Jewellery of Karnataka

A striking piece of jewellery worn in Karnataka is called the tulunad, which is a cast-brass two-part belt, having its top edged with cobra heads with long-drawn-out hoods and has a cobra clutch at front. Jewellery of Karnataka is infused with religious connotations. A cast-brass finger ring is worn by Shiva Lingayat devotees depicting God Shiva's vehicle, the bull Nandini, who wears an amulet containing a lingam. Female Lingayat Virashiva or lay persons (linga banajiga) wear silver lingam caskets or ayigalu, shaped in the form of an abstracted egg.The silver lingam caskets or Gundgurdgi lingam caskets are worn on the left arm or by a Lingayat Jangam priest under a cloth cap on the head. These are often pot shaped and each contains a movable jangama or lingam. Lingayat women wear a gold fertility necklace for obtaining male offspring that consists of thirty pendants set in gold, each with a symbolic meaning connected with fertility. Gemstone like black and red coral are set onto the chain.. For the worship of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, the Lingayats use a specifically designed polychrome wood necklace.Children mainly wear protective tiger-claw amulets or vyaghranakhas pendants set in gold and suspended on a gold chain. Belts of bells around their hips are also worn to frighten away evil spirits. The other ornaments worn by children are bell-anklets also called painjani and a silver amulet box on a chain that has a central figure of a makara or kirtimukha flanked by birds and bands of floral creepers. Flat, repoussé decorated silver hair ornaments called jadaibillai or phirkichephul, backed with copper spirals (kambi suriyulla) are used in hair braids or in buns to hold them in place. Gold ear-studs with red stones and pearls are also common amongst the woman folk of this region. Kamardani or silver loop-in-loop belt which has a hooked closing is another popular piece of jewellery in this region. The silver ankle/ foot/ toe ornaments worn by the bride at a Coorgi marriage ceremony are popular among the people of Kodagu or Coorg.