A mangalsutra (literally means "an auspicious thread") is a symbol of Hindu and Syrian Christian marriage union in India. It is a sacred thread of love and goodwill worn by women as a symbol of their marriage. It's usually a gold pendant strung from a yellow thread prepared with tumeric, a string of black beads, or simply a gold chain. It is comparable to the wedding ring in the West. A married woman is expected to wear the mangalsutra until her husband's death.
During the wedding ceremony, the groom ties the mangalsutra to the neck of the bride with 3 knots that represent (1) obedience to her husband, (2) obedience to her parents, (3) respect for God.
Interesting note - In India there are five sacred symbols that indicate a women is married:
- Mangalsutra
- Bangles
- Nose Ring
- Sindoor - red power which is traditionally applied at the beginning or completely along a married woman's hair part (mang) or as a dot in the forehead. Single women ear the dot in different colors (bindi) but do not apply sindoor in their mang.
- Toe Rings - usually made of silver and worn in pairs on the 2nd toe of both feet. Not supposed to be made of gold, as gold holds a 'respected' status and shouldn't be worn below the waist by Hindus. Toe rings were introduced to the US by Marjorie Borell in 1973 after a visit to India.
side note: my apologies for being the worst video taker in the world
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