Silver Wristlet Commemorating Radha’s Name

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An ornament for a female, or a male with delicate anatomy, grace and softness, priest or just a devotee dedicated to Vaishnava sect worshipping Radha as its supreme deity, is a wristlet – a wrist-ring or broad bangle, cast of finest sterling silver. Delicately cast and finished to radiate with moonlight-like eye-soothing softness, the wristlet, otherwise an ornament of rigid kind holding the wrist, or held around the wrist, by its own strength, is not a rigid sectarian tool like a rosary, though it too commemorates Radha’s name as ‘Radhe Radhe’. Under a number of Vaishnava sects related to Krishna, whatever the names they are known by, Radha is commemorated as the supreme female divinity.

Though exceptionally artistic, the wristlet discovers its beauty in its simplest form. It has been conceived and cast with about one/fourth of its length – its middle part, contained within a linear frame, and the ground inside the frame consisting of thickly laid tiny dots, and the rest, with finely polished widths. On both sides from the centre the point where the breadth is the maximum, this framed space gradually tapers. Diagonally opposite to the centre is the wristlet’s opening, virtually a wide gap that the wristlet’s two ends leave in between. This central space matted with tiny dots enshrines inside it the twice repeated Radha’s name as ‘Radhe Radhe’ adding to the beauty of the ornament a spiritual dimension and commemorative role. Endowed with spiritual dimension the wristlet is meant to put on the right wrist.

No mysticism sought or deeper spiritual meaning discovered, by its spirit, or even form centering on Radha’s name, it infuses into one’s being the purity of Radha’s love, deep devotion, grace and divinity. Its mystic significance is far deeper. Under Krishna’s Vaishnavism Radha is equated with the seeking-self which is in constant quest of the Supreme Self. In Vaishnavism this Supreme Self is Krishna. Radha thus symbolizes the self wandering birth after birth for release that it will attain after it unites or merges with the Supreme Self. With hands folded and raised in prayer along the ringlet on the wrist one’s being transforms into the seeking self that has been wandering birth after birth with the desire to unite with the Supreme Self.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books. .