Bhopal: Dod-Mala, a necklace made of silver beads in Himachal Pradesh, is the fourth Exhibit of the Week of this month that has been displayed on social media pages of Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS), Bhopal.
The online exhibition, which began on Monday, collected the necklace from Gaddi community of Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, in 1995. The length of the exhibit is 43 cm and number of beads is 47.
Dod-mala is a necklace made from silver beads resembling soap nut (reetha) locally known as Dod. It is presumed that when human beings decorated themselves with fresh flowers, fruits etc, they may have also prepared a garland of soap nuts. The soap nuts produce a rumbling sound when rubbed together.
The necklace is prepared by means of hollowed round silver balls approximating the size of a soap nut. Two half portions of a bead are prepared by stamping a silver sheet on a mould, and then both the units are soldered at the edges, leaving a hole at the ends. The beads are then threaded with a cotton thread.
Full view of Dod-mala |