Rakkodi

by Kavitha Balakrishnan on November 19, 2013

This is an ornament that is placed at the back of the head and then flowers are arranged around it.

The brides and the bharatha natyam dancers wear it. But now as a fashion even ladies wear it with sarees and salwar kameezs.

This looks more like a brooch and the expensive ones contain rubies.

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The ordinary ones that others wear are either made of silver which is plated with gold or made with other metals.

It has a small round thick wire at the back where a small strand of hair is let through it and its placed on top of the head. And then the hair is woven around it to give the Rakkodi a support to be on top. There is no pin to support, only the hair around it supports it.

There was a custom in earlier days where a young girl’s hair was decorated with flowers and Rakkodi.

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Especially when she has attained her puberty, they used to conduct a function. This was a way to tell the society that the girl was ready for marriage.  For this function the girl’s hair is braided, decorated with flowers and Rakkodi, she is made to sit on a decorated chair and all elders come and bless her. She is presented with sweets, silk sarees and jewellery too.

Its still practiced in some areas in TamilNadu.

My friend modelled this Rakodi and her aunt helped her to decorate her hair. Each flower is stitched onto the hair. It takes atleast 2 hours to complete the hair.

Kavitha Balakrishnan

Kavitha Balakrishnan

Kavitha Balakrishnan

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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Linda Gasparini November 20, 2013 at 4:20 pm

I had no idea, from the initial description, that the rakkodi would be so large a piece! Fascinating, and beautiful!

Jackie November 20, 2013 at 7:51 am

What a lovely hair decoration! I enjoy reading about the customs and cultures of other countries.

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