Bangles are considered your ever-green, traditional go-to accessories that have been adorning the arms of women since the beginning of time. Over the centuries, women have been using bangles as an important part of their getup. There is no age limit to its usage, but it is mandatory for a newly married bride to decorate herself with bangles made of glass, gold, wood, plastic, platinum, or even ferrous metals.
Bangles represent our trendy culture, and are sometimes considered part of a woman’s identity more than a simple accessory. They are worn in pairs, one or more, on one or each arm, and their intricate designs, manual crafting, and embroidery etc., make them all the more expressive and attractive.
Along with its variation of material, multiple colours of bangles are well-known for different valued symbols, which portray certain traditional norms and trends i.e. red bangles symbolise energy, and blue bangles represent wisdom, while green bangles are considered a symbol of luck and marriage
Along with its variation of material, multiple colours of bangles are well-known for different valued symbols, which portray certain traditional norms and trends i.e. red bangles symbolise energy, and blue bangles represent wisdom, while green bangles are considered a symbol of luck and marriage. Such types of bangles are, also, reckoned as a lover’s first choice of gift for his loved one. In addition to the aforementioned, silver bangles represent strength, and golden bangles are a sign of good fortune. Flamboyant orange coloured bangles are considered as a mark of success, whereas purple bangles symbolise independence.
Festivals are incomplete without these traditional accessories as well. In Pakistan, Eid is just around the corner. Nowadays, the people in Pakistan are observing the month of Ramazan, and there are only a few days left until Eid. Streets and markets are crowded with multi-coloured bangles in all shapes and sizes. Bangle stalls along with mehndi options (henna) are in place for women everywhere; they enroll girls from school, college, as well as children who know how to do their job. These bangle shops are also filled to the brim with people of the opposite gender – boys mostly present green bangles to their lover.
During their shopping, ladies purchase beautiful outfits and never forget to match their choice of bangles with them. Shopkeepers keep a huge variety of colourful bangles in different and fascinating designs, in order to attract women to their shops. Liberty Market, Ichra, Moon Market, Anarkali etc., are the most famous spots and places for bangles stalls.
Chand Raat is celebrated the evening before Eid. The excitement reaches its peak on this evening. Bangles are, literally, the most demanded product on this very night. Gift packs of bangles, along with cones of mehndi, are associated with the festival of Eid.
This meethi Eid is incomplete without these traditional ornaments.
Published in Daily Times, June 16th 2018.