A Maharashtrian Traditional Jewellery Guide to Dressing Up as a ‘Marathi Mulgi’

She shines in elegance, stands out with her royal jewellery. All decked up with exquisite ornaments; a Marathi woman stuns you with her aura.

Maharashtrian traditional jewellery is no less than art. Each of the ornament is carved out with precision. Here’s listing 11 such jewellery pieces:

Thushi:

Thushi is a choker-style neckpiece embedded with gold beads shaped like jowar seeds. It symbolises thankfulness towards food. It originated from Kohlapur and came with an adjustable dori (string) to set on your neck perfectly. This ornament forms an essential part of a bridal get-up.

Ambada:

It is a hair accessory worn in the bun to accentuate the look. In a traditional Maharashtrian look, the woman mostly has her hair tied up in a bun. The bun is adorned with a jasmine ‘Gajra’ (Veni phool).

The ambada is tied in the middle of the bun with its beads hanging till neck. Ambada is shaped like a horse-shoe. It is generally made of gold and precious stones. The stones are shaped like sunflower and jowar seeds.

Mohanmala:

It is a combination of 2-3 strings of gold beads, to be worn in the neck. Considering the gorgeous nature of the jewellery, it is a preferred option for the Maharashtrian brides. It surely ups their look to befit their D-Day.

Nath:

Nath is a nose ornament worn mostly by Marathi women. A nath can change the entire look of your face. It instantly brings a tinge of tradition to your attire. There is a variety of nath designs today. One of most popular is the Brahmani nath. It is designed with basra pearls and emerald.

Bugadi:

It is worn in the helix of the ear. Apart from Maharashtrians, North Indian women wear Bugadis too. Previously, Bugadis were made with pearls only; however, now they are made with diamonds and in a variety of designs.

Vaaki:

It is a bracelet/armlet or better known as bajuband. Women wear it in one hand these days. The ornament has gold bands around an intricate work in the middle. The intricate design in the middle is of stones, diamonds and ruby. The red colour of ruby is a symbol of something auspicious.

Tode:

These are gold bangles of comparatively larger width. The bangles have minute detailing all through their bodies. A pair of todes can level up the elegance of any attire.

Tanamani:

Tanamani is a choker-style necklace and has pearl beads in 2 or 3 layers and a pendant in the juncture. The pendant is studded with colourful precious stones.

Chooda:

Chooda is the Marathi term for bangles. Maharashtrians are known to wear green bangles in both their hands. These green bangles are sometimes coupled with gold bangles to make a pretty combination. The colour green stands for fertility and prosperity, while the golden colour stands for holiness.

Maharashtrian women take their ‘shringaar’ very seriously. With all these Maharashtrian traditional jewellery pieces and multiple others, they dress themselves up as what we call a ‘Marathi Mulgi’.