Ties That Bind And Bless

IN INDIA, THREADS OF MYRIAD HUES AND THICKNESS, WORN BY THEMSELVES OR WITH ADDED PENDANTS, ARE WORN AS SYMBOLS OF DIVINE BLESSING, PROTECTION AGAINST NEGATIVE FORCES AND EVEN AS SIGNIFIERS OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

- Susan Philip

In a nutshell

Threads of various hues and materials are very significant in India. They are used as symbols of divine blessing and protection against evil. And also as reminders of one’s responsibilities to family, society and God.

Meaning and Deeper Meaning

Indian men, women and children commonly wear various types of threads knotted around their wrists, arms,ankles or necks. Men of certain castes also wear threads across one shoulder and torso. These threads are significant in different ways. The most ubiquitous of these threads is the one that signifies marriage. At the wedding, the groom knots a thread or strands of threads on which special pendants are strung, after it is blessed by priests, around his bride’s neck.Later, these pendants may be transferred to a gold chain and is traditionally worn constantly by women throughout married life.

Women and girls also tie ornamented strands of threads called rakhis on the wrists of men and boys they consider their brothers at the Raksha Bandhan festival. It symbolises their love and prayers for the men; and in return, the recipients pledge to protect and care for the women.

Primarily the Brahmin community, but also some other sectors, have coming-of-age ceremonies for boys, where they are invested with sacred threads worn diagonally on their torsos. These threads are routinely changed, and when the young man enters matrimony, the number of strands is doubled to signify his added responsibilities.

Apart from these, red, orange or black threads blessed by priests may be worn by the young and old alike for spiritual energy.