sumina's blog

Paisa ko mala (one of my first articles on traditional ornaments)

Photo: Bikash Karki

Kimonos, sarees, Chinese quipa or cheongsam, or the Vietnamese ao dai – all these traditional attires are coming out of the shelves. International fashion designers have reconstructed them, making them more wearable and affordable. Many have taken inspiration from them for their new designs. The scene is no different in terms of modern jewelry. Old designs have become the sources of ideas for much new jewelry.

Contrary to the international scenario, Nepal’s fashion sense seems to be nowhere in the picture for the revival of such Nepali traditional accessories and attires. And younger generations of Nepal’s indigenous and ethnic communities are lost amidst the conundrums of protests and in search of their individual identifications from the state. In the midst of such scenarios, a few endeavors have been made by museums to at least save those traditional apparels and jewelries. Hence, here is an attempt to revive Nepali traditional and ethnic attires and ornaments in people’s minds.

The Central Bureau of Statistics currently divides Nepal’s population into 103 groups on the basis of castes and ethnicities. Of these various groups, one of the most common ornaments adorned by Nepali women is Paisako Mala. You might have seen your grannies wearing it. Nepathya, in their music video, Saa Karnali, features one kind of these ornaments. And now it is on the verge of extinction. Besides ethnic museums and a few cultural celebrations, hardly anyone can be seen sporting this neckline enhancer.

 The Nepal Ethnographic Museum on Exhibition Road in Kathmandu, which has collected dresses and ornaments of various ethnic and indigenous groups of Nepal, has eight ethnic and indigenous groups wearing this particular ornament. Though a common accessory among different groups like Tharus, Rais, Tamangs, Dhimals, Thakalis, Magars, Lepchas and Gurungs, it has been baptized under different names. Tharus call it Haikal, Tamangs know it as Tanga Mala, and among Rai communities, it is commonly known as Haari. The Tharu communities mainly use silver and other white metal coins of different monetary units known as athani (half a Rupee, or mohar), chauwani (quarter of a Rupee, or suka) to make paisako mala. Usage of gold coins is found in the Thakali and Gurung nations to make such necklaces.

In the Ethnographic Museum, the longest “paisako mala” is worn by a Sunwar mannequin. And the particular necklace made up of Indian one-Rupee coins dating back to 1919 AD is worn by a Tharu mannequin. One of these versions was known as “Pancham George Mala” – named after George V, King of Britain and Emperor of British India – a garland of pure silver coins embroidered together. As Indian currencies were used in Nepal as far back in earlier centuries, Indian coins were used in designing such precious and semi-precious metal necklaces. But there have been changes in patterns of the use of such coins, as Nepal started having its own official coins. Later, the style died down because of the mass minting of alloyed metals for coins in place of the purity of the previous unalloyed raw materials. In the old days, comely girls sported such silver and gold coin necklaces to enhance their personal prestige as well as to lure appropriate suitors for marriage.

Besides their beautifying values, such necklaces were worn as one way of hoarding money in the form of ornaments as there were no proper places like banks to deposit such property, according to Bam Kumari Budha Magar, an executive member of the Museum.

From Shitu Rajbhandari–(Newarswear one rupee gold coins, simply called asarfi maa (mala in newari). like you mentioned the number of coins in the necklace reflected the affluence of the family the woman came from. unlike other cultures the asarfi maa in the newar community is still seen as traditional wedding jewelry and for those with money its mandatory like the chandra haar and nyapushikhaa (translates into five chains wore on the head).