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Ornaments of great
diversity found from archaeological
sites make a fascinating study. We come
across several pieces of ear ornaments,
which can be divided under several groups
like ear-tips, ear-studs, eardrops,
earrings and ear-pendants. Bangles have
been found in practically all materials
known to the people of the Harappan
civilization. Head and neck ornaments
of gold, silver and bronze, including
green jasper and burnt steatite have
also been found.
It seems that for every part of the human body a
special ornament has to be provided. But the significance
of Punjabi jewelry lies outside of this amplitude,
in variety and aesthetics. It is in fact a part
of the Indian culture, a facet of its social pattern
with deep religious overtones, and has to be viewed
against this perspective. It is not surprising that
jewelry was used as much by men as by women though
more sparingly by the former.
Jewelry in India also has had social and economic
implications. It is an investment as also a saving
for emergencies. The jewelry given to the bride
at the time of the marriage becomes her own possession.
This was in addition to the love of personal adornment
inherent in the women folk. But for mortal humans
it also symbolizes 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. This concept
of power and wealth, as imbibed through ornaments,
seems to have remained integrated in the psyche
of the Punjabi women.
Ornaments, as symbol of power, wealth and femininity,
and also as an investment by the Punjabi women,
are found in many varieties and forms.
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. For instance, an ornament
called sagi is a central head stud that supports
the phulkari or dupatta or other headgear. It is
a hemispherical with raised work all over with floral
patterns carved out in horizontal circles, encased
in lines and dots, and a star in the center. There
are half-a-dozen varieties of sagi. When at the
top-center a colored stone is fixed in it, it becomes
sagi uchhi. Where several round beads are hung at
the edge with silver chains, it becomes motianwali
sagi. When two additional sagis are linked to the
upper side they are known as sagi phul. A slight
variation in its shape turns it into sagi chandiari.
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 run well into hundreds.
HEAD ORNAMENTS
Men’s
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
Women’s
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
Men’s
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
Women’s
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
Women’s
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
Men’s
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.
Women’s
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
Men’s
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.
Women’s
Ponchian – worn on the wrist, which are a several
categories called kutbi, chuhadandi (the beads like
a rat’s 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.
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.
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.
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