Mangalsutra
Encyclopedia
A Mangalsutra is a symbol of Hindu
marriage union in South Asia. It is a sacred thread of love and goodwill worn by women as a symbol of their marriage. Traditionally the mangalsutra is considered the most revered token of love and respect offered to the bride during the marriage ceremony.
pendant strung from a yellow thread
prepared with turmeric
, a string of black bead
s or simply a gold chain. It is comparable to the wedding ring
of the West
. A married woman
is expected to wear the mangalsutra until her husband's death. It is tied around the neck of the bride on the day of marriage symbolizing the union. Mangalya dharanam or Thaali kettu (literally "wearing the mangalya or thaali") is the most important part of a Hindu
marriage ceremony. In certain local cultures, the groom ties the first of the three knots while his sisters tie the rest.
It is called मंगळसूत्र (mangalsutra) in Marathi
, தாலி (thaali) in Tamil
, ತಾಳಿ (thaali) or ಮಾಂಗಲ್ಯ (mangalyasutra) in Kannada
and thaali (తాళి), maangalyam (మాంగళ్యము), mangalsutramu (మంగళసూత్రము) or pustelu (పుస్తెలు) in Telugu
. Konkanis
wear three necklaces around their neck referred to as Dhaaremani or Muhurtmani (big golden bead), Mangalasutra with one or two gold discs and Kasithaali with gold and coral beads. In Malayalam it is simply referred to as Thaali in general and Minnu by Syrian Christians
.
A Thali (Minnu) is also worn by the brides of Kerala's Syrian Christian community. An engraving of the holy spirit is a distinguishing feature of the Syrian Christian Minnu. According to tradition, the families of the bride and the bridegroom contribute a piece of gold and melt it with the help of the family goldsmith. This is then used to make the rest of the necklace. The process of tying is assisted by a sister of the groom, as it is with other Hindu communities. During the wedding ceremony, the Minnu is held on and tied using a braided thread made with several threads taken from the Manthrakodi (wedding saree) and twisted together,.
Apart from the mangalsutra, the Toe rings, the Kumkum
, bangle
s, Nallapoosalu and nose ring
form the six sacred symbols that indicate the woman is married. While there are local variations with respect to the others, the mangalsutra is nevertheless worn by married women irrespective of such local differences. Mangalsutra is a practice followed majorly in western Indian and south Indian states. North Indian women do not wear mangalsutra. Traditionally, it is not part of their wedding ceremony.
The Nair
s of North Malabar have the distinction of being one of the few Hindu communities that does not have the Tali as part of its wedding ritual. However in recent times, due to external influence, these communities have also taken up the practice.
in his famous book Soundarya Lahari. According to Hindu cultural ethos, mangalsutra symbolizes the inseparable bond between a husband and a wife. During the wedding ceremony, the bridegroom ties the mangalsutra to the neck of the bride uttering- “May you live long by wearing this sacred Mangalsutra, the reason of my life”. Married women are entitled to wear Mangalsutra throughout their life as it is believed that the practice enhances the well-being of her husband and family and cannot be shown in public. It is also considered that the mangalsutra protects the marriage from any evil. Three knots symbolize three different aspects of a married woman - the first knot represents her obedience to her husband, the second to his parents and the third represents her respect for God.
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
marriage union in South Asia. It is a sacred thread of love and goodwill worn by women as a symbol of their marriage. Traditionally the mangalsutra is considered the most revered token of love and respect offered to the bride during the marriage ceremony.
Introduction
The word mangalsutra literally means "an auspicious thread". It is usually a goldGold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
pendant strung from a yellow thread
Yarn
Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, suitable for use in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery and ropemaking. Thread is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern manufactured sewing threads may be finished with wax or...
prepared with turmeric
Turmeric
Turmeric is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is native to tropical South Asia and needs temperatures between 20 °C and 30 °C and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive...
, a string of black bead
Bead
A bead is a small, decorative object that is usually pierced for threading or stringing. Beads range in size from under to over in diameter. A pair of beads made from Nassarius sea snail shells, approximately 100,000 years old, are thought to be the earliest known examples of jewellery. Beadwork...
s or simply a gold chain. It is comparable to the wedding ring
Wedding ring
A wedding ring or wedding band is a metal ring indicating the wearer is married. Depending on the local culture, it is worn on the base of the right or the left ring finger. The custom of wearing such a ring has spread widely beyond its origin in Europe...
of the West
Western culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
. A married woman
Woman
A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent...
is expected to wear the mangalsutra until her husband's death. It is tied around the neck of the bride on the day of marriage symbolizing the union. Mangalya dharanam or Thaali kettu (literally "wearing the mangalya or thaali") is the most important part of a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
marriage ceremony. In certain local cultures, the groom ties the first of the three knots while his sisters tie the rest.
