Just like the west, the South is also rich in different traditional Indian necklace designs. Being the golden land of the country, the necklaces with their roots in the South are mostly crafted in gold, turning out to be magnificent, timeless objects of grandeur. In this blog, we’re going to look at a few gold necklaces for women that find their roots in South India.
Indian Necklaces for Women from the “Golden” Land
Guttapusalu
Image courtesy: Van Gelder Traditional Indian Folk Jewellery via Alain.R.Truong
The Guttapusalu Haram, as it is traditionally known, is a unique heritage gold necklace for women from Andhra Pradesh that originates from the Coromandel. The words "gutta" and "pusalu" in telugu translate to "groups of small fish" and "beads," respectively. The most striking characteristic of the Guttapusalu necklace is the abundance of pearls it exhibits.
Kasu Malai
Image courtesy: Saffron Art
The Kasu Malai is a significant piece of the wedding trousseau of a South Indian bride and is manufactured by stringing identical coins extremely closely together. The etching on each coin could represent a variety of things, like the era it was made, Goddess Lakshmi's auspiciousness, or the beauty of flora and animals. The Kasu Malai is referred to as the Asharfi Haar in the north and the Pahi Haar in the west.
Lakshmi Haar
Image courtesy: Manini’s
A Lakshmi Haar is a gold necklace for women that has a pendant studded with precious stones and an intricately etched depiction of the goddess Lakshmi surrounded by peacocks or elephants. The goddess represents wealth and success.
Makara Kanti
Image courtesy: Alain.R.Truong
The Makara Kanti necklace is a piece of traditional Tamil Nadu jewelry, and its name comes from the legend of the legendary sea monster known in Hindu mythology as the "makara." This well-known gold necklace is often worn at ceremonial occasions.
Malligai Arumbu Malai
Image courtesy: The Met Museum
The state of Tamil Nadu is home to the gold necklace known as the Malligai Arumbu Malai, also known as the Jasmine Bud necklace. It is set with rubies and has jasmine bloom features with tapering extensions.
Manga Malai
Image courtesy: Saffron Art
The Manga Malai is a significant wedding gold necklace for women in the South. It has precious gemstones like rubies and diamonds set using the kundala-velai technique. It is sometimes referred to as the temple jewellery of the South. The Manga Malai is made up of 46 mango-shaped pendants that are held together by two flat gold wire chains that have been crocheted and inserted through the loops at the back of the pendants.