Born to be a stunner, former Miss World Aishwarya Rai made the nation proud when she was crowned with the title in 1994. An epitome of grace and beauty, Aishwarya was the second Indian to bag the crown of Miss World, and it was her beauty and confidence that made her the winner. Do you know that when Aishwarya Rai entered the Femina Miss India pageant, it was alleged that 25 contestants withdrew their names?
Aishwarya Rai added Bachchan to her name when she exchanged wedding vows with Abhishek Bachchan. The duo got married on April 20, 2007, and hopped on to parenthood with the arrival of their daughter, Aaradhya, in 2011. Aishwarya’s beauty has often caught the attention of many, and the gorgeousness has a special variety of tulips named after her in the Netherlands’ Keukenhof Gardens.
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Aishwarya Rai has always set style goals. The actress, who has put India on the map of global fashion, is always seen wearing a V-shaped diamond-encrusted ring and is never spotted without it. Let us delve into the significance of Aishwarya’s ring.
The V-shaped ring worn by Aishwarya Rai is also called the vanki ring or the vadungila. The ring is very significant in a married woman’s life as it is a giveaway of her marital status. On the day of her wedding, the bride is adorned with a vadungila or the vanki ring. A female relative from the bride’s paternal house gives it to her. It could be her sister-in-law or uncle’s wife.
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The ring comes in different styles, from a thin gold v-shaped band to one studded with diamonds. It is a reminder of her loving family as she embarks on a new journey. Not just the Bunt community, but many married women in South India wear the ring. Wearing the vadungila is like wearing a mangalsutra after marriage, as it signifies a woman’s marital status.
The vanki ring became a symbol of royalty when princesses from South India's royal families started wearing them. Apart from marital status, the ring holds a special value to Mangalore’s Bunt community. A group of people called Tulunadu lives in the coastal region of South Karnataka, and they are believed to be the descendants of the Nagavamsha lineage. This community worships snakes as Naga Dev. The vanki ring symbolises the Naga worshippers as the ring represents the raised head of a snake. The Bunt community believes that the ring wards off evil and unwanted obstacles while protecting the young bride or married women.
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After Aishwarya Rai, who also belongs to the Bunt community, was spotted flaunting her vadungila, the ring caught a lot of attention. Women from different communities are asking for a referral from their jeweller. The ring has certainly caught the fancy of many women, who treat it as a piece of fashionable jewellery.
Centuries ago, when the queens from Tulunadu began their new journey, they would wear the vadungila, which would ward them off from evil eyes. Now, the ring has passed the borders and is worn by women from different communities.
For many, the v-shaped vanki ring worn by the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai is a fashion statement, but for the Bunt women, it is an emotion, a memento of her parents' love, values, and teachings. It is not merely an ornament for them, as it showcases their traditional lineage.
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