THE ALLURE OF BANGLES
A few days ago, for no particular reason, I thought of the ‘chudiwale baba’ (old bangle seller) who used to frequent our neighborhood every few weeks. All the women would gather excitedly around him, taking a break from being mothers and wives, forgetting for a while the rigours of their mundane lives. For the briefest moments, a rare joy reflected in their dancing eyes. They would take their time fussing over and choosing from the rich array, while he, the dream bearer, took each extended arm and gently slipped on the glass bangles. I loved the commotion of these little episodes, the excited laughter of these simple women, the strong sense of community. Can an Amazon delivery bring forth that kind of emotion?
Typically it were the ‘suhagans’ or married women who flocked around the chudiwaala. But my cousin and I never let that deter us. We made sure our arms were stacked, the gentle jingle-jangle making us feel supremely feminine and graceful. Since bangles weren’t allowed in school, we had to patiently wait until term break to get our hands adorned.
The past year and a half has felt like the longest term, with barely any breaks, and no opportunities to really dress up. This Raksha Bandhan, though, with Covid restrictions easing up a bit, we decided to celebrate and the bangle box came out. The clinking bangles touched with sweet laughter and August light, glowed beautifully with happiness and hope.
For Indian women, bangles are not mere ornaments. They are symbols of luck and prosperity, of elegance and beauty. Whether you wear them as a dictate of tradition or purely for pleasure, bangles are more than an accessory. They are remnants of a rich history, of fine craftsmanship, of legacies that must be honoured and dutifully passed on. For women who come from middle-class families like me, there are rarely expensive heirlooms to flaunt. It is the stories then, of our childhood, that we hold in our hearts like precious keepsakes. It is the memories of strong, yet gentle women that we hold up as touchstones.
