Indian jewellery

Indian Jewellery

India in the past was often referred to as the jewel in the crown. If we take a walk down the country's historic past, we will find that India jewelry is very much a part of its intrinsic value and dates back to the Mohenjodaro and Harappan times when elegant and intricate jewelry was designed and crafted for its pantheon of gods. Indian jewelry range could be categorized as temple, spiritual and bridal. All these three types of jewelry were embellished with colored stones to highlight the designs. The temple jewelry in the India jewelry range involved the adornment of statues of gods and goddesses with chunky necklaces, which were either strung with beads or crafted with intricate filigree. The statues were also adorned with a number of large chunky bracelets, which came studded with gems. The earrings for the deities were those of clustered beads and had a close resemblance to that of dangling grapes. The nose rings too were adorned with jewels and the ankles bore thick anklets. The temple dancers later wore the jewelry, which was initially created for the gods and goddesses. These designs slowly became a part of the Indian woman's bridal jewelry trousseau. Spiritual jewelry also became a part of India jewelry range. It evolved due to social and religious conditions of the times. It was considered to be highly auspicious if one wore precious jewels while attending important celebrations like a marriage or a puja service. A unique range of jewelry was specially crafted for these occasions and could be worn as pendants, bracelets, belts and brooches. The favorite design for pendants was that of Ganesha - the elephant headed god known to bestow good luck and good fortune. The other emblem, which was also, very much in demand was that of the sacred syllable OM. The Navaratna ring with nine gems also became increasingly popular as it is linked to the nine planets and brings with it all the good influence while assuring the wearer of good luck, health and wealth.

INDIANS PASSION FOR JEWELLERY

Reshuffling and reversing the pages of history would lead us to the origin of the traditional Indian fashion jewellery. But the right point of start is still a mere blur. The story of Indian fashion jewelry can be dated back to the Vedic era. The holy Ramayana and the Mahabharata are replete with descriptions of ornaments worn by both men and women of that age. Infact even before the discovery of metals Indians are said to have adorned themselves with wooden jewelries and other materials which are easily available. To talk about civilization, Harappa and Mohenjodaro civilization bears evidence of Indian fashion jewelry. By the 3rd century B.C. India became the leading exporter of gemstones, and that was a benchmark in the history of Indian jewelry.During the ancient ages Indian Gods and Goddesses are crafted with rich and ornate temple jewelry, a trend still existent. Eventually those intricate filigree designs of Indian jewelry were being sported with by the women folk and it got absorbed into the bridal trousseau and worn on special occasions.

Friday, December 26, 2008

TANAJORE PAINTINGS

Tanjore paintings have decorated the walls of temples, palaces and homes since the chola dynasty(17th century). Deeply rooted in tradition, Tanjore paintings depict divine Gods and Goddesses of the Hindu pantheon in rich vibrant colors. Notable for the adornment of semi-precious stones, pearls and 22 karat gold foils, creation of these paintings involves a lot of dedication and several stages of meticulous art work.