Pote

I just love Pote and Chhadke Tilhari is the best in festive season.Pote is a Nepali word for the colorful glass beads which play an important part in Nepalese weddings.

During the marriage ceremony the groom places a golden necklace called a tilhari around the bride's neck. The amount of gold present in the tilhari indicates how wealthy the groom is. The tilhari hangs from strings of glass beads.

These glass beads are symbolic of a woman's married state. Pote can be worn sideways, slung from the right shoulder and passing under the left arm, or hung like a garland around the neck. Women are able to choose whichever style they prefer.

So the normal accepted attire for women after wedding in Nepal are Kurta and Sari with Sindoor(vermilion) on their head, glass chura(glass bangles) on their hands and pote (Glass beads) around their neck.

Although it is essential for and common among the married women, nowadays, we can see girls using other accessories made out of pote.  Not only as a necklace but pote is used for making other jewelleries like bangles, bracelets, earrings and finger rings. It is also used to decorate handbags and other accessories.

Hence, pote or the glass beads holds a significant place in the Nepali culture and in life of a married woman. It not only symbolizes her married status but also helps in enhancing her wardrobe.