Types and Styles of Anklets in India

by Rajsi Jewellers Buy Indian antique silver jewellery online at reas

Although we often tend to wear anklets, especially in the summer, when we can walk in sandals or flip-flops anklets are considered a regular type of jewellery to wear and they have quite a long history too. Let’s learn about the history of anklets in India and all the various types of anklets which exist there.

The history of anklets

The wearing of anklets dates back to the ancient times. Girls in India used to wear an anklet from their early childhood throughout their whole life. Anklets were partly worn as the symbol of wealth and also as a form of a musical ornament. Today, we can differentiate various forms of anklets in India:

Payal or Paijeb : these often come with intricate design and rich in decoration and they are worn regularly by Indian women. We can differentiate the highest decorated bridal and wedding payals from the payals worn during the day or for other special occasions. Payals or anklets can have their significance aside from looking beautiful. Let’s see a couple of these:

It signifies the tribe of the wearer, just like the heavier, bulkier payals worn by women in Rajasthan. These sorts of silver anklets are by far the heaviest anklets which are for regular wear.
Back in the day, silver anklets or payals were also used as a form of a statement, showing the world that its wearer is already married. These days however, their use for this reason is pretty rare.
Brides in regions such as Kundan or Meenankari traditionally like to wear anklets which are decorated with tiny tinkling bells. These anklets are made out of gold.
Anklets were even used in the old days to make their wearer’s steps shorter and this way, more feminine. They tied or chained the anklets worn on both feet and it would help guide the wearer to make smaller steps. This method was often used during marriage ceremonies, where brides would wear the anklets under long Lehenga skirts so that no one would see the chain or tie.

Ghundru : these are larger sorts of anklets which consist of smaller bell-like forms strung together. What’s particular about these bells is that they give out a specific sort of a sound that’s often used during Indian dances. This way, the anklet is also a musical instrument with its use being significant for any dance performance.

Today, lots of women in India keep on wearing anklets as a form of statement jewellery or fashion jewellery. As the climate in India promotes women keeping on wearing sandals, anklets serve as an accessory just like bracelets or necklaces serves the same reason in other countries. While back in the day payals were made either out of silver or gold, today women keep on wearing payals made out of other materials, such as beaded payals, woven payals, plastic or aluminium anklets too. Universally the lighter is the anklet, the easiest it is to wear it.

Today, thanks to Indian and Middle Eastern influence in jewellery trends and styles, there are lots of women who like to wear simple style yet beautiful silver anklets especially during the warmer days. As summer is right around the corner, don’t miss out on buying a few stylish silver anklets for you to wear to the beach or for your holidays.