How To Identify Original Shakha Pola? It can be tricky for many new-generation Bengalis to know about Shakha Pola and identify them well. From old age, Bengali people or the bride especially wear Shakha and Pola during their marriage ceremony. Thus wearing the original Shakha Pola is a tradition. To identify the original Shakha and Pola in the market, you need to know some facts and information about the Sakha Pola and today we are going to learn about Shakha and Pola and How to Identify Real Shakha Pola.
What is Shakha Pola?
Shakha Pola is basically bangles that are made with a Conch shell and Lac. Shakha are white and they are unique to themselves. Shakhas are made with Conch shells and crafted purely by hand. Experts make each Shakha Bangle carefully and design with hand tools in each one of it.
Pola is made with Lac. Lac is the resinous secretion of a number of species of lac insects, of which the most commonly cultivated is Kerria lacca. This material is popular and used to make many kinds of bangles in many states.
To identify Original Shakha Pola, you need to be with a origianl Kolkata person or you got to have experience of the original hand made design. Kolkata artisans made it Shakha Pola very delicately and it is very time-consuming. It’s a source of pride for Bengali culture.
Hindu Bengali women wear special marriage symbols like white conch shell bangles called Shakha and red coral bangles called Pola on both hands. They also wear Loha, Sindoor, and Aalta. These symbols represent their married status. It is believed that these bangles should not break within the first year of marriage; if they do, it is considered a bad omen for the bride’s married life.
How to Identify Original Shakha Pola
Bengali mothers and grandmothers are well aware of Shakha and Pola and they can easily identify Original Shakha Pola.
There are a lot of fake Shakha Pola product in the market. To identify genuine Shakha Pola in the market, you must gain firsthand experience with these ornaments. Familiarize yourself with their appearance, texture, and craftsmanship. These bangles are crafted from real Shankh, allowing anyone to distinguish the authentic ones from imitations. The genuine pieces bear the distinctive marks of handmade designs..
You can learn from these facts about Shakha and Pola to Identify real Shakha Pola while buying-
- White Sakha is made of original and best-quality shell.
- Shells will be completely white and it has a handcrafted design.
- The thickness of each Shakha & Pola is less than 1 CM
- Red Pola is made of a mixture of plastic and lac(a coral made by insects). It is soft and silky in texture.
How to Wear Shakha Pola?
Shakha Pola is a traditional ornament of Hindi Bengali people. They wear Shakha pola with Saree in many celebrations like marriage, parties, Puja, etc. Especially it is a tradtion for bride to wear shakha in her marriage ceremony.
Wearing Shakha is not like any bangle, it has some unique patterns to wear-
You can take 2 white Shakha first then 2 pola then again 2 shakha then 2 pola. Just like that, you can take 2 Pola first then continue the pattern.
Also, you can 1 pola first then add 2 thick Shakha, and then add 1 pola again.
Again you can just add 2 shakha and then 2 pola in the pattern.
Now that you know all about Shakha Pola, let’s explore some amazing handcrafted Shakha Pola Design
Best Shakha Pola Designs
You can watch these design carefully and get an idea of How to Identify Shakha Pola in 2023.
Shakha Pola Design 6
Real Shakha Pola Design 5
Shakha and Pola Design 4
Kolkata Style Handmade Shakha Design 3
Best Shakha Design 2
Gold Shakha with Pola Design 1
FAQ – Identify Original Shakha Pola
Where to Buy Original Shakha Pola?
As a Bengali person, i would suggest you to buy from premium websites. They come at a higher price but they have policies to provide original shakha pola.
You can find Real Shakha Pola in the markets of West Bengal if you know how to identify the original ones, as 80% of Shakha Polas are fake and made of plastic materials..
What is Sankha Pola originally made of?
Shakha is originally made of Shankha or Conch Shell. The Polas are made of a material called Lac and a plastic mixture.
Which one to wear first shakha or pola?
You can wear Shakha Pola in many ways like 2 shakhas 2 pola pattern, 2S+2P+2S+2P pattern, 1S+2P+1S pattern, and many more. There is no style mentioned to wear Shakha Pola, you can wear it any way you see fit with your Saree.
What is the origin of Shakha Pola?
A long time ago fishermen used to find a lot of Conch Shell(Shankha) during their fishing season. Shankhs have different uses too. Especially the Bengali Hindus play it during their prayer.
Because the fisherman used to get a lot of them, they used it to craft and make something usable and as the Shankhas are really white and beautiful, they ended up making Shakha and other ornaments.
Is it necessary to wear Sankha Pola?
It is not necessary but wearing Shakha Pola in marriage ceremonies and other functions is a tradition. Some follow some don’t.
Final Words: Our Grandmothers have a good experience of organic Shakha Pola bangles. You also ask them to tell you more about Shakha Pola.
So, this is how to identify original Shakha pola in India. We hope this guide will help you to learn something. Visit How2guide again.