Maharashtra boasts of a rich history that has been an assortment of various cultures and traditions. A Maharashtrian wedding is a great place to see the amalgamation of these traditions with the Maharashtrian bride aptly being the face of it. To bring you a closer picture of what goes into the ornamentation of a bride in a traditional Marathi wedding, we bring you 11 pieces of Maharashtrian bridal wedding without which the bridal look isn’t just complete.

1. Mundavlya

Perhaps the most striking of the Maharashtrian bridal ornaments, Mundavlya is a unique unisex ornament worn both by the bride and bridegroom. It is pearl studded string worn across the temple of the forehead with two vertical pearl strings the drop down from two ends to gracefully flank the face.

2. Kolhapuri Saaj

This ornament originates from Kolhapur and is a symbol of a woman’s marital status thus making it equivalent to mangalsutra. A traditional Kolhapuri saaj is made from 21 elements from which 10 are a depiction of the ten avatars taken by the Hindu God, Vishnu. Eight elements symbolise ashtamangal or auspicious occurrences. Three elements are pendants, two each of ruby and emerald. The last pendant at the end is the taviz which protects from evil.

3. Vaki

Vaki is an armlet worn on each arm by the bride. It can be traditionally flat or made from interlocked metal elements. The armlet is completely made from Gold with a ruby studded at the centre.

4. Nath

Like the mundavlya, the nath gives a Maharashtrian bride a distinct appearance. The nose-piece has pearls stringed together with a few precious stones like rubies. The centrepiece rests on the nose with ruby or a diamond studded on to it. A nath can come in different styles, due to regional variations.

5. Jodvi

These are toe rings which are gifted by the bride’s mother-in-law. These are always made of silver and are worn each on the second toe finger. Traditional versions are made from a simple single piece of silver while certain varieties can have design patterns engraved onto it.

6. Tanmani

It is a traditional necklace made from three to four queues of pearls that may be adhered together at fixed points with gold joints. The pearls are often stringed along with few piece of precious stones like rubies or emeralds. The necklace ends with a stone studded pendant.

7. Choora

Maharashtrian choora or bangles are a set of glass bangles and 3 to 4 gold bangles. The glass bangles, which are green in colour, are worn in an array on each wrist and are intermittently separated by a gold bangle. Maharashtrian bangles are different from the usual bridal bangles due to their green colour which is a symbol of fertility.

8. Thushi

It is a choker necklace made from pearls or gold beads intricately joined together through an underlying mesh of strings. The beads create 6 to 7 lines with each line having beads of varying sizes. The lower end can extend to form an inbuilt pendant that could be embedded with a precious stone. Certain variety use conventional broad gold choker as the base to which the beads on the rim can anchor.

9. Putli Haar

Putli haar has round gold coins stringed together on a silk cord. Each coin has a Lakshmi motif, that symbolises the goddess of wealth. This necklace has been integral part of the Maharashtrian Bridal Jewellery almost since 17th century.

10. Ambada Veni Phool

It is a bowed hair ornament with dual pins which is worn by the bride on her hair bun. The main curved piece is made from gold and usually has floral patterns engraved on it. Just like thushi, this ornament has deep roots in Maharashtra’s cultural history.

11. Kudya

Kudya is a set of pearl earrings commonly shaped like a flower. The earring usually would have a centre pearl which is surrounded by six pearls which forms a neat symmetrical design. It is all held together by an underlying golden frame with varying degree of visibility from the exterior.

So here we are with the traditional adornments of a Maharashtrian bride. Do you have an interesting information about a certain design variation in any of them? Do share with us in the comments section below and we will add that to the article.

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