Somewhere Over the Rainbow #6 (Members Only) - Page 3

Originally posted by: Snehamadhuri

Vibha , this beautiful picture reminded me Sarojini Naidu;s poem The Bangle Sellers !

The Bangle Sellers-Sarojini Naidu

Bangle sellers are we who bear
Our shining loads to the temple fair...
Who will buy these delicate, bright
Rainbow-tinted circles of light?
Lustrous tokens of radiant lives,
For happy daughters and happy wives.

Some are meet for a maiden's wrist,
Silver and blue as the mountain mist,
Some are flushed like the buds that dream
On the tranquil brow of a woodland stream,
Some are aglow wth the bloom that cleaves
To the limpid glory of new born leaves

Some are like fields of sunlit corn,
Meet for a bride on her bridal morn,
Some, like the flame of her marriage fire,
Or, rich with the hue of her heart's desire,
Tinkling, luminous, tender, and clear,
Like her bridal laughter and bridal tear.

Some are purple and gold flecked grey
For she who has journeyed through life midway,
Whose hands have cherished, whose love has blest,
And cradled fair sons on her faithful breast,
And serves her household in fruitful pride,
And worships the gods at her husband's side.

The bangles are here symbolic , each colour represents different stage in an Indian woman's life,, is described lyrically and appropriately according to the colour of the bangle suitable to that stage, for the maiden virgin who is always dreaming of a happily married life it is a misty silver and blue, for the expectant and passionate bride it is a golden yellow, and for the mature matriarch it is a purple , gold and grey.

Similarly Sarojini Naidu very poetically describes the longings of an Indian woman according to each stage of her life---the virgin maiden is carrying in her heart countless dreams of her future married life and she is compared to a "bud that dreams." The young bride is described as brimming over with passionate desire although she is nervous about what the future holds for her as she leaves her parental home - "bridal laughter and bridal tear." Finally, she describes the proud and faithful matriarch who has attained fulfillment by successfully rearing her children - "serves her house in fruitful pride -" and hence is permitted to take her rightful place by the side of her husband in all the domestic religious rituals!