Mangalsutra is often worn by the Hindu married women. In most of the communities in India it is a must to wear the mangalsutra after marriage. Today we will explain why the mangalsutra is worn and what the significance of it is. The mangalsutra is made with the help of black and red beads. Sometimes even gold and diamond are used as per the financial stature of the family that the bride belongs to. The beads are made of coral or glass.
Normal Mangalsutra Characteristics
The colour black is considered to be protecting from the evil eye and evil spirits. Nazar is something Hindus believe in a lot. If a person wears a black thread then it is said that bad nazar will not come to the person. After marriage a woman looks very nice and glowing. She is happy and the newly married couple look very nice together.
The Hindus believe that some people might have an evil eye and they might feel jealous of a couple as a result the couple might face bad luck. If the woman is made to wear a mangalsutra it will protect not only her from evil nazar but also the husband and the rest of the family.
Is it mandatory?
Mangalsutra was mandatory in Hindu society and it still is, at least technically speaking. However, many modern working women either wear a very simple mangalsutra and some do not wear it at all.
The mangalsutra comes from the husband’s family and the groom ties it around the neck of the bride. This is the most important custom in a Hindu marriage. Once the mangalsutra is tied the marriage is considered complete.
Along with black beads even red beads are used. Red is the colour of power and prosperity in Indian society. Red beads represent mars or mangal. This planet brings good luck to the newly married couple. Some also feel that the red beads were used so that the woman would be able to conceive without issues and have healthy babies that would lead to the growth of the family. The marriages in Hindu society were done with the intention of seeing the family grow and for paving the way to the next generation.
Gold in mangalsutra
Metals like gold were usually used to make the mangalsutra. The intention was to ensure that the mangalsurta is strong enough and it should not break easily. The breaking of the mangalsutra was considered to be very inauspicious. Only at the death of the husband the woman could remove the mangalsutra.
Widows could not wear the mangalsutra as that would not allow the spirit of the dead husband to rest in peace as per the traditions. The mangalsutra was considered to be the bond between the couple and it had the strength to hold back the spirit of the husband.
Backup with mantras
During the marriage ceremony many mantras are told to make the mangalsutra stronger and it is considered to be very auspicious. Once the puja of the mangalsutra is done only then it can be tied around the neck of the girl. If the woman wears the mangalsutra regularly it will be good for the husband and will give him a long life. The mangalsutra was like a metaphysical energy bond that would tie the energy nadis of the bride and the groom.
These are some interesting points that you might need to know about the mangalsutra. We are not saying that a Hindu woman must wear the mangalsutra all the time in the modern world. We are just trying to make the readers aware of what the mangalsutra is all about and why it was worn by the married women. It is an age old tradition and thus has a significance that cannot be denied.