What Is The Significance Of Anklets And Toe Rings In Indian Culture

By Author: Akash
Total Articles: 7
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India is a very old country which is highly rich in culture. There are many traditions, especially for women. One of the traditions is to wear many different types of ornaments, made from gold and silver, the commonest one being anklets and toe rings on feet. Most people think that these accessories are just for beauty, but each of them has a very important significance on women's health and overall, wellbeing, and yes all of them are connected to thousands of years of an old tradition in India.
Anklet
Anklets: anklets, known as payal in Hindi are a metallic string, worn by married women around the ankle in feet. These are mostly made of silver, nowadays women wear gold anklets also, but they are prohibited since gold symbolizes lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and it is considered irreligious to wear it on one's feet.
Anklets are made beautifully, and often minakari (the coloring of the surface of the metal) was done to make them more attractive, along with pearls, beads, small stones of different colors, and bells. These are gifted to a newlywed woman on her first arrival to her husband's home. They are usually ...
... worn by married women, but unmarried girls also wear them, which signifies their bravery and pride.
Usually, anklets have a small tinkling bell, which creates a jingling sound when a lady walks. This sounds makes the family members, especially the males, notice that OK, a lady is coming, so we have to be respectful. Anklets also helped a wife to attract the attention of her husband.
There are few anklets which are called 'ghunghroos', made by many small bells attached to them, they are mostly worn by dancers. The rhythmic stamping of the foot in its various positions generates forth a rich variety of charming harmonies from the anklet, and they are often matched with the sound of other musical instruments. These anklets have a high significance in different forms of Indian dance.
The meaning of anklets varies depending on where you wear them, and we will introduce the anklets as they have meanings on the left and right feet.
The meaning of wearing an anklet on the right ankle: When someone wears an anklet on their right foot, it means they are single and have no lover. It should be noted here that if a married person puts it on their right foot, it means that they are looking to have an affair.
The meaning of wearing an anklet on the left ankle: An anklet worn on the left foot is often used as a talisman or charm. Originally, it was said that diseases came from the outside.
Anklets were used as amulets and worn on the ankles because it was close to the ground. Therefore, anklets seem to continue to be used as a sort of protection. Anklets are worn on the left ankle also signify that you are married or have a lover.
If you are single and interested in finding a partner, you should wear it on your right foot instead of your left. There are few people who really care and actually know about the meaning behind wearing it on different ankles. Therefore, many people wear anklets on their left foot as a talisman without any other special meaning.
Ghunghroo
Now anklets don't have only cultural significance, but they also have health benefits too. The body produces a huge amount of energy, and most of the energy is radiated from extremities, that is hands and feet. Silver is a highly reactive metal, and it reverts back the energy to the body which brings in more positivity and zeal in the women. Also, the silver helps to boost the immune system and overall health of the women.
The ghungroo gains special significance as it is primarily an ornament which differentiates a dancer from a non-dancer and specifically a dancer ready for performance. In the Devdasi tradition, as most classical dances were, this was of crucial importance and as such appropriate deference was accorded to it. Ghungroos serve to accentuate the rhythmic aspects of the dance and allow complex footwork to be heard by the audience. They are worn immediately above the ankle, resting on the lateral malleolus and medial malleolus. A string of ghungroos can range from 50 to greater than 200 bells knotted together. Ghungroo symbolizes the connection of the dancer closely with Mother Earth. Indian dances often involve heavy foot movements along with other body movements. It is easy to notice and appreciate the abhinaya, and the movement of eyes, torso and limbs of a dancer—but it might not be so easy to follow footwork.
Toe-rings
The toe rings to connect the body with the earth, and silver being a good conductor absorbs the polar energies from the earth and transfers the women's body, thus refreshing the whole body.
Wearing toe rings is highly practiced in India. It is worn as a symbol of the married state by Hindu women just like the wedding bands in the west. Toe rings are called bichiya in hindi, mettelu in telugu, metti in tamil & kalungura in kannada, jodavi in marathi.
Unmarried Hindu girls however put toe rings on the third toe, to help ease the menstrual pain. The toe rings to connect the body with the earth, and silver being a good conductor absorbs the polar energies from the earth and transfers the women's body, thus refreshing the whole body.
For many years, Indian men have been known to wear toe rings on each big toe - a sign of masculinity, power, and strength. They may also wear toe rings for medicinal purposes, utilizing pressure points on the toes for healing. Indian women also wear matching rings on their toes as a sign of marriage.
If you find the history and traditional significance of these jewelry pieces intriguing and want to include them in your wardrobe, it is a good option to buy wholesale anklets and enrich your every future look.