India is home to a billion people, and every 2nd individual speaks a different language, comes from a different culture, and follows a unique tradition. While India has been the most successful secular country, it is also known for the ancient value it carries. Our ancestors and forefathers would have been related to a particular community or tribe. Even today, there are a handful of tribes in India like Gonds, Bhils, Santhal, Munda, Khasi, Garo, Angami, Bhutia, Chenchu, Kodaba, etc. Well, you might not know what and where these tribes are from; as fashion enthusiasts, we are here to explore and get inspired by the jewelry worn by these tribal people. There is a lot of importance to finding your tribe; your roots and you should defiantly explore
Let us look at a few tribal communities and their jewelry types. At the end of this article, you might be able to get some inspiration and add their jewelry type to your fashion sense. We have picked 4 popular tribes in India and discussed their jewelry styles:
Gond Tribe
The Gond tribe or Gond people are the largest groups of tribal people in India. The Gold tribe does not originate from a single state. Still, it is a mixture of various states such as Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, and Odisha. Even though they are ethnolinguistic, the Gond tribe speaks the Dravidian language, Gondi, which is related to Telugu.
The Gond tribe wears huge jewelry. The women of the tribe wear huge amulets, anklets, bangles, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces made of silver or oxidized metal. These jewelry are unique and has traditional imprints. This jewelry worn by women looks fierce and unique. We can take inspiration from their fashion. Even today, these jewelry types are used in traditional wear which we call “boho”
Bhutia Tribe
The Bhutia tribe hail from the northeastern part of India. They live in the cold regions of the Himalayas. The Bhutia tribe is a group of Sikkimese people who speak Drenjongke or Sikkimese, a Tibetan language. The Bhutia tribe is spread across Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan, and West Bengal. The Bhutia tribe has been for many years now, and the jewelry that the tribe wears is in favor of gold and silver. The styling of the jewelry is minimal and easy to wear. The jewelry is called Earrings – Yencho, Necklace – Khao, Gold Bangle – Diu, and Joko. These jewelry are usually big and have no detailed designs in specific. Even though these pieces of jewelry is simple, they are works of art.
Munda Tribe
The Munda tribal people are ethnically rooted people India. The native language of Munda tribe is the Mundari language. Munda tribe have been originated from Chhotanagpur Plateau region, in parts of Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh. The Munda tribe is also one among India's largest scheduled tribes.
When we talk about the jewelry used by the Munda tribe, we are referring to young Munda women who wear jewelry made of silver, brass or even beads. The designs of these jewelry represent elements of nature such as flowers, leaves or fruits. The most popular type of jewelry used by the Munda tribe women is a fancy bracelet made of brass or silver. They also wear Chudha (bangle) in hand and kardhani on the waist. The Munda jewelry is a fine work of art and is usually lightweight. In today’s date we can call it as everyday wear jewelry which is simple and classic.
Kodava Tribe
The Kodava tribe is a community originated from the south Indian state of Karnataka and they speak Kodava language. The Kodava tribe has unique customs and traditions like they worship ancestors and weapons and armors and they also carry weapons without a license.
Since the Kodave tribe is from southern India, the jewelry worn are different from that of other tribe. The jewelry are as follows: Pathak (large pendants with gold coin engraved) Jomale (beaded chain), Kokkethathi (a crescent shaped pendant),Paunchi is a bracelet made of gold grains in a row and the last is Kaal pilli which is special type of jewelry worn in the leg made of silver. You can get inspired by their simple designs used in jewelry
Wearing tribal jewelry is unique in many ways and makes you stand aprt in a crowd. There are many other tribal communities across the world and if you dig deep you will surly come across some great jewelry designs.
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