Home > Women & Feminism > The effect of not wearing Mangalsutra

The effect of not wearing Mangalsutra

January 21st, 2010

To the lady (or gentleman) who landed on my blog four times, and by googling “The effect of not wearing Mangalsutra” each of these times, let me assure you from personal experience:

No, there is none. Your husband is not likely to pop off (or, if you are male, no, your life is not in danger). You’re not losing out on any good vibrations or other such pseudo-scientific benefit you may have been assured of.

In short, no effect. Not unless you count the disapproving looks of your mother, father, grandparents, sundry aunts and uncles as “effects”. Hope I have helped clear your mind a little.

(You may also find this post useful: Demonstrating Marriage - the comments in particular are very interesting and perhaps a reflection of the changes happening in our society.)

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apu Women & Feminism

  1. January 21st, 2010 at 11:26 | #1

    unsolicited gyaan comes along easy
    also your kid( specially 4 yr old girls) will want to wear it when u don it on some rare ocassion

  2. January 21st, 2010 at 15:19 | #2

    I agree Apu. And it’s a good idea to write a post in response to the keywords/questions that made a reader land on your blog.

  3. January 21st, 2010 at 21:14 | #3

    It helps strengthen your neck muscles. It is all in the vedas. Didn’t you know?? ;)
    Btw I googled that same keyword and landed on this thread and was pretty stunned at the length of the discussions and the nature of some opinions! http://www.citehr.com/182100-mangalsutra-issue-hr-policy.html

  4. January 22nd, 2010 at 10:34 | #4

    Art - true - but there is no denying that esp in traditional families, there will be a lot of pressure on such issues. LOL at kids wanting to wear it :)

    IHM - I was just so amused that someone would actually do a search on this…

    Vidya - LOL - mangalasana :) That discussion there is hilarious - both the radio station that has such a policy and the man who is discussing it so seriously on behalf of his sister (and wonder why he felt the need to take it up)

  5. January 22nd, 2010 at 10:51 | #5

    This is a fab idea…the crazy search terms that make people land on our blogs!

    I’ve become braver about not wearing it sometimes, but there is a definite ‘protection’ from creeps to some extent. The stares/wolf-whistles/lewd song-singing are much less when the black beads are visible. As emancipated as I consider myself, sometimes I’m so tired of the ‘eve-teasing’, this is easier. Making a statement takes a lot of energy!

    All the same, another problem I have with the mangalsutra, is why don’t men wear it? My hubby has worn mine a couple of times, once when I was having a neck rash, and it felt unsafe to pop it into my handbag, my brother-in-law was horrified like it was bad luck or something and another time in a shop when we were getting it re-done, he wore it to show me how it looks, the entire shop almost passed out with disapproval.

  6. January 22nd, 2010 at 11:23 | #6

    I am going to send this link to my hubby!!

    MIL is paranoid about wearing the Mangalsutra and i avoid it when she is not around..;)

  7. January 22nd, 2010 at 17:16 | #7

    In my opinion,this has no relevance,except it is a piece of jewellery.
    If it was effective, I am sure the men would have started to wear one.

  8. January 22nd, 2010 at 17:24 | #8

    Starry eyed - the kind of things that lead people to my blog - well, some of them are really funny. I don’t know about protection from creeps - after all, it’s not like pretty traditional looking women don’t get harassed; in any case, many South Indian mangalsutras pretty much look like gold chains from the outside; I can just imagine the looks people would have given your husband for doing such a thing :)

    Sri - I can understand! People do get paranoid about these things…

    Chowlaji - “If it was effective, I am sure the men would have started to wear one.” - true and so funny :)

  9. January 22nd, 2010 at 17:59 | #9

    Good response :)

  10. January 22nd, 2010 at 20:37 | #10

    :) tell me about it… the after effects of family is sometimes funny… me too, dont wear it, when the stakeholders are not around heheh… so imagine my tension, when I forgot it, the first time i went to visit relatives :) so, it was all collared shirts and open hair…hehehh

    but then, pls,”no effects” per se… and how much do you hate, “mrs”??
    i still have not got used to it!

  11. January 25th, 2010 at 10:38 | #11

    @Vidya

    Too good Vidya it is definitely good for only women’s neck muscles :) LOL

  12. January 25th, 2010 at 14:04 | #12

    Hi
    Came to your blog through IHM’s. Glad I discovered it. will be reading all your posts and will add you to blogrole. I stopped wearing mangalsutra the day I found that it was binding me to customs and orthodox beliefs to which I do not subscribe. I have better things to put around neck. ;) thanks for the post.

  13. January 30th, 2010 at 21:35 | #13

    These days the taali does not hang on the traditional yellow thread but like a pendant on a gold chain. The thirumangalyam is tucked into a blouse. So how would one know if one is wearing a pendant or taali and what kind of protection does it offer?i wear mine because I am used to it and it feels funny when I don’t. but I have no problem when my daughters remove it for whatever reason. The same would apply to my daughter in law whenever she arrives. A man’s life certainly does not hang on it. till sometime back women did not utter their husband’s name since it would shorten their lifespan. It is now a thing of the past and I call my sons in law by name - something that my mother would never have done. so i think with time this too shall change and the furore it now seems to cause will die down.

  14. February 1st, 2010 at 12:24 | #14

    Tiku - thanks for dropping by and for your comment.

    Padma-ji - True; I guess those who wear black bead mangalsutras may feel like they offer some protection, though my view is that the sleazeballs who molest women do not really discriminate!

    I did not know that this was the reason for not calling the husband by name..and yes, the ridiculous amount of “respect” given to the son-in-law, good that this is slowly changing…

  15. February 14th, 2010 at 18:09 | #15

    You are tagged. please take it up.

  16. February 16th, 2010 at 06:21 | #16

    Award Awaiting :)

  17. asmita
    February 16th, 2010 at 13:16 | #17

    The wearing of the Mangal Sutra doesl eave some vinbrations.

    Not just for the neck muscles, but it helps on the inert aspects as well.

    These days, you can make thin chains for mangal sutras which makes it all the more comfortable.

    Ridiculous!! You could arrive at such a conclusion. D’ya think that women wore mangal sutras simply because they were worried over what would happen to their husbands, if otherwise..!! Shame on u!!

    Our women now, have all. They have their minds in place, heart in place. They still tend to wear..

    This post shows your ignorance with regard to the Vedas..

  18. apu
    February 17th, 2010 at 11:40 | #18

    Padmaji/R’s mom - thanks. will go have a look.

    Asmita - before resorting to rather rude ’shame on you’ etc, you might want to tell me (and other interested readers)about the proof of these vibrations and also, how they help the “inert aspects”. (and - I don’t see the need to be ashamed about ignorance of the Vedas - it’s not mandatory, you know, contrary to what you may think.)

  19. haripriya sawe
    May 10th, 2010 at 15:02 | #19

    hellooooo every1!!!
    m glad 2 c so many women so against n rather open-minded abt dis issue. :-)) me too against it.actually.m husbandz fine wid it.he doznt ‘dare’2 force me 2 get into such things.i say dare coz u need 2 b firm abt ur pinion n thinkin.women r always suppressed arond d world nt jst india.as mine is a luv marriage m mr com4tabl wid myslf as i dnt really undrstnd hw can a woman-man share d bed on d 1st nite wid a strangr!! abt d ornament,y do men dnt hv such implications 4m society.a ring in a finger?is dat enuf?hats off 2 women who r in conservative families n stl think dis +ve n 4 genxt too..lol.tk cr.. God bless…..

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