By P.T. Bopanna
I was surprised to see the ‘king sized’ Kokkethathi being worn by my Canada-based Facebook friend Nithya Arasu.
I have featured Nithya several times in the past. Her Dalgona coffee recipe (coffee originated from a South Korean YouTube channel before going viral on TikTok), featured on my Facebook page in which she had worn a short dress had gone viral.
When I joked Nithya on the huge size of the Kokkethathi worn by her, she responded by saying: “Ha ha yes I got one suiting my personality”.
According to Chindamada Arati Monappa, textile designer, ‘Kokkethathi’, a crescent shaped repousse pendant set with graduated cabochon rubies, framed with sea pearls, filled with lac, and a chain of ‘ Gund ‘ or hollow gold beads, is mandatory for a Coorg bride. The pendant has the image of a seated Lakshmi, Goddess of Wealth, flanked by two birds, by a cobra with a distended hood, which is a multiple symbol of wealth and fertility. The chain is usually 26 inches long to show it off to advantage.”
Coorg jewellery is very distinctive, yet the influence of neighbouring states is evident. The jewellery worn by the Coorgs are inspired by nature, in the form of flowers, fruits, serpents, the moon, sun, and stars.
To know more about Kodava jewellery, follow the link below:
