Omkar Dattatray
Kashmiri Pandits have a distinct ,unique and peculiar cultural identity and heritage in the broad spectrum of Sanatan Dharma. The KP’s attire ,dress and ornaments are very distinct and these are traditional and from these symbols their cultural identity finds expression .It is every body’s knowledge that Kashmiri Pandits were forced to migrate in 1989-90 and thereafter because of militancy and they took refuge in Jammu and other states of India .But the minuscule Kashmiri Pandit community needs commendation that despite their exile they have somehow preserved their traditional culture and heritage albeit with some modification here and there.
Not only their attire and dress used to be different but their food habits and cuisines too are different and the KP community is identified by these distinct and unique things of cultural.
One such symbol of Kashmiri Pandit culture is Dejhoor which is the wedding ornament of married Kashmiri Pandit women which they wear after marriage and carry /wear it throughout their life and in fact up to their passing away from this mortal world.
Dejhoor is the symbol and sign of the married life of Kashmiri Pandit women and is the symbol of Suhag that means it shows that a KP women continues to have a husband.
Dejhoor is a slender ,intricate gold ornament and signifies a talisman of heritage that is sworn by the Kashmiri Pandit bride before the wedding procession to mark her transition into womanhood .It has three parts -a chain ,the main hexagon shaped ornament and the charm that hangs at the end. Married KP women wear it in their ear and it keeps hanging.
Dejhoor is crafted in gold with a hexagonal shape and features a central dot representing ,Shiva and Shakti .The tradition of Dejhoor earrings dates back centuries in Kashmiri Pandit history, reflecting ancient beliefs and customs passed down through generations. In the modern time the KP’s have preserved this identity of theirs and are passing it to future generations and the Kashmiri Pandit women take great pride in wearing Dejhoor earrings. Every Kashmiri Pandit parent gets a Dejhoor crafted and prepared irrespective of his economic standing and gifts it to her girl at the time of her binding into nuptial-knot and he well before Lagan -ceremony of burning sacred fire. Dejhoor also symbolizes union between two Kashmiri Pandit families. The Dejhoor ornament is always hexagonal and as mentioned above it symbolizes a Yantra denoting Shiva and Shakti.
Non-Kashmiris are welcome to wear dejhoor as a form of cultural appreciation ,as long as they do so respectfully and with an by understanding of its significance.
Today many non-Kashmiri women wear Dejhoor and it is a welcome development. The Dejhoor Athoor is more than just a jewelry .It is a reflection of the rich heritage and deep -rooted traditions of Kashmir. A married Kashmiri Pandit women is identified by the two long gold chains with pendants that hung from both her ears. Dejhoor is akin to a Mangalsutra worn by married Hindu in the length and breadth of India. As already mentioned at elsewhere Dejhoor is put into the pierced centre of the ears at the time of a ceremony called Devgoan. The ceremony of Devgoan is generally solemnized a day before the wedding day .It indicates the transition from Brahmacharya Ashram to Grahasthya Ashram of the bride and bridegroom .Before Devigoan ,the bride & bridegroom in their respective homes are given a bath called Kanyi Shraan -a pre-nuptial bathing ritual .A fire is lit and Guruji called Gor performs Devgoan ceremony in front of the holy fire.
Both bride and bridegroom offer prayers in accordance with Vedic rituals .They observe a fast till the Puja is completed. The Dejhoor has a deep spiritual meaning and significance. The hexagonal shape depicts the union of Shiva and Shakti. The Atth and Dejhoor is a permanent thing while Athoor is changed often. It is customary that a new Athoor is worn at every important occasion such as birthday of both the couples and a fresh Athoor is worn at marriage festivals and other important religious festivals. A piece of Kashmiri culture and heritage ,this traditional and conventional gold ornament has undergone a transformation and modification in the hands of modern KP women .The chain of Dejhoor goes over the ear and hangs as low as the chest .The Dejhoor is put on in a religious ceremony on the red thread before wedding by the bride and mantras are chanted into it .In modern time with the evolving aesthetics modern brides hold their traditions and wear modern designs of Dejhoor while maintaining the cultural and traditional sanctity of this ornament .In modern times very small Dejhoor called Aathoor & Ath are worn by the married Kashmiri Pandit ladies but maintaining the cultural heritage ,tradition and ethos of Kashmiri Pandit community .Even today also the KP ladies feel pride and see it as their privilege to wear Ath & Athoor .It in fact is mini-Dejhoor and it is security proof as it also hung on the both ears ,but it a very small chain with Athoor .It points to the fact that Kashmiri Pandits and its womenfolk has preserved its rich ,beautiful and pristine culture they pass it on to the future generations .Dejhoor in fact is the symbol of married Kashmiri Pandit women and it clearly identifies the Kashmiri Pandit ladies from the rest.It is also the symbol of Kashmiri Pandit ladies married life and it shows that a KP lady is married and as already mentioned Dejhoor is akin to a Mangalsutra which Hindu married women wear across the country .In the same way the married Rajasthani women wear Decktick and it is the symbol of their married life and also a symbol of their being Suhag .At some places in India ,married women get their nose pierced and wear a small ornament called in Hindu dilect Rung .It shows that there are cultural diversities among the Hindu’s and in fact among the Indian married women .The Dejhoor is placed in the inner-center cartilage of the ear with a read thread on the day before the wedding .After the wedding ,the thread is with a golden chain called an ath ,given by the bride’s in laws .A small gold ornament called an athur ,is attached to the dejhoor .Only married Kashmiri Pandit women wear the dejhoor .It is not worn by Muslim Kashmiris or other Hindu communities ,though in modern days some married Hindu women also wear Dejhoor and take pleasure in wearing it .The dejhoor is worn even after the death of the husband .It in fact is a hexagonal ,dangling ear ornament worn by Kashmiri Pandit women to symbolize the union of not only the bride and bridegroom but also the union of two families .An interpretation of the term Dij is that it represents ”dvija” and is thus the female counterpart of a yajnopavita in the Brahmin community .It function is similar to that of a mangalsutra or Sindoor in other regions of India .Let the Kashmiri Pandit women continue to wear Dejhoor and preserve and protect this beautiful and pristine as well as traditional item of cultural heritage and pass it on to the coming generations.
(The author is a columnist, social and KP activist).