Tilhari Neckless

Tilhari:

Tilhari is a very characteristic piece of Nepalese jewelry. Composed of seven beads of two different shapes( seven beads represent the seven birth), it is usually presented to the bride at a wedding and is only worn by married women. Design of Tilhari resembles with Seed of Rudraksha tree.  As per Hindu belief  'Shiva' prays on the seeds of the 'Rudraksha tree'. It is the desire of every Hindu Nepali woman to have husband like lord Shiva as Shiva is believed as an ideal husband. Tilhari is worn hanging from a bundle of Pote (the tiny glass beads) and symbolizes a woman's prayer for the long life of her husband. The color of pote may be red, green, yellow, saffron , blue or mixed of them.  Among them Red colored Pote is preferred the most as Red indicates both sensuality and purity. In Hindu religion, red is of utmost significance and the color most frequently used for auspicious occasions like marriages, birth of a child,festivals, etc. and it is also the color of Shakti (prowess). On the death of a woman, her body is wrapped in a red cloth for the cremation. In month of Sawan, mid July-mid August, yellow and green Pote are popular as green color represents life, happiness and nature and  yellow color represents knowledge, peace ,meditation and mental development. This is the time when Lord Shiva drank the poisonous Halahala that emanated from Samudra Manthan between Devas(Gods) and Asuras (Demons) for the quest of the Nectar (ambrosia). When  his devout wife, Parvati, saw drinking Halahala she at once held his throat so that the poison wouldn't go down. As a result His throat turned blue and He was called Neelkantha. Like this Parvati saved her husband life. During month of sawan Nepali women worship lord Shiva for their husbands' long life.

 Upon the death of the husband the woman stops wearing the tilhari. Therefore Tilhari holds the great significance in Nepali hindu society and is the Queen of Nepali jewelries. Now a days different designs of Tilhari can be seen they are chhadke (side) Tilhari, Bange(Curved) Tilhari, Kande Tilhari, kali Tilhari etc.