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Indra Chowk is a conventional market in previous Kathmandu, tucked away in a tiny alley-like intersection of streets between Durbar Sq. and the vacationer neighborhood of Thamel. Though it spreads solely alongside a number of hidden again lanes, the market is Nepal’s largest glass-beads necklace bazaar. Even right now, the custom of bead making on this vibrant market continues to be very alive. Hindu girls go there to purchase their necklaces earlier than getting married.
When you arrive at Indra Chowk, you’ll discover tiny glistening stalls of colourful glass bead (pote) strands. Employees right here weave colourful glass bead necklaces in entrance of their prospects. The everyday necklaces bought in Indra Chowk are generally known as pote (pronounced potay in Nepali). Typically the market may additionally be referred to as the historic Potey Bazaar or the Pote Market.
The method of weaving glass beads necklaces
Weaving glass beads necklaces is fascinating course of. Ladies go to Indra Chowk, decide their strands, and have a marriage necklace made on the spot. They sit on a chair in entrance of the store whereas the shopkeepers string the necklace bead by bead. When the necklace is sort of completed, the bead stringer can have a number of threads between his toes. Lastly, he winds a thread round these threads and finishes the necklace.
One other important factor within the pote is the golden Tilauri bead, which is often handmade by one of many many goldsmiths on the subsequent avenue over from the Pote Bazaar. The pote distributors don’t make the tilauri beads however add them to the pote necklace. A tilauri bead in the midst of a pote necklace is a marital image, akin to Western wedding ceremony rings.
Owing to its relation with the marriage season, Indra Chowk is used to seeing many purchasers throughout the month of Shrawan, which is an auspicious month for weddings. It’s believed {that a} woman who will get married on the peak of the Monsoon will likely be blessed with many wholesome youngsters because the rains are inherently associated to fertility rituals.
The symbolic significance of the Pote
Beads are an important a part of a lady’s apparel in Nepal. Pote or glass beads maintain a big place within the Nepali tradition and the lifetime of married girls. Historically, the pote is an extended necklace made of colourful glass beads with the colour crimson, and symbolizes the married lady.
A lady begins sporting a pote from the day of her wedding ceremony when the groom places it on her. So if one sees a lady sporting a pote, it signifies that she’s married. A marriage pote may be lengthy, worn like a sash hanging to 1’s hip.
The pote additionally symbolizes good luck for married girls, and it’s worn solely by these girls whose husbands are alive. Widows are usually not allowed to put on a pote, nor are divorced ones.
Traditions and beliefs concerning the pote
Completely different ethnic teams within the Kathmandu valley have completely different beliefs about how one ought to put on their pote. The pote is believed to be linked with good luck. Some say that if the married don’t put on a pote, it’d carry dangerous luck to her husband, and even get him killed. This is among the the explanation why girls by no means take out the pote, generally not even at night time. Even whereas altering the pote, they put on the brand new necklace first and solely then take out the older one.
Normally, girls put on a single-string pote, however particular potes are worn throughout festivals or events. Brahmin and Khastriya girls put on pote all 12 months alongside. The Gurungs put on it solely throughout Lhosar (their New Yr), which is inexperienced.
Different variants of necklaces embrace the Tilhari. Tilhari is an extended necklace with a couple of string of pote with a gold tilauri pendant within the center. It may be worn like a garland or sideways, slung from the fitting shoulder and passing via the left arm. The husband places it round his spouse’s neck at their wedding ceremony.
The pote throughout Tihar
Suppose you might be fortunate sufficient to be in Kathmandu throughout Tihar. In that case, the wedding beads often bought at Indra Chowk are bought throughout Kathmandu throughout that week. Like an annual jewellery refresh, girls get their marriage mangalsutra restrung on the bead stalls throughout Tihar.
So for a lot of the 12 months, you’d most likely solely go to Indra Chowk to get the beads, however round Tihar, you will get them in lots of different locations, like Patan Durbar Sq., and extra.
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