Himachal is famous

 annithisweek.in  Shivraj sharma  Chavinder sharma Chaman sharma

Himachal is famous not only for its beautiful landscapes and snow laden mountains, but also for its culture, paintings and jewellery. But sadly the modernization has taken a big toll on its culture and traditions. No doubt passion for jewellery is legendary as bride’s trousseau is considered incomplete without ornaments. But with the passage of time much has changed. Over the past few years changes have taken place in socio-economic cultural life. A shift in traditional values has resulted in their moving away from their centuries old life style and old customs of loading oneself with heavy silver jewellery. It is now replaced with light and designed gold jewellery. There was a time when women of Himachal adorn heavy necklaces weighing 500 gram to I kg, called Chandrahaar, made of silver. These necklaces were very popular in Sanor area of Mandi, Pabbar and Kurpin valley, in Bharmour and Chwara valley in Shimla some 60 to 70 years ago. These heavy ornaments made of 90% silver were also adorned by the women of Gujjar community in Kangra and Chamba districts. These extinct traditional necklaces are still available with some of the goldsmiths in Bilaspur, Mandi, Kullu and Chamba districts. Married women from Kinnaur district used to wear silver jewellery as heavy as 2 kg. However in past 50 years the weight of these ornaments has decreased considerably but design is still intact. Now the gold ornament named ‘trimani’ glorifies the beauty of every Kinnauri women. In Bilaspur, ornaments weighing 500 gram were prevalent 60 years ago. Women also used to wear Queen Victoria necklace, a bunch of long silver chains linked by engraved or enamelled silver plaques, in Bilaspur. These necklaces can still be purchased for about Rs. 80,000 in Bilaspur town. Women from affluent families of Baghal area and Bilaspur used to wear heavy chaks, an ornament used on the hair plait on the back of the head, made of silver and nose rings (locally called naths) weighing 10 tolas embedded with precious motifs about 60 years ago. Heavy necklaces with as much as containing 20 laces were popular in Kinnaur. Out of 20, four laces were of Red coral gem (locally called moonga) and in rest of laces engraved or enamelled silver plaques (called doroli) were linked. These ornaments are now considered antique and hence are pricey. Kinnauri women also used to wear lion faced bangles which weighed up to 100 tolas (itola = 10 gram). However smaller version of these (weighing 50 tolas) were also available in the market some years ago.  Women of the Gujjar community in Chamba adorn ornament named ‘Sihri’, a necklace with silver coins and precious gems integrated in it. Apart from this they too wear silver ‘taabiz’ and bangles weighing 20 tolas. Women of Mandi and Kullu area wears a necklace named ‘kandi ghara’. It contains 15 to 20 silver coins weighing about 20 tolas and in between these silver coins motifs are embedded. In Karsog area, Queen Victoria or George V necklace locally called ‘dhata’ or ‘kandi’ were popular. It weighs about 250 grams. Women of Chopal wear a silver ornament named ‘junti’. But it has also gone extinct now. Women of Jubbal and Rohru used to wear gold necklace named ‘galsiri’ weighing about 5 to 30 tolas. Women from Solan adorn ‘varaagar’ that too has gone extinct. Blue sapphire (Neelam) and motifs were embedded in it. Gems embedded ‘chandrahaar’ once popular in Solan too has gone extinct. Necklace called ‘Solan Tandira’ (weighing 20 tolas) with intricate carvings too have gone extinct. Similarly many other traditional ornaments like ‘chandraseni’ necklace of Hamirpur, ‘naulakha har’, ‘kamarband’ etc. have lost their existence and have become history now.