Topic started by Sekar on Sun Jun 27 00:33:05 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Why the indian womens are wearing "METTI" on there 2nd finger of the leg? could anyone give me the correct reason for that?

Responses:

• From: NOV (@ bkj-cache81.jaring.my) on: Mon Jun 28 21:40:38
  
  There is a humourous story on metti-wearing.
  Apparently in the yonder days, both men and women used to look down at the ground when walking.
  The wearing of metti was useful in identifying whether someone is married or not.
  Later on, man started looking upwards, and that's when the thaali came into use.
  Please don't ask me where women should look now. :-))
  
  
• From: JayBee (@ sp-69-52.tm.net.my) on: Tue Jun 29 00:52:19
  
  A few weeks ago, a young man came along with his newly wed wife to visit me. He was wearing a metti.
  Seeing that I had noticed it, he asked me why men don't wear metti.
  I told him that in those days when polygamy was common among men, it became impracticable when marriage number eleven took place.
  You see, you don't simply have that many toes on both the feet.
  I pointed out as examples,Thirumalai Nayakkar and Kilzhavan Sethupathi. Kaayakkar had 200 wives and the Kilzhvan had 47:-)
  JayBee
  
  
• From: Astounded (@ 202.184.134.8) on: Tue Jun 29 00:58:18
  
  200 wives?
  Wow!
  I need Steven Spileberg to take me "Back to the Future" :-))
  
  
• From: JayBee (@ sp-69-161.tm.net.my) on: Tue Jun 29 06:59:49
  
  In that case, take a case of Viagra.
  Them folks back there in time, sure had other necessary formulae.
  JayBee
  
  
• From: NaNbaN (@ 1cust204.tnt3.new-brunswick.nj.da.uu.net) on: Sun Aug 15 03:54:16
  
  real funny Jay bee
  
  NaNbaN
  
  
• From: Mani K. Nair (@ spider-wo072.proxy.aol.com) on: Sun Aug 15 23:11:43
  
  If anybody disagrees with me go ahead but I really have to let this out, only Tamil women are the best dressers in the whole of India, I have noticed here in America, that Gujurati as well as other north Indian women (not all) wear raggedy looking saris, we get a bad name because of that, those women have no class, they wear it a lowclass way or the old fashioned way like this--- Do you guys know how the men in India wear a mundu which goes underneath their legs and tucks on the back, that makes me sick, only Tamilians and Malus wear it long and straight as well as the lungi is worn also, infact that style came from Tamilians period.
  Now if anybody wants to jump or disagree with me about anything I said, feel free to do so, but I really, really, had to let this out! North Indian women don't dress good, just my opinion, thats all.
  
  
• From: paul metti (@ spider-tr012.proxy.aol.com) on: Sat Mar 4 15:06:02
  
  What is a Metti? as that is my sirname.
  
  
• From: Sugrutha (@ 1cust253.tnt1.rahway.nj.da.uu.net) on: Sat Mar 4 15:23:01 EST 2000
  
  Paul,
  
  Metti is the Thamizh name for toe ring - ring worn on the (usually) second finger of the foot. In the U.S, I have seen some women wearing toe-rings. In India, it was a custom for only married women to wear toe-rings, but now everyone does.
  
  
• From: Shivkumar Swamy (@ datgwy02.skf.com) on: Sun Jul 9 01:35:45
  
  Seriously, is there some significance apart from being just a symbol of marriage ?
  Does it have to do with acupuncture pressure pads below the toes running upto the ovary ?
  Please enlighten me as well as Sekar, who originally posted this query.
  Acually, lot of married women wonder the same ? But dont know whom to ask why ?
  
  
• From: JayBee (@ sp-74-9.tm.net.my) on: Sun Jul 9 07:08:24 EDT 2000
  
  Some of the ornaments are worn over acu and reflexology points. We have to check up with foot reflexology texts to ascertain the significance of metti. You have raised apossibility here.
  
  That is a good food for thought.
  
  Nice question Shiva Kumar.
  
  
• From: Vijay Tharma (@ dialup-209.244.88.77.detroit1.level3.net) on: Sun Jul 9 13:09:26 EDT 2000
  
  I have also read that (some where, cant rememeber) that by applying the wrong pressure on the metti while the groom places it on the bride's toe, it could cause miscarriage and also the worse is that, the bride will loose the ability to carry any more!!! (Normally its tied to some religious reason as for the cause of it--cant rememeber JB??!)
  The significant of wearing it is said to be, that the relationship will be strong as the rock (the ammi kallu represents that) the ring bonds the both for the difficult times ahead, as they will stay together.
  Why do some call it minji, is that in Hindi?
  
  
• From: Raja (@ spider-wa081.proxy.aol.com) on: Fri Jul 21 15:10:07 EDT 2000
  
  There is an intersting story about Metti in Ramayanam. When Sugreeva and Hanuman brought the ornaments thrown by Sita while she was being abducted, it seems Lord Rama wanted Lakshmana to say whether it was sita's. Lakshmana accordng to the epic could identify the metti only because he had only seen that.
  
  
• From: JayBee (@ sp-69-180.tm.net.my) on: Wed Aug 2 22:26:21 EDT 2000
  
  There is another interestin story of 'metti' worn by a man.
  
  Neelan was a chieftain of Aalzi Naadu. He turned into a robber. However, he used the robbed money to build VishNu temples.
  
  One day a marriage party came along.
  
  Neelan robbed everything belonging to everyone.
  
  Only the metti worn by the bride-groom remained.
  
  When Neelan asked for the metti, the bride-groom asked Neelan to remove it himself.
  
  So Neelan tried. But with all his might he could not prise it with his fingers.
  
  Finally, he put his mouth over the toe of the bride-groom and bit the metti with his teeth and pulled on it.
  