It is called मंगळसूत्र (mangalsutra) in Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
, தாலி (thaali) in Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
, ತಾಳಿ (thaali) or ಮಾಂಗಲ್ಯ (mangalyasutra) in Kannada
Kannada language
Kannada or , is a language spoken in India predominantly in the state of Karnataka. Kannada, whose native speakers are called Kannadigas and number roughly 50 million, is one of the 30 most spoken languages in the world...
and thaali (తాళి), maangalyam (మాంగళ్యము), mangalsutramu (మంగళసూత్రము) or pustelu (పుస్తెలు) in Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
. Konkanis
Konkani people
Konkani people , form a group of people mainly found in the Konkan Coast of western India whose mother-tongue is the Konkani language....
wear three necklaces around their neck referred to as Dhaaremani or Muhurtmani (big golden bead), Mangalasutra with one or two gold discs and Kasithaali with gold and coral beads. In Malayalam it is simply referred to as Thaali in general and Minnu by Syrian Christians
Syrian Christians
Syrian Christians may refer to*the Christian minority in Syria*in older publications, the Syriac Christians*in a South Asian context, the Saint Thomas Christians of Kerala....
.
A Thali (Minnu) is also worn by the brides of Kerala's Syrian Christian community. An engraving of the holy spirit is a distinguishing feature of the Syrian Christian Minnu. According to tradition, the families of the bride and the bridegroom contribute a piece of gold and melt it with the help of the family goldsmith. This is then used to make the rest of the necklace. The process of tying is assisted by a sister of the groom, as it is with other Hindu communities. During the wedding ceremony, the Minnu is held on and tied using a braided thread made with several threads taken from the Manthrakodi (wedding saree) and twisted together,.
Apart from the mangalsutra, the Toe rings, the Kumkum
Kumkum
Kumkum , is a powder used for social and religious markings in Hinduism. It is either made from turmeric or saffron...
, bangle
Bangle
Bangles or churi are traditional ornaments worn mostly by South Asian women in India and Bangladesh, especially Hindus. It is tradition that the bride will try to wear as many small glass bangles as possible at her wedding and the honeymoon will end when the last bangle breaks...
s, Nallapoosalu and nose ring
Nose piercing
Nose piercing is the piercing of the skin or cartilage which forms any part of the nose, normally for the purpose of wearing jewelry; among the different varieties of nose piercings, the nostril piercing is the most common...
form the six sacred symbols that indicate the woman is married. While there are local variations with respect to the others, the mangalsutra is nevertheless worn by married women irrespective of such local differences. Mangalsutra is a practice followed majorly in western Indian and south Indian states. North Indian women do not wear mangalsutra. Traditionally, it is not part of their wedding ceremony.
The Nair
Nair
Nair , also known as Nayar , refers to "not a unitary group but a named category of castes", which historically embody several castes and many subdivisions, not all of whom bore the Nair title. These people historically live in the present-day Indian state of Kerala...
s of North Malabar have the distinction of being one of the few Hindu communities that does not have the Tali as part of its wedding ritual. However in recent times, due to external influence, these communities have also taken up the practice.
Significance
The significance to the Mangalsutra was first given by Adi ShankaraAdi Shankara
Adi Shankara Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (IAST: pronounced , (Sanskrit: , ) (788 CE - 820 CE), also known as ' and ' was an Indian philosopher from Kalady of present day Kerala who consolidated the doctrine of advaita vedānta...
in his famous book Soundarya Lahari. According to Hindu cultural ethos, mangalsutra symbolizes the inseparable bond between a husband and a wife. During the wedding ceremony, the bridegroom ties the mangalsutra to the neck of the bride uttering- “May you live long by wearing this sacred Mangalsutra, the reason of my life”. Married women are entitled to wear Mangalsutra throughout their life as it is believed that the practice enhances the well-being of her husband and family and cannot be shown in public. It is also considered that the mangalsutra protects the marriage from any evil. Three knots symbolize three different aspects of a married woman - the first knot represents her obedience to her husband, the second to his parents and the third represents her respect for God.