Recently, at one of the most fashionable film festivals of the world, Cannes, Bollywood heroines were seen flaunting the desi nath/nose ring which created a stir in the fashion world. From Sonam Kapoor to Vidya Balan, these actresses were seen sporting ethnic nose rings on the red carpet.
However, this is not the first time that traditional Indian nose rings have been seen at an international arena. Christina Aguilera for one has done her bit when it comes to nose piercing.
While to most, a nose ring may seems like a fashion statement, in India, it’s an age old tradition heading back centuries and has significance even today. The nose ring being an integral part of traditional Indian jewellery is a good example of ‘good things come in small packages’.
Married women of different states from across the country have for centuries sport their typical-to-the-region nose rings. From Himachal Pradesh to Kerala and from Maharashtra to Bihar nose rings can be found in not only a variety of shapes, colours and sizes but also embellished with precious and semi-precious stones like diamonds, rubies and more.Priti Bhatia, owner and designer of Awesome Sparklers, rightly says that, “Bollywood actresses have helped nose rings come back in fashion. Kareena Kapoor looked amazing in the Marathi nose (guchhedar nath) ring in the song Chammak Challo.”
“We as designers are also inspired by various designs of Indian states but the most commonly worn ones are the studs in different colours and shapes. For summer studs and rings in diamonds and gold are the best. For an evening look, a coloured studs looks good. And at weddings, girls prefer gold, diamond and pearl. Nowadays, nose pins and rings have become a fashion statement. Young girls are flaunting their nose piercings and the nose pin has moved out of the realm of being a jewellery piece meant only for married women,” adds Priti.
This jewel is made differently in different states. The mukhuttis of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have traditional lotus and swan designs and are mostly studded with diamonds. The Rajasthani women wear the nathuri and the bhauriya. The conventional clove-shaped nose stud is called the laung, while the small pendant suspended between the nostrils is the latkan, because of its pendulous character.
In Uttar Pradesh, the nath is adorned with two pearls and a pendulous bead. The Punjabis’ have a gold ring strung with as many as 20-25 motifs which is the shikarpuri nath. In Bihar the nose stud is the laung while in Maharashtra it is the guchhedar nath, which is known for its radiant beauty with pearl decorations.
The nose ring in South India is like a pendant suspended from the partition of the nostrils. Sometimes the rings in rural areas and tribal society are so large that they cover a portion of the mouth!