Flower decorations for bridal hair - gajra for wedding

Traditionally, bridal decoration and bridal hair decoration is an important part of celebrations of weddings.  There are many traditional hair styles and hair decoration ideas for brides.

I will share some of them.   Actually, these hair styles or hair accessories were used also for Navratri alankaram of young girls a few decades back. 

I am sharing some of the traditional poo jadai alankaram online through my blog so that these ideas that I think I have become rare can once again be practised for decoration 

Hopefully they will become the latest poo jadai designs!

Poo jadai model - a simple design

These flower decoration or flower garlands can also be used for offering to God or Goddess for Puja.  Since I have used to offer it to Lord, I have made it with hands. 

 Some follow this method by tying the thread or string to the toe.

                                                    

A cardboard box of a silk saree is taken, and a thread is tied to it after four rounds of thread are taken around the box.  

The same thread or in this case I have taken a golden thread because it is for decoration, and one end is tied to the string on the upper side as shown in the pictures showing the step-by-step procedure rather clearly. I have used jasmine, we can use any flower chrysanthemum, sampangi (tube rose).  Additionally, I have also used some gold colour artificial rose like flowers. Take on jasmine flower, place one artificial flower on the jasmine.  Insert both between two pairs of thread segments.  Using the golden thread form a knot between the string and golden thread holding the flowers together. 

 Continue this process till the flowers are tied as shown in one of the images below.  Finally tie one knot using the golden thread to hold the entire garland together. Cut both ends using a pair of scissors.  

 

This is how the gajra looks like after completion.  It can be used for decoration either by giving prominence to the artificial flowers or by giving importance to the natural flowers, jasmine.

This can also be used as a beautiful decoration of Varalakshmi Vratha  or Puja and for Navratri decoration ideas or for decorating the picture of God 

 This is a combination of natural gajra making and artificial gajra making.  Please try and give your feedback in the comments section below

Poo jadai designs / Poo jadai for bride

A traditional poo jadai for marriage

Another important and simple traditional flower decoration of hair that can be done for wedding, seemantham ( valikappu or baby showers) is the vanki pinnal using the vanki  pinnal needle or oosi

When we were young, we used to get it easily and it was made from tin.   We tried in various cities including Chennai, Tiruchirapalli, Madurai and Kumbakonam but could not get it.

Finally, a sample was made from chemical clay, and I tried a simple decoration using fresh flowers and artificial flowers and the result is quite encouraging. The flower or flowers is / are placed on the top of the pleat and needle is inserted and pulled the other side, the needle comes out and the flowers stay in the hair.

  The step-by-step procedure is shown in the images below.  Traditionally it is done using mullai flowers (Arabian jasmine).

Traditional poo jadai for bride - vanki pinnal for wedding

The images below show a traditional vanki pinnal made from mullai flowers.  The pinnal is more beautiful when we use the buds of the flower.  

We can use one or two buds. The hair plait is made tight with three strands as usual.

Using the vanki pinnal needle (since the traditional one is not available, I made one with artificial clay) take two buds and insert the needle in the gaps of the braid or plait and when the needle is drawn out the flowers stay in the hair. 

 Young girls used this flower decoration for their hair during Navratri festival.  It was a very traditional Navratri decoration idea a few decades back.

I do not know whether it is being followed anywhere at present. It is also used to decorate the Goddess during Varlakshmi  Vratha ( Habba ) celebrations.

Mullai poo decoration

Another close up view of  poo jadai model

Since it is weightless we can use it for seemantham decoration or valaikappu make up

Bridal jadai alankaram ideas for plaits 

Material required - foam sheet of different colours, fabric glue, kundan stones (round and tilak)

golden ball chain, needle and thread.

Take a foam sheet colour of your choice, cut it into a circular shape.

Using the needle and thread insert the thread at two points in the periphery so that the thread can be used to tie the alankaram to the bridal plait.

 It is preferable to use dark colour thread so that it is not visible against the hair.  I have used white for clarity of the pictures.

Using the glue paste a big round stone at the centre.  

Then apply glue around the glue and paste one or two layers of golden ball chain.

Cut the excess chain using pliers.

Finally on the periphery apply glue and paste the thilak stones. Bridal decoration is ready.  Also, a suitable decoration idea for Varalakshmi Vratham or Navratri.

Choose the colour of the foam sheet and stones to match the saree colour.

Nandiyavattai poo jadai alangaram | traditional round flower arrangement tutorial

Nandiyavattai poo particularly the buds are used in flower decorations for bridal hair also called poo jadai alangaram.

Of course, as I have said earlier these decorations can also be used for Navaratri or Varalakshmi Vratham Puja decoration ideas

This particular technique showed in the images below is by tying two flowers at a time.  A knot is tied to the first flower, then the second and first are tied together, then the third and second and so on.  

The knot is by using the traditional method of making knots. 

The flowers tied are formed into a circle, the ends tied, and excess string is cut off.  This can be tied to bridal hair separately or with other decorations with artificial stones.

The image shows the string tied to the first flower to hold

 Another view of the first flower tying

 Then two flowers, their stalks are tied at a time

 After completion a circular or round flower arrangement is formed

More ideas for additional decoration

Rangolisansdots update                          

Earlier I wrote about a hiatus before Diwali. .  It is only two months since I started Rangoli-sans-dots.  I applied to Technorati for accepting Rangoli-sans-dots a month back

Recently, Technorati published its rankings I was pleasantly surprised to see Rangoli-sans-dots had jumped from the last rank to a rank of around 5000 out of 1.3 million blogs in Technorati directory. 

The fact that this was achieved in a small span of time (less than one month) makes me feel happy. Of course, accepted, that this is dynamic and can change over a period of time. 

Nevertheless, to reiterate, reaching this level in a short time makes me feel happy.

 After all, recognition is the best reward one can get for his/her efforts. However, reaching this level is not enough, trying to improve your rank or at least staying in the same rank needs effort.  

To borrow from Alice in Wonderland (if my memory serves me right), one has to run as fast as he/she can to stay in the same place and to move forward run faster.