Aatheru – a Mangalsutra equivalent of Kashmiri Pandits

Recenlty, I happened to meet a Kashmiri woman. She had worn a pair of elaborate earrings that is not a common sight in cities. At first glance, I caught on that it is a traditional design and thus, I could not hold back my curiosity to know more about it. On asking, the lady excitedly spoke about it. Apparently, she was happy to know that I took interest in her tradition.   

As per what she shared, the pair of earrings is called Aatheru which is also a mangalsutra equivalent of Kashmiri Pandit women. Comprising of three elements - the Dejhoor, the Athoor and the Atah, this ear ornament is given to the bride at the time of her wedding by both, parents and in-laws, for a happy union. 

Note that, in Kashmir, the wedding ceremony is called Lagan and one day before the Lagan, the Devgoan ceremony is performed to invite the Gods to bless the bride. During this ceremony, the bride’s mother presents her the Dejhoor. Since by belief, the Kashmiri Pandits are Shavites, the Dejhoor is actually a Sri Yantra (an auspicious talisman). Cast in gold, Dejhoor is always hexagonal (Shatkon) in shape with a dot (Chunne) in the centre representing Shiv and Shakti. This yantra or Dejhoor is worn from the piercings in the upper ear cartilage, always the left ear first (Shiv) and then, the right (Shakti). Initially on the day of Devgaon, it is worn using red threads called Nairwan.  

After the wedding, when the in-laws take the new bride to their home, they perform another ceremony where the red threads supporting the Dejhoor is replaced with Atah that is either gold chains or gold and silver silken threads called (Sulma/ Tilla). The in-laws also add Athoor which is either a small piece of golden ornament attached to the lower end of the Dejhoor or a bunch of the Atah gold chains or silken threads tied in a bunch to the bottom of the Dejhoor. With that, the yantra is symbolically complete.

The next day, as part of another ritual, when the bride, along with her husband, visits her mother's place, she now sports a complete set of the Dejhoor, the Atah and the Athoor which is collectively known as the Aatheru. Although Aatheru is equated to the mangalsutra for its marital relevance but unlike the mangalsutra which is removed when widowed, the Aatheru is worn by Kashmiri women till their death because it is also looked upon as their financial security.

With the passage of time, a lot of modification has been made in its design for the modern sensibilities. Precious gems and seed pearls are added to make the Aatheru look more lavish. The gold chains of the Atah now also come with seed pearls at regular intervals and in some designs, there are only chains of pearls strung to a gold wire. The gold dot or Chunne many a times are replaced with a solitaire diamond instead of the traditional gold dot in the centre of the Shatkon.

That's not all. While the hexagonal Dejhoor is embellished with Meenakari, the gold yantra is also added a dash of colours with precious gems like sapphires, emeralds and turquoise stones. The attached Athoor too has come a long way. Either as a meenakari or bejewelled pendant or dangling as a tight bunch of clusters of pearl strings, it is now available in various designs. To satiate the minimalists, the Atah chains are reduced in size so that the Dejhoor and the attached Athoor just touch the wearer’s shoulders.

Earlier women would cover Dejahoor under their garments but with so many variants in design, now Aatheru has moved out of the confines of the Kashmiri Pandit household and is worn by women around the world as a statement jewel. 

Author: Deepa Mishra

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