Mangalsutra and Hindu Marriages

Among Hindus, mangalsutra is more than just an ornament. It is the object that stays with the wife since the day she gets married and a woman only ceases to wear it when her husband is no more. For several Hindu communities, a marriage is not complete until the husband ties the mangalsutra around the bride’s neck.

The pendant and the black beads

Just as a necklace with a pendant, the mangalsutra (mangal meaning auspicious and sutra meaning thread) may also come with a pendant. Differing from an ordinary pendant, the mangalsutra’s pendant has certain significance. The pendant might be a peacock design or any other design and is an important component of the mangalsutra. The peacock pendant especially symbolizes the love a wife has for her husband.

The string of black beads is considered to keep away evil from the lives of the wedded couple. The main belief is that when a mangalsutra is worn by the bride, the husband is protected from dangers and mishaps.

Types

Gold pendant mangalsutras are considered to be superior than others owing to the fact that gold as a metal symbolizes prosperity and is believed to increase energy levels in the body. People who cannot afford gold, may have mangalsutras having silver pendants.

Several South Indians will also wear mangalsutras that are usually yellow cotton threads with gold pendant(s). Several North Indians also wear mangalsutras made of plastic thread. The mangalsutra’s type and form differs according to different regions, caste subdivisions and also depends on the amount a couple/the family can afford to spend for the mangalsutra.

Apart from the black bead mangalsutra and the yellow thread one, there is also the full gold mangalsutra.

No matter what the type, the importance of the mangalsutra is same for all married women who wear it. The mangalsutra is the equivalent of the wedding ring in the western world. Some women do not open it even for a second, while there are others who may open it while sleeping at night. All married women wearing the mangalsutra revere it as a holy object that wards off all evils from her married life.

Do you women think that the mangalsutra should be made compulsory for married women? Tell us what you feel.