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A marriage signifies not just a union of two individuals but also the bonding of understanding, commitment, mutual love and spiritual growth. Marriage in Hindu tradition is about celebration and fun. It demands sacrifice, companionship, dedication, and surrender on the part of both the bride and groom. Each and every ritual and custom associated with a Hindu matrimonial reflects the real essence of wedding. Mangalsutra is one such symbol. It has a huge significance in Hindu weddings as well as in the lives of Hindu married women. This symbol of marriage is worn by the bride until her husband's death. Manglasutra in a way is comparable to a Western wedding ring, and is worn by an Indian married woman until her husband's death. The groom ties the Manglasutra around the neck of the bride during the wedding. In all Hindu weddings, one of the most sacred rituals is of tying Mangalsutra. One can decipher mangalsutra as a sacred thread or cord as 'mangal' means auspicious and 'sutra' means thread or cord. It is a black and gold beaded necklace with a gold or diamond pendant. It has different names in different states of India. In south, it is known as Thaali and in north, it is called Mangalsutra. Besides that, the shape and size of mangalsutra varies from state to state and region to region. In north India, it is a necklace with black and gold beads with either a gold or diamond pendant. In the west, it consists of two gold rounds with black beads. Moreover, they are available in all sizes from short to long. It is the token of love and respect given to the bride by her groom. The most common type of Manglasutra is made of two strings of small black beads with a locket or pendant. The black beads signify protection from evil power on a married woman. Also, it is a general belief that a Manglasutra is worn to protect their marriage and life of their husbands. In India, it is considered very auspicious for married women to wear mangalsutra after marriage. But these days trend has changed a lot, as most Indian women don't wear a mangalsutra. Nowadays, the significance of wearing a mangalsutra has changed quite a lot. It has become more of a fashion statement than a symbol of marriage. And for this, the credit goes to the daily soaps and Hindi movies. Even the basic style of Manglasutra has changed over the years. Earlier, women use to wear a simple mangalsutra with small pendants but now the trend is to wear short length with a single string. Besides that, instead of gold pendants, married women prefer wearing diamond pendants. In Hindu culture, there are five signs that reflect the marital status of a woman. These five signs are mangalsutra, Toe rings, Kumkum, bangles and a nose ring. Mangalsutra is the most significant among them. The concept of Mangla Sutra has basically originated from South India and then passed to North India. Actual meaning of Manglastura - Mangalya dharanam (literally "wearing the mangalya") is the most imperative part of a Hindu matrimonial ceremony. The mangalya is strung on a yellow thread which is prepared by using Turmeric paste. It is generally tied around the bride's neck with three knots. In some Hindu families, the groom ties the first knot and his sisters tie the rest two. After that, the mangalya may be restrung on some propitious days. Though in appearance Manglasutra looks more or less like a jewelry item, its significance is definitely much more than that. It is a promise from the groom to his bride that they will always stay together in love and peace. In movies and soap operas, a very melodramatic usage of Manglasutra is portrayed which is not always appropriate. A Manglasutra is a sacred thread and it should not be used for such purposes. Its sanctity should be maintained and it should be carefully used. But in a way, these serials and movies also remind women of today the real purpose of it. As these days, they wear it more to flaunt it as a jewelry item than as a sacred thread. So, the significance of Mangalsutra should never be forgotten and should be worn with all the belief attached to it. Sukhpreet Kaur writes on behalf of Jeevansathi.com, which is India’s fastest growing matrimonial website, provides online Indian matrimonial classified services. Jeevansathi.com enables users to create a online matrimony profile on the website and allow prospective grooms and brides to contact each other. Users can search for profiles through advanced search options on the website. Users can avail free registration and make initial contact with each other through services available on Jeevansathi.com via Chat, SMS, and e-mail.
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