The love for Anklets in the Indian Culture

India, as we know, is one of the ancient and most historical lands with a diverse culture and language. With a population of 2 billion people, there exist unity in diversity. You must be familiar with many cultures and traditions followed in a different state. Today, we will have the limelight on one of the most predominant Indian jewelry - Anklets which have been part of the Culture and fashion for hundreds of years. 

Before we know why Indians most love anklets, we will need to give you a glimpse into the history of wearing anklets. Most of the jewelry we know today originated from ancient Egyptian times. The idea of wearing anklets originated from different continents, such as Egypt, Europe, Sri Lanka, and South Asia; however, wearing anklets was more prevalent among south Asian countries, especially India. 

Indian women of Hindu Culture have many traditions to follow, and each piece of jewelry they wear carries meaning and significance. As far as anklets are concerned, it has been worn by many women of a different religion. Anklets have been a part of women’s attire for many years. Wearing anklets gave women respect in the household, and married women wore anklets the most. 

During the king’s rule, women wore anklets made of gold or silver that were heavy to carry. Apart from wearing it by normal women; the use of anklets have been widely used in classical dance forms such as the Barathanatiyam. Anklets have different names in every language as well. 

Different Types of Anklets - Medieval to Modern 

From ancient times, anklets were worn in silver because gold was considered the god’s metal and should not be touched by the feet. Everything has evolved as everything around us entered a modern era, from lifestyle to fashion. The jewelry industry has also made the best use of ideas and resources to design unique jewelry that suits the current lifestyle of people. 

The different types of anklets that you should know are as follows:

Toe Ring Anklets

Toe Rings anklets are one of the trendiest anklets worn by young women today. Toe rings are mostly worn outdoors, even with western outfits. The anklet has a loop or ring attached to one toe and hooks a chain between the toe and the anklet loop. These toe rings are mostly worn on a single side. 

Beaded Anklets

Beaded anklets are trendy and stylish today. Even small girls love wearing colorful beaded anklets made of wood or other material. They are made with stretchable material and are flexible to wear. Among beads, many prefer wearing tiny beaded anklets. 

Charm Anklets

Charm anklets are also worn on one leg and are popular in Indian and western cultures. You might have heard about charm bracelets that have been popular forever. In the same style is the charm anklets worn by many women for various reasons. The best part of wearing a charm anklet is that it can be worn with single or multiple charms as one wishes to add. 

Silver Anklets

The oldest of all anklets, silver anklets is what women of all age prefer wearing. The oldest style of silver anklets included tiny bells that made noise, and they believed they should remind the house members of the presence of a woman and pay respect to her. Today, as modern women have begun to work in offices, they prefer wearing plain anklets in silver. 

Gemstone Anklets

If you are fond of colours, you should try wearing gemstone anklets. However, in India, people have different meanings for wearing gemstones in any form. Since there are different types of gemstones, each one has a specific one that suits the energy. These are the most popular anklet types being used today. There could be more to what wearing an anklet means in a respective culture and setting. Explore more about what kind of anklets your ancestors wore and keep the tradition alive!