Wedding jewellery has always been an essential part of every Indian bride's entire look. Everything ranging from something as small as a toe ring to as big as a necklace, is equally important in making a bride look complete. Needless to say, all these pieces of the traditional Indian jewellery make a bride look stunningly beautiful and remarkably graceful on the big day of her life. And, among the various Indian bridal jewellery pieces, one of the inevitable parts of every Indian bride's solah shringar, is the maang tikka. Falling on the forehead of the bride, the maang tikka simply adds elegance to her entire look. What's more? With time, this beautiful jewellery has evolved into various designs and styles.

So, before you pick up a maang tikka for your wedding, let us tell you the significance of this magnificent piece of jewellery, while also telling you the large variety of designs that it comes in.

Significance of maang tikka

Apart from being a bridal adornment, maang tikka also denotes the union of two souls through the institution of marriage. The point, where the pendant of the maang tikka falls is believed to be the place for the ajna chakra. Represented by two petals, this chakra is symbolic of the sacred union of the male and the female in every aspect, including emotional, spiritual and physical level.

Different types of maang tikkas

There are a lot of beautiful and intricate designs of maang tikkas, which have been the timeless classics in the world of traditional Indian bridal jewellery. So, here are some of the stunning designs of different styles of maang tikkas, which are worn by the Indian brides of different cultures.

#1. Over-sized maang tikkas

A bold bride can prefer large statement pieces to have a distinct look on their special day. You can pick anything from floral or circular patterns in the large studded pieces, and stand out as the bride with most elegant taste.

However, those who are not too confident about being able to carry out the big piece on their face, should better take it easy and avoid it. The bride with long faces or broad foreheads can best carry this style with grace.

#2. Small pendant style

These statement pieces are a popular pick among all those brides, who believe in traditional yet classy look. Single-stranded tikkas might be quite a conservative design, but that is just enough for some brides to look exceptionally elegant and fashionable.

And, there is a whole wide variety of designs in it as well for the brides and newlyweds to look dazzling. From fancy coloured stone tikkas to pearl hangings and ruby, there is a wide range available to pick from. The best part about this little bauble is that it suits all face shapes.

#3. Jhoomar or passa

A jhoomar or passa is the traditional ornament of a Muslim bride. This piece of maang tikka hangs on the left side of the forehead. Nowadays, this is also worn in addition to the regular one that falls on the centre of the forehead. The collection comes in various designs, like fan shape, triangular design, round style, etc., and it adds a royal appeal to a bride's look.

So, if you want to do something different with your look than just going the traditional way, then this noticeably vibrant accessory is a must in your bridal jewellery collection.

#4. One-tier matha Pattis

Another hot trend that rules the world of maang tikkasis the matha Patti. This style has extra layers to the sides, which completely adorns a bride's forehead. However, you have to be conscious with this ornament to make it stay in its place. Being sleek in design, it goes well with the round-shaped face.

#5. Multi-tier matha Patti

This thick and heavy 'nawabi style' maang tikka is yet another hot favourite among the brides. It is almost same as a one-tier maang tikka with the only difference being in the number of chains to the sides. Embellished with a variety of stones, like crystals, rubies, diamonds, etc., the multi-tier matha Patti makes a bride look no less than a queen.

However, this exquisite style does not suit everyone. Brides with wide forehead and cheek area can easily go for this style. It also looks extremely pretty on long faces as it exaggerates their features.

#6. Borla

Worn mostly by the women in the states of Rajasthan and Haryana in India, the borla-style maang tikkas simply make a bride look chic and glamorous. It derives its name from the jujube fruit (called beror borin Hindi), as its shape is similar to this fruit. The spherical shape of borla is usually crafted with pearls, stones, rubies, crystals, etc.

The charming borla was even sported by Aishwarya Rai in the movie Jodha Akbar. It looks great on round cut faces, especially when the hair parting is done exactly from the centre of head.

#7. Side-swept style

This is one of the hottest styles of maang tikkas that many brides love to wear these days. Also, called the 'nawabi style' half matha patti by many jewellery designers, this maang tikka falls on the side of the forehead, instead of being placed at the centre.

This style comes in yet another variation, where the maang tikka is placed on the centre of the forehead, just like the traditional ones. However, the side panel is only on one of the sides of the forehead. No matter what style does the bride pick, this artistic piece of jewellery simply gives her a majestic look.

Well, we are sure you will simply mesmerize everyone by sporting any of these beautiful styles of maang tikka on your wedding day. So, just pick the one that best suits your face shape and let the man of your dreams go crazy about you, yet again!

About the Author: This article has been written by Neelam Jain for BollywoodShaadis.com