Can you imagine an Indian wedding without the bride wearing her bangles? Irrespective of the scale of event and budget, every woman adorns her hands with ‘Chudis’ to symbolise the holy matrimony. Depending on the individual’s customs and traditions, the Wedding Bangles designs may change, but the essence and purpose remain the same. In this article, we shall discuss the importance of bangles to a married Indian woman, along with the colour symbolism. That’s not all! You get to explore a list of best and latest designs to suit the tastes of contemporary brides.

Role of Bangles In a Traditional Indian Wedding:

In India, a married woman is identified by a number of symbols like the Vermillion on her forehead, the Mangalsutra, toerings and bangles. The bangles, in particular, reveal a lot about the status of her wedding. Glass bangles in colours like maroon, mustard, green indicate that her husband is hale and hearty. If she attains a widow status, these bangles must be removed from the hands permanently.

In short, bangles indicate a happy and prosperous married life of a woman. Should any glass bangle break by accident, fears of unwanted harm to the husband cloud the mind of the lady.

Bangle Rituals and Color Coding Of Different Indian States:

As mentioned earlier, each state and region of the country has its own set of guidelines set for a married woman. Read along to learn these interesting bangle traditions from some of the renowned states of India:

• Gujarat: A Gujarati Bride must wear a combination of green, gold and red coloured bangles, gifted by her mother. This is a symbolism of the unchanging bond between the daughter and the mom.
• Kerala: Most Malayali brides stick to gold bangles on their wedding day to show off their financial status. They do not wear glass or other materials, as it can dent their reputation in society.
• Punjab: The brides from Sikh and other Punjabi communities wear a combination of red and white bangles called the Chuda. This is believed to bring in good luck to the newlywed couple.
• Maharastra: Green bangles are mandatory for Marathi brides to indicate prosperity. They are often paired with gold bangles called the Tode.
• Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana: The brides from these states wear any dark coloured bangles like green, red, bright yellow or blue, along with gold Kada or bangles.
• Rajasthan: They follow the Chuda tradition too. But instead of just red and white, multi-coloured bangles called Bangdi made of lac are worn on the wedding day.
• Kolkata: Bengali brides wear bangles typical to their state. These are made up of shell and coral called the Paula and the Shakha. Wearing them is mandatory for the bride to lead a happy life ahead!

For How Long Should The Wedding Bangles Be Worn?

Typically, the wedding bangles must be worn for at least 40 days to a maximum of 15 months. During this period, the bride is not supposed to remove them from her body. To prevent accidental breakages or cracks, one size bigger bangles are chosen. Many people believe that doing so can bring in marital bliss and eternalise the “Suhagan” of the woman!