There are some associations that instantly come to mind when you talk about traditional Rajput weddings—centuries-old palace venues, an immersion in tradition, a celebration of heritage and ensembles steeped in legacy. And when the couple, in particular the groom and his family, are also one of the country’s best-known jewellers, you can expect decadent jewellery to match as well. Such was the case at Digvijay Singh Shekhawat’s—second-generation jeweller and design director at Sunita Shekhawat—wedding. As Digvijay tied the knot with advocate Himashweta Singh earlier this year, the couple marked their nuptials with a traditional wedding that celebrated the glory of Jaipur, much like his family-owned fine jewellery Maison does.
“The wedding couldn’t have taken place anywhere but in Jaipur. The idea was to celebrate our city’s culture, its illustrious past and age-old rituals,” says the mother of the groom, Sunita Shekhawat, founder of her eponymous brand. It was a wedding, “for the people, of the people and by the people of Jaipur,” she adds. Craft and colour took centre stage in the preparation of the wedding wardrobe. “In recent times, the designer has become more important than the craft. But not at a Rajput wedding. Our clothing was all about colour and the karigars who make these traditional clothes,” explains Sunita. Everything was made in the city by artisans behind bespoke creations for the royal families of Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur for generations. And considering Sunita Shekhawat’s reputation for breathing new life into the region’s signature polki technique, the jewels were naturally a special focus of the couple and family’s repertoire.
The garden mehendi at the groom’s home, the event that kickstarted the celebrations, had a laidback vibe. The groom wanted jewels to match. Statement-making but not too much. “We went with an art deco vibe. The idea was to stay clear of anything too traditional,” reveals Sunita. To complement his emerald green bandi, Digvijay wore ivory buttons studded with Colombian emeralds and diamonds, family heirlooms passed on to him. As one with a special penchant for emeralds, he sourced the Colombian and Russian emeralds used in the bow-shaped brooch made for the occasion to match the buttons—himself.
Sister of the groom, Niharika Shekhawat, creative director of the brand, added a punch to her yellow sari with emerald jewellery that featured the House’s signature carnation motif. “It’s an Ottoman-inspired textile motif and very challenging to convert to a jewelled form,” says Sunita. “I decided to pair it as the pendant for the emerald string to elevate it from a simple kantha design.” Niharika wore this with an improvised polki version of an arsi ring, which traditionally featured a mirror in the centre so that the woman wearing it could check her appearance in it.
The wedding at the City Palace was a nod to Rajput heritage in all its glory. The bride wore a red poshak with jewellery gifted to her by the groom’s family. The aad necklace was the centrepiece of her bridal bijoux. “The aad is a very important part of the Rajput bride’s wardrobe. It has the same significance as the mangalsutra does in other communities,” explains Sunita. The one worn by Himashweta was a family heirloom, with meenakari work, further enhanced with emeralds, rubies and uncut diamonds. She wore it with polki earrings and a matha patti made of freshwater pearls and polki. A borla completed her headpieces. “The veil often covers part of the matha patti but that’s the beauty of it. It’s almost like a special detail, visible yet hidden,” Sunita carries on. For her traditional arm stack, the bride wore a selection of traditional bangles and bracelets — namely pochi, bangda and gajra. The hathphool was made to feature the brand’s carnation motif.
The groom wore a three-line polki necklace, heirloom buttons, and a sarpech that was a recreation of an old Nizami piece recently acquired by The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. “We took special permissions to reproduce this piece,” says Sunita. “Gold with 98% purity was used to render the intricate meenakari work on the back,” adds the mother-of-the-bride, who herself wore an elaborate matha jaal made from polki and south sea pearls for the nuptials.
While jewellery was bound to be a pivotal part of the wedding planning in the Shekhawat family, the reasons went well beyond looking at it as a mere means of adornment. “Jewellery is such an integral part of our history and our rituals. It’s really about the emotions associated with it.”