Mangalsutra -The inseparable bond between wife and husband
By Rams mylot
@rameshchow (4426)
India
July 16, 2011 2:06pm CST
Friends, i am discussing about my Andhra Pradesh region traditional marriage system.
The magalsutra or mangal sutram is the symbol of marriage. The bridegroom has to bond the mangalsutra round the neck of the bride, then the ultimate bond will creates. When her husband dies, then she has to remove it. According to our tradition the women are giving so much importance to that, it is like god.
You can read this for clear info:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangalsutra
and share your views on this...
5 people like this
8 responses
@celticeagle (168126)
• Boise, Idaho
18 Jul 11
That is interesting. I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea for the US to have more traditions like this. All aspects of a marriage should be respected and given much importance. Too many don't now days and way too many divorces because of it. Too easy to get married and then get out of marriage.
1 person likes this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
18 Jul 11
This tradition is beautiful. I do not believe in love and marriage mixing for me and me alone. I have friends who are happy and married but me? Never! What I do believe in is love. I believe two people can connect in a way so deeply Without having to marry. The main thing is for the couple to agree on what they will do. To many the Only way to prove you love deeply is to marry. i think as long as you connected all other things are unnecessary.
1 person likes this
@rogue13xmen13 (14402)
• United States
19 Jul 11
Wow, you all in India make marriage so complicated. We in America just call it commitment. That's all it is. Nothing complicated about it. Either your faithful to your spouse or your not, and if you aren't, then be prepared to get what is coming to you, heartache and pain. Also, marriage in America is almost becoming a joke for most people. Not very many people take it seriously these days. They probably should, but they often don't.
In most American weddings we just candles, rings, ropes, and my personal favorite, brooms to symbolize making a commitment. People can get real creative with it. Another one was updating your Facebook status from "in a relationship" to "married" during your wedding ceremony. Let your imagination run wild. Use whatever you and your spouse think will symbolize your true commitment to one another.
@rogue13xmen13 (14402)
• United States
20 Jul 11
Rings are mostly what we use, and that ring is supposed to mean staying committed to the one you love or the one that you are married to, but often times, people ignore that ring, and they stray away, both men and women.
Call it what you want, but it's commitment no matter how you look at it. You are committed or your not. I know people do different things to show commitment in their cultures, but it's commitment.
In the Mormon religion, women (and I think men too) will were special underwear and the women are not allowed to wear sleeveless clothes.
In Hawaii, if you wear a flower on the right side of you hair, you are single, if you wear the flower on the left side of your hair, you are married or taken, it's mostly married.
Each culture and religion does things differently. It seems kind of cool that you have that for your culture, but there shouldn't be serve consequences for women who remove it. It seems harsh and barbaric to punish someone for not wanting to be married anymore or for not wanting to wear a Mangalsutra.
We don't punish people where I live if they can't stay committed anymore, or if they don't want to. What if the husband is doing something bad to his wife, is she going to be forced to still have to wear it and is she going to be subject to more abuse (like she going through enough of it), if she chooses not to wear it anymore? I kind of wonder about how harsh the punishment is for women who don't wear it?
@SViswan (12051)
• India
20 Jul 11
It's more of a habit to wear it now...and it's only in movies that the mangalsutra is portrayed as a 'never ending bond' and dire consequences to the one who removes it.
Most women in North India either hide the mangalsutra or take it off if it doesn't go with their dress.
In North India, there are other symbols which show a woman is married.
Commitment is in the mind...there are mangalsutra wearing women who stray and also their husbands might.
1 person likes this
@SViswan (12051)
• India
20 Jul 11
A mangalsutra is different for different states.
In Kerala, it is a plain gold chain or yellow thread with a heart shaped locket (it is of different kinds in different castes). This is for the Hindus. I think even the Christians wear a similar one...not sure about Muslims.
We usually do not take off the mangalsutra or the wedding/engagement ring (which has our spouse's name engraved on it).
I often find that most couples have done away with the ring or the engraved ring. But the mangalsutra is often worn and there are very few times in our life when we are allowed to take it off.
@rameshchow (4426)
• India
16 Jul 11
then now you got idea about my traditional marriage system...
2 people like this
@sup3rdud3 (230)
• Indonesia
16 Jul 11
So according to Wikipedia this magalsutra is comparable to wedding ring in the West which is a symbol of marriage between a husband and wife. Therefore we can tell whether a woman is married or still single from this.
However in the West both husband and wife wear the wedding ring. So this sign of marriage is visible on both men and women. So I want to ask you about men in your region. How about the husbands? Do they wear something also to signify that they're married?
@SunnyBuddy (443)
• India
17 Jul 11
The bride and the bridegroom exchange rings during engagement. The wedding ring system in the west is implemented in the engagement. While the mangalsutra is the ultimate bond that ties the man and the woman and males them one flesh. In christian marriages too in Andhra, the couple exchange rings and the man ties a mangalsutra to the woman which signifies a mix of traditions going hand in hand.
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
17 Jul 11
Mangalsutra did have its importance.But it also became a symbol of subjugation , and women were forced to wear it and films and serials gave too much importance to its power which was all unrealistic.It is afterall a piece of jewelery worn by a married woman and whether she wants to continue wearing it or not after she becomes a widow is something that she alone should decide.A good marriage does not need any of these trappings...
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
18 Jul 11
Hiya remo,
I have read about that on the wikipedia link and its really very interesting. I can see how they give the importance to it as well in the Films as part of a Story like they do over here they will use things like that to back up a Storyline as well.
Here when you are married you have to wear your Wedding Ring on the opposite hand to those of my own Country.
I don´t give it a lot of importance really but when I am there they think that I am not married when I am.
They also have some wonderful Jewellry or am I thinking of another Region?xxx
