When automobiles were bejewelled
SUGANTHI KRISHNAMACHARY
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Eardrops, chains, necklaces - gold has always been a statement of wealth and status.
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ANTIQUE ALLURE: A gorgeous necklace with brooch to match
`Manohara' of the Mangala Gana Sabha, was a popular play in the 1940s.
A popular scene was the one where Prince Manohara, who returns after a successful three-year campaign against the Pandyas, is greeted by his young wife Vijaya with the words "What jewels do the women in Pandya Nadu wear?" Not that she loves her husband less, but she loves jewellery more!
Royalty in India had such a fascination for the yellow metal that even their cars were adorned with gold. The Maharaja of Patiala's Rolls had an instrument board encrusted with precious jewels.
When the car was sent for service, four armed men stood guard over it, round the clock!
The Maharaja had a pearl necklace insured by Lloyds for a million pounds and a breastplate studded with 1001 diamonds, that he wore only when he travelled in this particular Rolls!
CLEVERLY CRAFTED: Swan shaped Kumkum container.
Many of India's royal families bought their diamonds from Tawker, famous jewellers of Madras.
This writer recalls a song sung by her great grandmother, describing the attractions of Madras. One of the stanzas referred to Tawker.
A woman draws her friend's attention to her diamond nose ring, and sings:
Idhu Tawker companiyarin make-u
Idhu daambiga vairabullaku
Paarthal nagaigal vegu shokku
Anindaal irukkum romba teeku.
The Tawkers, a Gujarati family, set up business in Madras in 1761, and their Mount Road showroom was built in the 1800s by the famous architect Henry Irwin.
Visiting royalty often stayed in the palatial house that belonged to the Tawkers. Carnatic music concerts were arranged to entertain them. Vidyala Naarayanaswami Naidu and the Tachur brothers often sang for the royal patrons of the Tawkers.
Sadly the Tawkers, who were trailblazers in the jewellery business in Madras, incurred losses, and their business folded up. But a temple built by the Tawkers can still be seen in Ayanavaram, and the bus stop is even today referred to as Tawker Chatram.
Some of the most famous diamonds in history have had an Indian connection. The Pitt diamond got its name from Governor Pitt of Madras, who bought the diamond, and sold it to the Duc d' Orleans in 1717. In his book "Gemstones" (Methuen, 1919), Herbert Smith, Assistant secretary of the British Museum of Natural History, writes that without offering the Pitt as security, Napoleon could not have raised funds for his military campaigns. So but for the diamond from South India, history might have taken a different course!
FIT FOR THE NAWAB: A turban ornament
Indian craftsmen made the most exquisite jewellery, whether diamond studded or just plain gold. Although there is a revival of interest in antique jewellery, one does not see anymore many of the jewels that were popular in the early 1900s. Head ornaments like the Gajjalu Nagar, diamond studded tirugupoo, jampasaram and jadasingaram that covered a woman's plait were popular right up to the 50s.
String of gold coins
There were necklaces called gajjai addigai, malli moggu addigai and that symbol of wealth the muzhu kaasu malai. The muzhu kaasu malai consisted of 100 half sovereign gold coins, with different mounts — parrots, peacocks or mangoes. Together with the mounts, a muzhu kaasumalai had 100 sovereigns of gold!
Many of the chains had the names of grains. Thus there were wheat chains, barley chains and aval chains. Each link in a wheat chain resembled a grain of wheat. Other popular chains also for some reason had names of edible things. There were Rasagulla chains, jangri chains and electric jalar chains.
A popular ring in the 40s was the "shake hands" ring. It showed two hands clasped in a greeting. It even finds mention in Devan's novel `Sriman Sudarsanam,' where the avaricious son-in-law will settle for nothing less than a "shake hands" ring. Diamond eardrops, or lolaaku, as they were called, were a must in many wealthy families. A new type of lolaaku was introduced in the 1930s. This was coveted by girls, but did not win the approval of the elders in the family, because of its name — Ding Dong Lovelocks!
Golden occasion
These days, our jewellers, market savvy businessmen that they are, make use of every opportunity to tempt women with their enticing jewels and their equally enticing discount offers. To them Akshaya Trithiyai is a Godsend. Buying gold is considered auspicious, and most women are convinced that buying gold on Akshaya Trithiyai (falling on May 11) is doubly auspicious. Akshaya means `imperishable' in Sanskrit. Gold has liquidity and resale value.
So money spent on gold should be viewed as an investment, and not as expenditure. And which other investment of yours adds to your beauty? Happy shopping this Akshaya Trithiyai!
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