Can you imagine an Indian wedding without the bride wearing her bangles? Regardless of the size of the event and the budget, every woman decorates her hands with “chudis” to symbolize holy marriage. Depending on the customs and traditions of the individual, the designs of the wedding bracelets may change, but the nature and purpose remain the same. In this article we will discuss the importance of bracelets for a married Indian woman along with the color symbolism. That’s not all! You can discover a list of the best and newest designs that suit the tastes of contemporary brides.

Role of bangles in a traditional Indian wedding:

In India, a married woman is identified by a series of symbols such as vermillion on her forehead, mangalsutra, toerings and bracelets. The bracelets in particular reveal a lot about the status of their wedding. Glass bracelets in colors such as maroon, mustard and green indicate that her husband is healthy and alert. When she reaches widow status, these bangles must be permanently removed from her hands.

In short, bracelets indicate a happy and successful married life of a woman. Should a glass bangle accidentally break, fears of undesirable damage to the husband cloud the lady’s spirit.

Bangle rituals and color coding of various Indian countries:

As mentioned earlier, each state and region in the country has its own policies for a married woman. Read on to learn about these interesting bangle traditions from some of India’s best-known states:

• Gujarat: A Gujarati bride must wear a combination of green, gold, and red bangles that her mother gave. This is a symbol of the constant bond between the daughter and the mother.
• Kerala: Most Malaysian brides stick to gold bangles on their wedding day to demonstrate their financial situation. They do not wear glass or other materials as this can affect their reputation in society.
• Punjab: The brides from Sikh and other Punjabi communities wear a combination of red and white bracelets called chuda. This is believed to bring good luck to the newly married couple.
• Maharastra: Green bangles are mandatory for Marathi brides to indicate wealth. They are often combined with gold bangles called death.
• Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana: The brides from these countries wear dark bangles like green, red, light yellow or blue as well as golden kada or bangles.
• Rajasthan: They also follow the Chuda tradition. But instead of just red and white, multi-colored bangles made of lacquer are worn on the wedding day.
• Kolkata: Bengali brides wear bracelets typical of their state. These consist of shells and corals, which are called Paula and Shakha. Carrying is mandatory for the bride to live a happy life!

How long should the wedding bracelets be worn?

As a rule, the wedding bracelets must be worn for a minimum of 40 days to a maximum of 15 months. During this time, the bride should not remove her from her body. To avoid accidental breaks or tears, larger bracelets are chosen. Many people believe that this can bring marital bliss and immortalize the woman’s “Suhagan”!