Relevance of wearing jewelry in Hinduism and its benefits
Jewellery is often seen adorned by Hindu gods and goddesses, women and even men. Besides being a fashion statement, jewellery is connected with traditions and customs in Hinduism. It holds crucial relevance and is beneficial at a physical level too.
It is known to make one appear more attractive. As jewellery is ideally built from shiny and expensive metals, it is also viewed as a status of wealth and prosperity in the society, the more ornaments you wear or own, the richer you seem.
Jewellery in Hinduism
Within Hinduism itself, different jewelries are associated with different cultures and various occasions too. Women wear tons of jewellery during auspicious celebrations but wear little to no ornaments in sombre events. Religiously, jewellery is worn on various body parts such as neck, ears, waist, ankles, nose, head, feet, fingers, arms etc. Hindus have been wearing jewellery for centuries now. Besides depicting wealth, jewellery showcased power and acted as a recognition for members of the society. The royalty or people at higher ranks in the administration or in the military used to wear particular assigned pieces of jewellery for identification. Moreover, earrings, rings, neck pieces are designed to suit women and enhance the quality of their femininity.
There are nine gemstones, or Navratna representing the nine Grahas, which have been essentially used in jewelleries. These precious stones are believed to possess positive powerful energies and keep evil forces at bay. Gold for creating jewellery is deemed to be an extremely pure metal in Hinduism. Silver and Platinum are precious metals used to carve out ornaments. Piercing of earlobes for earrings is known as Karnavedh, a Samskara. The piercing is known to open a passage for hearing sacred sounds.
Hindu women spot a mangalsutra or necklace with black beads and a pendant attached after their marriage. This symbolises their love and affection for their partners. The black beads absorb negativity, ensuring a happy married life for the women.
Scientific approach
Wearing jewellery has various biological benefits too for the body. A varied choice of metals are used to make jewellery depending on the property of those elements. Gold is a renowned choice for ornaments as it is an expensive material and showcases opulence when worn. It is also a durable metal which neither gets oxidised or tarnished even when worn on a regular basis. Its high malleability and ductility makes it perfect for being used to make chains and rings. Platinum is a hypoallergenic metal making it suitable for even sensitive skin types. These pieces of jewellery provide acupuncture pressure in the body. For women, the locations of several jewelleries directly have a positive impact on reproductive organs and health, advocating the rituals of wearing those pieces after marriage.
–Bangles or bracelets are a famous piece of circular jewellery worn by Hindus on the wrists. While checking the pulse for any changes in blood pressure, it is ideally the wrist which is assessed. Bangles help maintain blood circulation by causing slight friction when worn everyday. The round shape retains the energy flow in the body itself and does not let it escape.
-Rings regulate energy. All fingers include particular benefits of wearing a ring ranging from the connection of veins directly to the heart to stimulating neurons.
–Earlobe piercing improves one’s eyesight and aids in weight management as that area contains hunger points and keeps food cravings in check. It helps with migraine and increases immunity as well.
–Necklace and pendant help an even flow of heart rate as it lies near the chest.
-Kamarbandh or waist band is believed to maintain a regular menstrual cycle for women by applying apt pressure on the belly region.
