Bangles

Bangles are worn by women in various cultures as a traditional ornament on their wrists. This type of jewelry is native to the South Asian region. The word bangle means “’simple adornment”. Some of the terms used for bangles in native languages; like Urdu, Hindi and Bengali include:

1. Churi /Chudi
2. Kada / Kara (a special bangle)

This form of jewelry has been popular in the region since the earliest civilizations that settled along banks of rivers in South Asia. Usually bangles are manufactured from materials that are stiff enough to hold their shape. Over the years, varying materials have been used in the production of bangles. Some of the popular bangle manufacturing materials include:

1. Gold
2. Glass
3. Wood
4. Plastic
5. Silver etc.
   

In the earlier days the status of a family in a tribe was gauged by the number of bangles worn by the women of the family. Women like to match their bangles with the colour of their clothing. Thus, a trip to the market leaves one amazed at the variety of shades bangles come in. While pretty shades of glass and plastic bangles can be matched easily to a garment, those who wear bangles made from gold or other metals and materials will have to be more careful when matching their options.

Religions and Bangles

In some religions like Hinduism, bangles are very important as they symbolize marriage.  The traditional brides even today wear as many bangles as they can on their wedding day. The day the last bangle comes to an end (i.e. broken) is considered to be the last day of their marriage. Also it is considered to be bad luck if a married woman is bare armed (i.e. without bangles).

Bangles are also an important part of the Sikh religion and culture. On the wedding day the father of the bride presents the groom with a gold bangle known as the kara. This bangle can also be made of steel or iron.

Some Facts About Bangles

Today bangles are manufactured in a number of materials. It is noteworthy to mention that a bangle is a round or ring like bracelet with no opening. It is available in standard sizes so women choose according to their wrist size. Bangles can be a little difficult to put over the hand so to it is put on by compressing the thumb and fingers and slipping it onto the wrist.

1. Hyderabad in Pakistan and Moradabad in India are the largest producers of bangles in the world
2. Bangles manufactured from a variety of materials ranging from seashells to chalcedony have been unearthed during archeological excavation in India
3. The famous dancing girl statue from the ‘Indus Valley Civilization’, in Pakistan also shows the girl wearing bangles
4. Bangles in pure white color made from sea shells are worn by married Bengali and Oriya Hindu women
5. The historic world famous market for bangles, Laad Bazaar, is located in Hyderabad, India