TOP 15 TRADITIONAL MAHARASHTRIAN JEWELLERY | MARATHI BRIDAL JEWELLERY IDEAS

Gold jewelry has been a major part of the Maharashtrian culture for centuries. Most of the traditional Maharashtrian jewelry that the women put on is generally inspired by the jewelry that the Peshwas and Marathas wore. Some of the prominent and typical elements of Maharashtrian attire are the Paithani saree, Nath, Lakshmi haar, Mohan mala, and Chandra kor bindi. Each of these elements is essential in contributing to the appearance of Maharashtrian women and is symbolic of the state's rich cultural heritage as well.

LET'S CHECK OUT TRADITIONAL MAHARASHTRIAN JEWELLERY OF THIS SEASON

Today, Karma Place is listing a few traditional gold jewelry designs from Maharashtra that traditionally complete the look of Maharashtrian women.

KOLHAPURI SAAJ

Just like the mangal sutra, Kolhapuri saaj is worn by married Maharashtrian women and is as special as a manga sutra to the bride. This was gifted to the bride by the groom’s family and is made up of jav mani (golden beads).

As the name suggests, it originated in Kolhapur. The neckpiece is made of 21 small pendants and has a main center pendant, which is known as saaj-ghat. The other 20 pendants that are around the necklace are in the shape of leaves. One pendant out of these 21 is a taweez (to protect from evil). 10 pendants represent the 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu, and 8 of them are for asthamangal, which symbolizes auspiciousness and good happenings. The remaining 2 have emeralds and ruby stones on them.

LAKSHMI HAAR

Lakshmi haar is also known as the coin necklace, putli haar, or temple necklace. Lakshmi haar consists of small gold coins strung overlapping each other with a silk braided thread.

The coins on this necklace have an imprinted motif of the goddess Lakshmi, who is also known as the goddess of wealth. Since the 17th century, this hair has been loved and has also been an integral part of Maharashtrian women’s jewelry.

MOHAN MALA

Mohan mala is a long necklace with 2–8 layers. Each layer is made up of gold beads. This neckpiece is worn as bridal jewelry as well as everyday jewelry.

VAAKI

Vaaki is also known as a bajuband or armlet. This piece of jewelry was traditionally worn on both arms, but over the years, due to modernization and changes in trends, it is now only worn on a single arm by Maharashtrian women.

Vaaki is made of gold and is flat and circular. It also has a beautiful motif in the center, which is studded with stones.

THUSHI

Thushi is a choker-style necklace that makes every Maharashtrian bride stand out. This necklace originated in Kolhapur and is made up of 22-karat pure gold. Thushi has gold beads of different sizes intricately woven together to form layers with the mesh of strings. This choker necklace comes with an adjustable dore that helps adjust your necklace according to your neck size.

The gold beads in this necklace are believed to be auspicious and are indicative of the fact that the bride’s new home will have abundant wealth and food. This necklace looks stunning with a paithani saree.

TODE

Tode is a Maharashtrian version of a gold bangle. These bangles are intricately carved with different motifs, and each tode generally weighs around 250–300 grams. This bangle is completely handmade and intricately interlinked, which is why it takes about a month to make it.

Maharashtrian brides generally love wearing these bangles along with a set of green glass bangles.  These bangles are also given as a gift to the bride from the groom’s family and it's one of the important traditional Maharashtrian jewellery. 

AMBADA

Ambada is a traditional hairstyle done by Maharashtrian women, which is hair tied in a round shape and decorated with a hair bun pin. This pin is made of 22-karat gold and is worn by most Maharashtrian brides. This piece of jewelry is also known as Veni Phool and is engraved with different motifs.

Even though, due to changes in trends, there have been a lot of patterns and designs in this jewelry, the most popular design remains that of a sunflower with jowar beads.

NATH

A typical Maharashtrian nath, or nose ring, is an ornament worn by women at special occasions like poojas or wedding functions. It is handwoven with pearls and is studded with white and pink stones in the middle. This nose pin is more unique in design than any other nose pin, and it completes the look of traditional women.

A day’s nath comes in many different styles, but the bramhani nath is one of the most famous traditional naths, which is studded with Basara pearls and emeralds.

MUNDAVLYA

We are sure you have seen this piece of jewelry on all Maharashtrian brides and grooms in movies.

This is one of the most traditional ornaments worn at the time of wedding vows. It is made of pearls and gold threads attached to a string that is tied across the forehead.

BELPAN

Belpan is another significant piece of jewelry worn by Marathi women on festive gatherings and traditional occasions.

Belpan is a necklace directly inspired by the Bel leaves, which are devoted to Lord Shiva.

KUDYA

A lot of Maharashtrian brides wear this ornament. These earrings are studded with pure white pearls and a combination of gold.

This simple yet classic design is something that you can wear in your daily routine as well. These earrings are enticing and appealing.

BUGADI

This is one of the most beautiful pieces of Marathi bridal jewelry. Bugadi is worn by Maharashtrian women, specifically on the helix part of their ears.

Traditionally, this was only made of pearls, but nowadays there are enormous designs available in diamonds and other precious stones.

JODVI

Jodvi is another piece of jewelry given by the groom’s mother-in-law to the bride. These jodvis, or toe rings, are usually made up of silver metal.

CHODA

Everyone has seen and heard about the Punjabi chuda, which is a combination of white and red bangles every bride wears, hailing from the north.

The Maharashtrian bride wears something similar but in a combination of green glass bangles and gold metal bangles. This set of bangles is worn by Marathi brides in odd numbers on both hands.

TANMANI

Tanmani is a chocker-style necklace with a stunning pendant studded with stone in the middle, and instead of a gold chain, it has three different layers of gold chain with an adjustable string in the back to adjust it according to your neck size.

I hope this blog will help you choose your next best traditional Maharashtrian jewelry.

Also Read : How To Wear Jewelry To Compliment Your Look ?