Name/Title
Mangala Sutra with Lakshmi and Fruiting-Vine PendantsEntry/Object ID
170Description
Summary
South Indian mangala sutra worn continuously by Vijaya Kumari Ramakrishna from the time of her marriage until her passing. The necklace combines black protective beads, twisted gold-tone chain elements, a central red bead, and two suspended pendants: one depicting Goddess Lakshmi and the other bearing a stamped fruiting-vine or grape-cluster motif. Extensive evidence of repair and accumulated wear documents decades of uninterrupted daily use. Following the owner’s passing, the object entered The Vijaya Kumari Art Collection and continues to function ceremonially during annual memorial observances at Bangalore House.
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Detailed
The necklace is composed of a twisted-link gold-tone chain interrupted at regular intervals by rounded black beads. The chain terminates in a central suspended section incorporating additional black beads, a single contrasting red bead, and two circular pendants suspended from small loops.
The right pendant bears a stamped relief depiction of Goddess Lakshmi seated frontally within a circular border. Lakshmi, associated with prosperity, auspiciousness, and household well-being, is an appropriate and culturally resonant motif within South Indian marital jewelry traditions. The left pendant bears a stamped symmetrical motif resembling clustered grapes, fruiting vines, or auspicious vegetal forms composed of dotted and branching elements. While the exact symbolic reading remains unconfirmed, the imagery likely relates to abundance, fertility, continuity, or domestic prosperity.
The necklace exhibits extensive evidence of long-term use and repeated repair. Multiple connecting rings and wrapped joins differ slightly in finish, construction, and color tone, indicating maintenance undertaken across different periods rather than a single restoration campaign. Surface wear includes abrasion, softened edges, accumulated patina, and tonal inconsistency consistent with decades of bodily contact and continuous wear.
In South Indian Hindu marriage traditions, the mangala sutra (mangalyam) functions simultaneously as marital signifier, protective object, and devotional ornament. During the mid- to late-20th century in Bangalore and surrounding urban Karnataka communities, such necklaces were commonly worn continuously rather than reserved for ceremonial occasions. Black beads were widely understood to carry protective associations related to warding off negative influence or drishti (evil eye).
Importantly, the object’s repairs should not be interpreted as diminishing integrity. Rather, they materially document the uninterrupted continuity of marriage, domestic life, and embodied daily practice. The object derives significance not from preservation in unworn condition, but from sustained use across decades.
Following the death of Vijaya Kumari Ramakrishna, the mangala sutra was retained within Bangalore House and incorporated into annual memorial observances. The necklace therefore continues to function ritually within the house, extending its original marital role into an ancestral and commemorative context. Within the logic of Bangalore House, the object operates simultaneously as jewelry, devotional object, biographical artifact, and ceremonial memorial anchor.Use
Historical: Married woman’s mangala sutra worn continuously from marriage until death.
Current: Used during annual memorial observances for Vijaya Kumari Ramakrishna at Bangalore House.Made/Created
Date made
circa 1967Place
City
BangaloreCountry
India
