#Kaluthiru
This is the ornament specially used by nagarathars(merchant community of karaikudi) and used in chettinad temples for divine celestial wedding weddings."Thiru" literally means lakshmi kaluthu (the tamil word for neck). Mangalyam /mangalsutra will be shown in the center which depicts the mahalakshmi. so the name given is" kaluthiru".This is the ornament worn to bride by the bridegroom during marriage.Taking the kaluthiru from the bride house the day before the marriage is a tradition.
The pangalis ( grooms family members ) will make the "kaluthiru".There are totally 31 parts in kaluthiru which has specific names like "thirumangalyam","ethanam"," sarimani","kadaimani" etc excluding this 31 Parts there are four parts which be added on the next day of wedding they are "kuchi","thumbu","orraithumbu","thuvalai".
Nowadays The "thirumangalyam" and enthanam carries the motifs of goddess ‘ #Lakshmi’at the front side. Few decades before the icons of ‘ #MeenakshiSundareswarar ’ ‘#Rishabarudar modiffes were shown in "ethanam" in the second row. In some thirumangalyam we can many goddess #Bhubaneswari too instead of Lakshmi Lakshmi and #Rishabaruda (Shiva - Parvathi on bull )are often repeated theme in Chettinad, which are highly revered by the Nattukottai Nagarathar as the former symbolizing protection and prosperity while #Rishsbaruda ( Shiva Parvathi pair on bull ) represents happy family life. Nowadays the size of kaluthiru has been shrunken so in "ethanam" motif of #mahalakshmi is show so nowadays its called as Lakshmi ethanam because of Lakshmi motif.
A day before the wedding the kaluthiru ( 31 parts) will be given to the groom family with help of paternal elders ( pangalis ) the parts of kaluthiri will joind in a turmeric thread which is 21 partision and some techniques were used to spin it to make it as a chain once again the thread is soaked in the turmeric water to make the spin stronger.
The thread now appears yellow in colour after this 31 parts of kaluthiru and connect it to the thread with two rows which denotes bride and groom these two rows were knotted together the row with thirumangalyam / mangalsutra denotes bride and the row with ethanam denotes groom.
Now the Kaluthiru chettinad wedding ornament is ready to worn by the bride on the wedding occasion.
----- Ramu.Rm.N
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