Woman Foot Jewelry - Anklets and Toe Rings. Woman foot jewelry is a great fashion statement. Read about jewelry for your feet and anklets and toe ring for women.
Paradoxically, the feet are considered to be the most polluted part of the human body and at the same time, the object of highest admiration and veneration. Humbling oneself by touching the feet of one's elders or prostrating oneself before them or worshipping the feet or sandals of a deity or a holy man are expressions of respect. By the same token of expression of submissiveness, a lover is often portrayed in art or described in literature as falling at his beloved's feet or admiring them with gentle caresses. The feet of a nayika, worthy of a lover's affection, are abundantly adorned with anklets and toe rings. Anklets are of two basic types, i.e. the stiff and the flexible. The stiff anklets are either cast or fabricated by hammering sheet metal into the requisite shape. Using the techniques of chiseling, engraving, repousse, granulation or threading and wire work, anklets are patterned.
 

Anklets and Toe Rings

The flexible variety employs close interlocking of separately made links tied together either by using variations of chain technique or by threading together of links. Known as jhanjhar or paizeb, the flexible variety is often further adorned with jingle-bells. There is no better music to the ears of a lover than the jingling sound arising from the steps of his beloved. This has been a subject of innumerable poetic stanzas in Indian literature over several centuries.
Like the finger and thumb rings described above, there is a whole class of toe rings, there is a foot ornament having too rings connected to an ornamental pendant with a chain issuing from each ring which is turn is further linked to an anklet with a hook. This ornament fully covers the foot from ankle to toes. Toe rings are known as vinchhia or bichhia (scorpion-shaped) in northern and western India indicating that originally these were adorned with a scorpion motif, very popular among the wearers.

A newly married girl wears a number of different bands extending to the rim of her skirt that is six inches or more above the ankles. There is a set pattern that follows in the order in which these bands are worn. Right on the ankle rest the flexible anklet, payal or the pazeb, which too has many designs. Anklets, as well as some of the bands, have bells attached.
The last ornament on a woman's body comes in the form of toe rings, nakhlia or bichuda, which also confirm her merital status. For a newly wed it is a must to wear rings on all toes. Many times, quite like the hathphool, these toe rings are enjoined to the anklet. The toe rings could be separate or joined together.