What do rings mean to Indian women?

Today, exchanging rings on the engagement day is a common sight in an Indian wedding. Not just in big cities, the trend has caught up even in small towns. But this ceremony is just a fashion in India. It does not have any cultural relevance here. With foreign invasions, global industrial revolution that increased our interaction with the western world and the influence of English movies, our marriages in the Vedic period and now, look extremely different.

However, our Ayurvedic science seconds the Greek theory that the vein passing through the ring finger is directly connected to heart and thus, it is the right finger to associate with a life-long bond of the heart. Besides this, in Egypt, rings are viewed as a symbol of eternity. No wonder, it has beautifully merged with our already elaborate wedding traditions.

But that does not mean, we Indians never wore rings before Britishers arrived here. Our kings and queens sported this stunning jewel at the time of going to the war. Even in the Hindu mythology, Dushyanta and Shakuntala's love story is woven around this dainty jewel. That apart, our brides too flaunt haathphool, which is a set of five rings attached to a bracelet through a chain and has its roots in the Rajputana culture, on their big days. That and a special focus of our jewellers community on rings has made it the most popular jewels today. From being a traditional wedding piece, it has now become a part of women’s everyday wear too.


Proposals! It is another borrowed culture from the west in India. Soon after love marriages started growing popular in this otherwise conservative part of the world, rich boys here mastered the art of going down on their knees, presenting a ring, preferably solitaire and proposing the love of their life for marriage.   

When talking of rings in the Indian context, I cannot stop thinking of the games that the just-married couples are made to play soon after they arrive at the groom’s house. A ring is dropped in a bowl filled with milk or coloured water. The duo is then made to find the ring from it. In three rounds, whoever finds the ring for the most times, is the winner. It is also said that one who wins the game dominates the other one all their life. Such fun-filled games essentially serve as ice-breakers for the new bride in the new family, as they lighten the atmosphere and initiate conversations.  

Jewellery of any kind, no matter it has its origin here or not, will always blend in, as for women of India, it’s not just an adornment, it’s her way of expression and rings do a lot of talking for her!

Author: Deepa Mishra

Disclaimer: All images used in the blog have been sourced from Google purely for the purpose of informative reference. The models, celebrities or products showcased in these pictures are not to promote any brand in any manner.