|

From time immemorial, people of
Kerala have been fascinated by the charm of ornaments, especially in gold and
silver. Majority of the traditional ornaments here are simple, bright and
elegant designs making them suitable for all occasions. Jewels are often gifted
as a token of love
Gold is considered as an
auspicious metal and Keralites have a special love for ornaments in gold. One
can find several jewellery stores selling traditional as well as most modern
designs in all medium and bi
Gold Ornamentsg towns
The Keralite's love for gold can be traced back
to very ancient days itself. Even from those days each community or caste had
its own traditional designs of ornaments which were made specially by the family
goldsmith. But the modern days see an entirely different trend. The boom in the
fashion industry has brought all these - the traditional designs and the modern
patterns under one roof, the jewellery shops
Irrespective of religion or caste,
most women in Kerala wear gold ornaments and it forms an inevitable part of most
religious and social occasions like marriages. The main ritual in the Kerala
wedding ceremony is the thaalikettu , the tying of the sacred nuptial
thread on which is stringed the 'thaali' - a tiny leaf shaped gold plate, which
marks the sacred bond of marriage. The Christians have a little cross engraved
on the 'thaali'
The most outstanding piece of the
Christian women's jewellery collection used to be the enormous ring worn on the
upper ear lobe. Muslim women also have their distinctive ear rings, necklaces
and elaborately designed articles for the waist (Odyanam) .
Gold ornaments are made in almost
all parts of the state. Thrissur in central Kerala has always been a shopping
paradise for traditional gold jewellery. The jewel street in Thrissur is famous
for having the maximum number of jewellery shops on a single lane
The popular traditional ornaments
are Payyannur Pavithra Mothiram (ring), gold necklaces like
Manonmani, Ilakkathali, Poothali, Palaykkamala,
Mangamala, Dalamini, Chuttiyum Chelum and
Puliyamothiram. Ear studs like Jimikki,
Kannuneerthulli, Thoda etc; Bangles like
Kappu, stones, pearl and enamel painted bracelets etc
The ornament worn around the waist
inside the dress is called Aranjanam which is usually a thin chain but those
worn by the Muslim women like a 'belt' over their dress are called Odyanam .
These Odyanams are usually broad and have intricate designs

|