Shringar - Indian canon of jewelry

A must-have jewelry set for an Indian woman is called Shringar - the Indian canon of beauty and attractiveness, consisting of exactly 16 pieces. All these ornaments are associated with the goddess Sri Lakshmi. She symbolizes beauty, youth and fertility. The number 16 was not chosen by chance - all the demigods of the Hindu religion are 16 years old - it is believed that this age is the bloom of youth and beauty.

ТTraditional Indian jewelry Shringar (Solah Shringar) consists of 16 items, each of which has a deep meaning. Usually, women dress more simply before marriage. The first time they put on the full set of Shringar is during the wedding ceremony. It is believed that these ornaments contribute to a strong spiritual bond between the bride and the groom, symbolize happiness and joy in love and marriage.

So, what are these 16 pieces of jewelry without which a traditional Indian beauty will not be considered a beauty.

First: Keshapasharachana - hair ornament - braid with flowers.

All ornaments are somehow connected with chakras, through which the feelings and energy are "harmonized". Head jewelry are connected with the crown chakra Sahasrara - the chakra of eternal youth. Brides adorn it with Sringarpatti, married women - with a Tika pendant, or it can be Sindoor, when a bright red powder is poured in the central parting of the hair.

Who hasn't drawn a dot between the eyebrows as if an Indian girl in childhood? Everyone did. In fact, this dot is the most important element of the look. And it is called Bindi. The dot is put in the place of the Ajna chakra. It symbolizes the third eye, activates female divine knowledge, wisdom and intuition. This dot is the main distinctive feature of a married woman.

The next essential part of the Shringar is lipstick. Interestingly, It is not store-bought lipsticks that are often applied to lips, but homemade ones, made from a mixture of natural dyes and aromatic oils 💄

The next element is a bit odd for us. It is the decoration of the tongue.

And not with jewelry, but with paints. Women chew a special mixture of "pan" or "pan masala", which turns the tongue bright red. The mixture is not very good for health, so in some states of India its sale is already banned.

Nath - an ornament for nose. Girls get their noses pierced on the left side at a very young age - it is believed that this is the female side.

The piercing point is responsible for obedience and humility. Usually they decorate the piercing with either stud earrings or such earrings as in the photo, attaching them to the hair behind the ear with a chain.

Karn Phool are earrings. They are usually in the form of a flower or a branch with fruit. These earrings are believed to bring comfort when in pain and suffering. Moreover, the larger the earrings, the higher the spiritual strength of the woman. That's why some earrings can be so massive that they have to be fixed like cuffs also behind the ear or special supporting chains must be thought over.

Jewelry on the neck for sure - Haar. It can be beads, necklaces, and chokers. The main condition is that they should be enough wide and massive to touch several chakras at once - Vishuddha and Anahata. These jewelry attracts love and protects from the evil eye and envy.

The next mandatory part of the attire is henna drawings on hands and feet - Mehndi. They are meant to appease the god Ganesha and overcome all obstacles in the path of love. If a woman is married and has successfully overcome all obstacles, then Mehndi means the power of love. The stronger the feeling, the brighter the drawing.

Next - thin Churi bracelets are required.

Not one bracelet but a whole set consisting of 8, 12 and 24 bracelets is worn at once. And on both hands. The ringing of these bracelets should attract husband's attention to the wife.

Next is the ornament for forearms - Baadjuband - bracelets or bands with an amulet. They protect the beauty of a girl from bad influence.

A large number of rings is a must.

It can be either separate rings or an ornament from 8 chains attached to rings and bracelets.
Arsi ring deserves special attention - ring with a real mirror. It is believed that after waking up, a woman should immediately see her face, and this is very convenient to do if a ring with a mirror is worn on her hand. They wear it only on the thumb - it is considered the "king of the palm".

And that's not all. Next is the belt. The Manipura Chakra, the chakra of vital energy is located in the solar plexus area.

To enhance its positive effect, a Kamarband belt, often decorated with precious and semi-precious stones, is worn over the sari on the waist or hips. After the wedding, they hang keys on the belt as well - as a symbol of the transfer of the household from mother-in-law to daughter-in-law.

Next - bracelets for legs - it can be either thin chains and thick bracelets, often with bells. Their melodic sound should attract and delight the husband.