The bejewelled bride

On her wedding day she embraces her man and steps into the sanctuary that they shall from there on call, home! A Bengali bride is the queen of any family, and while taking her first steps into this realm bound by divine rites, she must be in her best.

Everything should be pinned to perfection. From the dress she wears to the ornaments that adorns her bare skin, looking the best on the day takes top priority for any bride.

A Bengali wedding is weaved around the bride at its centre and other than that iconic wedding sari, the things that sparkle in her wedding trousseau are of course, jewellery.

We are all familiar with the traditional jewellery pieces, but little do we know that each bejewelled piece represents traditional norms and cultural values, symbols that may no longer have any significant superstitions, yet are not devoid of signs.

Tracing the annals of history the bling factor in the wedding scene has remained unchanged for millennia; only forms have evolved but the core values remain as vital today as they were, a thousand years ago.

True we have crossed eons and as we have encountered other cultures, and as we did, we weft our way. Gold has remained the element of choice to flaunt the social stature of the families that were to be bound together till eternity. But with evolving times the bourgeoisie expression has seen a metamorphosis.

With soaring prices of gold in the international market, there was a logical shift to the use of gemstones, held together with intricate filigree that saw prices go down yet taking the glam factor up one notch.

Recent times, however, has observed a downfall in bullion prices of precious metals and hence the revival of timeless gold. So, nothing has changed really. Only eons have passed.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Model: Raj, Meghla, Masiyat, Oshin, Indrani

Jewellery: Jarwa House

Wardrobe: Tangail Saree Kutir, Manick Banarasi, Mayasir

Blouse: Jahin Khan

Photoshoot coordinator: Isha Yeasmin