5 Different types of gold mangalsutra from diverse cultures of India

Indian weddings are full of rich culture, traditions, lavishness, dance, food, gifts, traditional outfits, traditional gold jewellery, and much more. As there are various cultures in India, each has its way of performing rituals. An Indian marriage is not just a symbol of two people coming together, but involving the whole family in it. It requires a lot of commitment and understanding between both individuals. 

In Hindu culture, a woman wears some beautiful piece of jewellery and follows certain rituals which she is allowed to do only after the marriage and till her husband is alive. Majorly there are five signs of the marital status of a woman and those are mangalsutra, sindoor or Kumkum, bangles, toe ring, and a nose ring. In this article, we will focus on the most important symbol of marriage i.e., a gold mangalsutra of various cultures of India.

1. Maharashtrian Mangalsutra: It is also known as “vatimani” or “vati” mangalsutra. This is so because a Maharashtrian mangalsutra is made of a black beaded chain attached with a pendant made of two bowl-shaped vatis. The two vatis are hollow from inside and round in shape from the main side. The gold vatis represents Shiva and Shakti and the black bead chain is to save the couple from the evil eye.
2. Gujarati Mangalsutra: In Gujarati tradition, married status is signified by the nose pin but Gujrati women nowadays love to wear gold mangalsutra. So, their mangal sutra is very simple in design with a short chain of black beads with a diamond-studded pendant or a simple gold pendant set. 
3. Bihari Mangalsutra: It is called “Taagpaag”. Generally, in a Bihari culture, “bhichwa – a toe ring” is considered as the symbol of marriage but they wear mangal sutra as well. The Taagpaag is made of a black bead chain with a pendant of their choice.
4. Tamil Mangalsutra: It is called “Thaali Kodi”. At the ceremony called “Mangala Dharanam”, the groom puts on a Thaali on his bride. It is available in many shapes and forms. The Thaali weighs around 4-5gm of gold with the symbols like Lord shiva, Goddess Meenakshi, Tulsi plant imprinted on it. It is worn with a gold chain or “Manja Kayiru” which is a yellow thread during the Tamil wedding ceremony.
5. Kerala Mangalsutra: In Kerala, “Thaali” is the mangal sutra name used by Hindus while Christians called it “Minnu”. As Minnu is used by Christians, it has a pendant with a cross on a gold medallion shaped like a heart. The cross is the symbol of Christianity while the heart is the symbol of love. The cross is formed with five or seven gold dots and passed through seven strands of thread. 

There are only 5 types of Mangalsutras mentioned above but there are various other states in India that have their traditional style of mangalsutra designs. In the 21st century, choices of mangalsutras are also modernized. Woman love to wear mangalsutras that matches their attire without compromising their comfort level.  It is always beautiful to wear the latest gold jewellery designs but never forgot your tradition.