Mangalsutras are also differently designed in different communities.

For example, the Tamilians wear the taali, an extraordinarily crafted pendant, the Maharashtrians swear by the black and gold beads with the double 'vati' pendant, one 'vati' standing for the bride's parents' home and the other for her husband's. The Kannadigas add corals while the Gujaratis and Marwaris often go for a diamond pendant. The Kashmiri Pandits wear an unusual mangalsutra that goes through the ears!

Historically, the custom of tying a 'mangalsutra', the auspicious emblem or cord, on the wedding day, appears to have become popular only after the 6th century AD.

Before this, a yellow protective cord known as 'kankanabandhana' was tied around the wrists of the bride and the groom to signal the commitment to marriage.

The 'talis' of the Brahmins are the simplest, while those of the non-Brahmins are often complex, stylised works of art. Forms and patterns for 'talis' are often derived from nature, using symbols like flowers, buds, leaves, trees and so on.

The black beads in the mangalsutra are believed to ward off the evil eye, while corals are worn for fertility... ?id=8135