Temple Jewellery
Temple jewellery is a traditional South Indian gold style featuring deities, coins and temple motifs.
Temple jewellery is a classic South Indian style of heavy 22K gold work depicting deities, temple domes and coin motifs. It traces back to the Chola era, when such pieces adorned temple idols and, later, the Bharatanatyam and other classical dancers who performed in the temples. Today it is a prized choice for weddings, festivals and dance.
Origins in the temple and the dance
The name is literal. This jewellery began as adornment for temple deities in the Chola and Pandya kingdoms of South India, crafted in gold and set with rubies and emeralds to honour the idols. From the temples it passed to the classical dancers who performed devotional dance, becoming the traditional costume jewellery of Bharatanatyam.
That heritage shapes the look. Motifs are drawn from temple architecture and Hindu iconography: images of Lakshmi and other deities, temple gopuram shapes, peacocks, mango or paisley forms, and rows of gold coins known as kasu.
What sets the craft apart
Temple jewellery is defined by its weight, its rich 22K gold and its sculptural relief work. Pieces are substantial, often antique finished with a matte or slightly oxidised surface that deepens the sense of age and makes the raised deity figures stand out. Uncut stones, kundan settings and coloured gems frequently feature.
Signature pieces include the long kasu malai or coin necklace, broad chokers with a central deity, ornate jhumka earrings, waist belts and maang tikkas. Because the gold content is high and the work is detailed, temple jewellery carries both a strong metal value and a significant making or value addition charge.
- Temple jewellery is heavy 22K South Indian gold work.
- It dates to the Chola era and temple idol adornment.
- Motifs feature deities, temple domes, peacocks and gold coins.
- An antique matte finish and sculptural relief define the style.
Temple Jewellery, in short.
Where did temple jewellery originate?
In South India during the Chola and Pandya periods, first as adornment for temple deities and later as the traditional jewellery of classical temple dancers such as Bharatanatyam performers.
What motifs are typical of temple jewellery?
Images of deities like Lakshmi, temple gopuram shapes, peacocks, mango and paisley forms, and strings of gold coins called kasu, usually rendered in raised relief.
Why is temple jewellery relatively expensive?
It is made in high purity 22K gold, tends to be heavy, and involves detailed sculptural craftsmanship, so both the metal value and the making charge are substantial.
Related terms
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