Why do Hindu married women wear bangles & payals?
Payal, also known as Anklet is a metallic string, worn by married women around the ankle in feet.
As per Indian culture, the feet are considered to be the humblest and the most impure part of the human body, as they touch the ground? Payals, used to adorn them, are a sign of devotion to the wearer by her/his family and also signify femininity.
Another interesting thing is that payals are made of silver, not gold. This is because gold is considered to be the symbol of the goddess of wealth, i.e. Lakshmi and wearing it in the feet is seen as blasphemous.
Anklets are made beautifully, and often meenakari (the coloring of the surface of metal) was done to make them more attractive, along with pearls, perline, small stones of different colors and bells. These are gifted to a newly wed woman on her first arrival to her husbands home. They are usually worn by married women, but unmarried girls also wear them, which signifies their bravery and pride.
Usually anklets have small tinkling bells, which creates jingling sound when a lady walks. This sounds makes the family members, especially the males to notice that OK, a lady is coming, so we have to be respectful. Anklets also helped a wife to attract the attention of husband.
Bangles of various styles have been worn since ancient times by women in the Indian Subcontinent. The bangles history is quite rich and royal! From steel to glass, different regions have bangles of different materials.
The first meaning of bangles is the one we are familiar with: marriage. Newly wed brides, especially from parts of North India, wear the ‘Chuda’ bangles as a sign of their marriage. But bangles are also said to increase blood circulation and maintain energy due to their shape!