Jewellery with hidden strings

In the past, and even to some extent today, silver jewellery used to be an accurate indicator of a family's creditworthiness

In the picturesque Madhya Pradesh village Ghatgara in Dhar district, I came across an older woman wearing the most gorgeous silver jewellery. Even in rural MP, where women customarily wear bangles, rings, earrings and necklaces, her distinctive demeanour stopped me in my tracks. A large gold nose ring adorned her wrinkled face while multiple strands of silver necklaces glistened on her chest. Her arms were equally bejeweled and tattooed to boot, but it was her feet that had me riveted. Gorgeous toe rings tinkled gently as she walked, while solid, hand-crafted silver anklets encased her ankles. “Are you dressed this