jhumkas
bells of resilience 🔔
every morning, i put on a pair of jhumkas, a distinct bell-like earring that is a stamp of south asian culture and fashion. “jhumka” comes from hindi/urdu words associated with swinging, jingling, or hanging, which describes the earring’s design pretty well.
i have many different pairs, some flashier than others, and all sorts of colours in my collection, which grows any time my family visits india. the earrings are pretty, of course, but more than anything, i almost wear them as bells that silently ring resilience.
when my culture is mocked in its richness and watered down for western consumption as “bohemian” or “scandinavian,” i wish to press it against my brown skin. when i’m wearing a western dress at a dinner, at a conference, at the top of mount kilimanjaro, at interviews, or anywhere, a pair of jhumkas always follows suit.
there is no right time and place for my culture. wherever i go, all of me goes. with every compliment to my earrings, a huge smile and “thank you! they’re called jhumkas” is my response.
perhaps it’s a useless attempt at fighting against the inevitable. perhaps “bell earrings” will be the next golden milk, or “chai tea,” or dupatta-turned scarf, or “leather flat sandals.”
they probably will. but anyone who crosses into my little, microscopic corner of the world will know otherwise. i will continue to wear jhumkas every day. they’ll ring one way or another.
today’s drops 🔎
dumpling ranking event by soma capital in sf
check out microsoft’s student ambassador program