, known as battis.
The purest gold of all is known as kundan and is used for
beating out gold leaves. It is also very generally used
in setting stones, whence the seller of stones or murassakar
is often known as kundansaz.
The interest in getting ornaments of gold has not dwindled
despite the fact that the price of the gold has gone
up more than three thousand times in nearly a hundred years.
One may not be inclined to believe that the prices of gold
ornaments as recorded in the North Indian Notes and Queries
of January 1892 were as under:
Kara sada, or plain bracelet., 2 annas per tola of gold,
of which 1/2 anna went to the goldsmith; karajarau, orjewelled
bracelet, one rupee per tola, of which the goldsmith took
half; gokharu or serrated bracelet, two annas a tola; bahi
or solid tube-like armlet, 6 annas per tola, of which the
goldsmith took half; paunchi or beaded wristlet, 12 annas
per tola; bazuband, 12 annas a tola, of which the goldsmith
got rupee one a pair.
After gold, the next metal of priority was the silver. The
only source of its local availability was Waziri Rupi Mines
in Kulu which have now been worked for many decades. Most
of the. silver, therefore, was imported from Europe into
Amritsar via Bombay. Chinese silver was also imported. The
coin most commonly melted for silver was the Nanakshahi
or Sikh rupee, the silver of which was very commonly used
for ornaments. More modern Sikh coins were known to the
trade as Rajshahi and mainly represented by Patiala coinage.
The Nandrami rupee from Kabul was used in the western districts,
and was considered the next best silver after the Nanakshahi.
Shah Shuja's and Dost Muhammad's coins were also held to
be the best and were much in use in making ornaments on
the frontier. Silver prepared from melted ornaments was
also in use.
The gold and silver work, as far as the plain form of the
article required, or as far as it can receive the required
pattern by merely hammering on to a die or into a cold mould,
is done by the sunar or gold-smith. If the ornament has
then to be ornamented with bossed patterns, it goes to the
chatera, the embosser and chaser. If jewels are to be set,
the enamelling at the back is done by a minakar, and then
the stone is set into the places prepared by the goldsmith
by the marassiakar or kundansaz, whose sole *ork consists
in putting some lac into the receptacle or hollow in the
gold prepared to receive the stone, putting on a tinsel
or foil prepared by the bindligar and then pressing in the
stone, putting an a gold rim to keep it in place.
Who can resist the spell that is cast by the sparkle of
a precious stone, by the mysterious glow of a pearl, or
by the transcendent purity of gold . It has been said the
'purpose of ornaments is to light a kind of fire in a women's
heart', it is, therefore, equally important to get ornaments
made of pure metal.
