A bulak or bulaki is an
ornament or jewellery item that is a part of traditional attire of women ni Northern India and Nepal.
Design
Bulak is a type of
nose ring worn at the nasal septum. It is usually worn by married women and is generally made out of 10-12 gram pure gold. It is peculiarly designed by the skillful
goldsmith
A goldsmith is a Metalworking, metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Modern goldsmiths mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, they have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), plat ...
s who carve intricate motif designs on it.
The average length of a bulak can be up to 4–5 cm along with a hook-like end, so that it could be worn easily.
The bottom part of a bulak has intricate carving on it and the pearls are in a conical shape giving it an elegant look.
The hook at which the bulaq is worn, resembles the inverted 'U' of the English alphabet.
Bulaks previously on display at the V&A museum.
Other names for bulak
* Bulankh (in
Garhwali and
Himachali)
* Besar (in
Kumaoni)
* Bulaki (in
Nepali)
Region
In former years, it was adorned by the women of
Garhwal
Garhwal may refer to the following topics associated with Uttarakhand, India:
Places
*Garhwal Himalaya, a sub-range of the Himalayas
*Garhwal Kingdom, a former kingdom
*Garhwal District (British Garhwal), a former district of British India
* Ga ...
,
Kumaon and of
Jaunsar
Jaunsar-Bawar is a hilly region in Garhwal division of Uttarakhand, northern India. It is located in the north-west of Dehradun district, along the border with the state of Himachal Pradesh.
Ethnically, Jaunsar-Bawar comprises two regions, inha ...
belt. But nowadays the trend for bulak is diminishing and considered an old fashion. Apart from Uttarakhand, it is also worn in the state of
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...
and in
Nepal
Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
.
See also
*
Nose piercing
Nose piercing is the piercing of the skin or cartilage which forms any part of the nose, normally for the purpose of wearing jewelry, called a nose-jewel. Among the different varieties of nose piercings, the nostril piercing is the most commo ...
*
Nose ring
References
{{Reflist
Body piercing jewellery