Look sizzling with a nose ring!

After the sports star, Sania Mirza, made a style statement with her nose ornament, it’s now Bollywood celeb, Sonakshi Sinha’s turn to show off her stylish nose ring, in her latest film’s promotional events. This piece of a woman’s ornament, which accentuates the charm of your face, has indeed captivated the fancy of many fashionistas, since time immemorial. 

Hindu tradition has it that this piece of nose jewellery, is symbolic of the suhaagan (sumangali) status of a married woman. It is believed to bring prosperity to the family. In the bygone years, the nose pin was considered so sacred that it could only be gifted to women, by their husband or parents.

According to certain scientific claims, nose piercing reduces the chances of nasal infections, besides regularising the breathing process and expelling poisonous elements emitted during carbon exhalation.  Incidentally, it is also believed that it’s difficult to hypnotise or seduce women who wear nose rings! Another theory claims that nose piercing affects a certain nerve, which to some extent, alleviates menstrual pains and childbirth throes during child delivery.
         This piece of jewellery, called nath in Hindi, is extravagantly sported by many women all through the country, in a wide range of designs and patterns. In Punjab, women sport a shikarpuri nath. In Bihar, a chhuchhi nath is worn, and in Maharashtra, the cashew-shaped guchhedar nath is popular; while in Rajasthan, women sport a nathuri or bhauriya. Some Rajasthani women wear a clove-shaped laung nath too. Also worn by them is the latkan nath, which is a small pendulum-like piece, dangling from the septum region. And the bulak nath, a variation of the latkan nath, is worn by some women in eastern India.
 The South Indian mookhutti or nose-ring is available in a plethora of pretty designs, a wide range of which is displayed in all jewellery showrooms. In fact, the umpteen nose ornament varieties could be compartmentalised into three basic categories. 

One is the stud design, which could be a tiny solitary diamond or pearl, or any of the nine precious gems, ensconced in a round-shaped, gold nose ring. It could also be a configuration of three small-sized gems, set in a triangular fashion, or four stones in a square design, or five stones in a pentagon pattern.

Besides the star-shaped studs, you also find some miniature models of the lotus, swan, fish, bird, etc., in the nose-stud variety. Remember, when it comes to nose-stud designs, you also get small and uber-thin accompaniment pieces too, which are detachable. These pieces have a tiny hole, through which the rod can be passed through. So, if you have half a dozen such pieces, every time you don one, it gives a different new look to your facial appearance.  

The second category comprises of small circular shaped hoops/rings, which are flashed by many youngsters today. It could be a staid-looking, plain hoop either in gold or silver. For those who are game for a bit of flamboyance, opt for  circular rings embedded with tiny multi-coloured precious stones. In fact, there are small ghungroos too, hanging from these circular rings. 

The third category is the one with the press-on link. Here you can surpass the trouble of nose-piercing, and the aftermath nasal pain or infection (in case of sensitive skin), by opting for these press-on nose-rings. These clasp-on types too are available in several varieties — the circular, gilt-covered ones, the mango-shaped, stud-like ones, with tiny trinkets falling below, the artificial gilded and enameled ones, oxidised ones, white-metal/black-metal ones — so many to choose from.

Whether it is a western attire or a traditional robe, one can look equally sexy and sizzling by sporting these splendid-looking nose rings.