Bherunda necklaces

In my previous post on the symbolism of Gandaberunda, I introduced you to Bherunda, a new collection of picture jewellery. This collection centres on the twin motifs of Gandaberunda and Yazhi. The aim of Bherunda is to sustain cultural and religious narratives by bridging ancient myth with modern expression.

Gandaberunda – a symbol of power

The Gandaberunda has been immortalised in temples, royal crests, and sculptures across southern India. In temple architecture, the bird often finds its place in elaborate carvings, further symbolising divine protection over sacred spaces. It became the royal emblem of the Kingdom of Mysore under the Wadiyar dynasty. Its adoption into the Karnataka government’s insignia represents the ruling power’s desire to associate with the qualities of strengh, protection and invincibility.

This powerful emblem has evolved over time, finding relevance in modern design as a motif that merges tradition with contemporary aesthetics.

Bherunda necklaces II

Bherunda has a total of ten necklaces, nine of which have Gandaberunda pendants. They are different colour options with the central image of gandaberunda in the form on a original illustration done by me. The pendant design in the necklaces in this post are modelled after Ganjifa cards. These are Indian playing cards with a Persian origin, often used to narrate mythical stories. The Gandaberunda is a popular motif in the Ganjifa cards made in Karnataka. I had used a print of one such card in my Parampare collection for Coolture Designs in 2017.

The first necklace of this post has matt black glass beads interspersed with red glass beads and gold metal beads. The second has red Czech glass beads in various shapes, dotted with a few dark green glass crystal beads and golden spacer discs. They are paried with a black and maroon gandaberunda pendant respectively.

The third has a combination of red, dark green, yellow green, copper and gold beads of various cuts and finishes and the same maroon pendant as seen in the second design. The fourth Bherunda necklace is once again a combination of red and green with a green pendant with red outline. The beads are all translucent much like those used in the second design. By playing around with beads of similar colours but different finishes, I wanted to explore the role that colour, material and finish (the three components of CMF design) play in creating a collection.

The fifth necklace has a combination of dark teal and dark green with accents of gold and maroon. The maroon bead with golden stripes that you see in this design as well the third are hand made lac beads. The last one is an ode to the Ganjifa card necklace that I made in 2017 and the inspiration of this entire collection. In striking blue, yellow and red, its playful with a triadic colour scheme all the while retaining its ethnic charm.

Why digital illustration

The world of picture jewellery is often fraught with the tension of the hand painted versus the digital artwork that is printed. In my opinion, a digital illustration does not dilute the form, only expands its scope. Maintaining the significance of forms such as the Gandaberunda by incorporating it into contemporary designs help sustain the narrative of this mythical creature, ensuring its relevance for future generations.

These Bherunda necklaces are available at Coolture Designs. Please contact them to purchase.

What do you think of the collection? I would love to hear your feedback.

I hope you find it interesting

Cheers