  At that instance, the bride-groom changed and there stood SriMan Narayanan with His consort Lakshmi as the bride.
  
  Neelan became known as Thirumanggai and took his honourable place among the Twelve Aalzhvars.
  
  
• From: R. Chakravarthy. (@ 202.156.2.242) on: Thu Aug 3 03:58:16 EDT 2000
  
  Mani .K.Nair,s observation is very keen.
  Yes ,Tamil woman are the best dresses.It comes naturally with them.As after all it stems from Dravidian culture.Take Malliga Pur(jasmine) as an example..the beauty visibly shows.North Indians can only imitate but they can,t duplicate.
  The North Indians on the other hand just put it on.There is something visibly missing and is seen to be abnormal.Its just like a crow putting on peacock feathers.
  
  
• From: mano (@ 138.25.71.80) on: Thu Aug 3 08:31:19 EDT 2000
  
  JB
  
  Just a clarification, are your sure it was the 'metti' worn by Perumal ?
  
  I heard Thirumangai Alvar tried to remove it from Laksmi, that was how he alvar got initiated into the sri sampradayam.
  
  Mano
  
  
  
• From: JayBee (@ 203.106.94.182) on: Thu Aug 3 23:16:13 EDT 2000
  
  I think it is VishNu.
  
  The film version also showns Sivaji Ganesan trying to pluck the metti from Sivakumar's toes:-)
  (Thirumaal Perumai).
  
  
• From: Ramanan (@ dialup-209.245.119.40.weehawken1.level3.net) on: Fri Sep 1 18:35:26 EDT 2000
  
  Of all these responses I still don't understand the significane of Metti
  
  
• From: JayBee (@ 202.151.224.25) on: Fri Sep 1 19:26:02 EDT 2000
  
  True.
  
  
• From: Tamil Babe (@ spc-isp-tor-58-20-348.sprint.ca) on: Fri Sep 1 19:52:20 EDT 2000
  
  I heard its also called "Minji". Something my dad said has to do with the bride "purushanai minji povamata". I have no idea what that means and I dont even think I said it right. But thats similar to what I heard. Does anyone know anything about that?
  
  
• From: a (@ user-2initcb.dialup.mindspring.com) on: Wed Feb 21 04:28:43
  
  Tamil babes are hot. I especially like toe rings. Anybody want to get together?
  
  
• From: bhanu (@ dialpool-210-214-8-208.maa.sify.net) on: Wed Jan 28 13:11:19
  
  what is metti worn on the third finger called in Tamil?
  
  
• From: hjghjg (@ 218.5.254.129) on: Wed Jan 28 15:06:01 EST 2004
  
  Do you guys know how the men in India wear a mundu which goes underneath their legs and tucks on the back, that makes me sick, only Tamilians and Malus wear it long and straight as well as the lungi is worn also, infact that style came from Tamilians period.
  
  I remember an article by a westener . She mentioned "I was surprised in India, Men wear skirts (veshti/lungi) and women wear pants". Traditional Marathi women wear saree like pants.
  
  Anyway everyone has unique style. I would n't ridicule that.
  
  American women ask 'how do you know if an indian man is not married if he is not wearing wedding ring'?
  
  They r surprised that women have these requirements to identify being married but indian men don't. They insist that american men wear their wedding ring.
  
  Indian women shud insist indian men to wear a metti or finger - ring. (Metti can be hidden in shoes )
  
  
  
• From: Sudha Sekhar (@ bgp01035811bgs.sothfd01.mi.comcast.net) on: Tue Jun 29 10:18:38
  
  My Mom who is 82 years of age says that the Metti was worn for the following reason. In a joint family system it was worn by the daughter-in0law in order to announce her presence so that the men in the household would respect her and move out of her way. Her status to the younger brothers was that of a mother. I wear the metti too. Never asked why. Just accepted it as part of being a bride. My daughter is getting married on July 25th and I am also looking for mettis? Can we fingd them here in the USA.
  
  
• From: Sudha Sekhar (@ bgp01035811bgs.sothfd01.mi.comcast.net) on: Tue Jun 29 10:18:48
  
  My Mom who is 82 years of age says that the Metti was worn for the following reason. In a joint family system it was worn by the daughter-in0law in order to announce her presence so that the men in the household would respect her and move out of her way. Her status to the younger brothers was that of a mother. I wear the metti too. Never asked why. Just accepted it as part of being a bride. My daughter is getting married on July 25th and I am also looking for mettis? Can we find them here in the USA.
  
  
• From: ramki (@ ppp-219.65.112.250.chn.vsnl.net.in) on: Sat Jul 10 08:23:45
  
  In olden days men used to wear metti to identify their marriage. It was because in those days women always had their head faced down and it would be difficult to identify their husband.In such situations metti was the identifying tool. Perhaps these days the reverse is true that's why probably female started wearing it.You would see almost all the Male God would be wearing metti and so also the kings.
  
  the other version is that the umblical cord gets terminated in the second feet of the women ( to protect the pregnancy). All ornament has some meaning in wearing like Chain, necklace, ear rings etc. In similar ways to protect the pregnant lady, metti was worn in the second feet. Since gold (being considered as God Lakshmi) cannot be worn on the feet it was changed over to silver. That's why only Silver Metti should be worn.
  
  Perhaps these days with man & women having so many illegal connections, it is time the men also started wearing metti to make the world aware that he is also married.
  
  
• From: RC (@ pd9512c92.dip.t-dialin.net) on: Sat Jul 10 08:51:00 EDT 2004
  
  I also heard the story of identifying the marital status of a man! Yes, the women looked down only and this was the easiest way to identify if a man was married or not.
  I also wear one but this is just for fun - I have it now for 14 years now. Any way when I was in Sri Lanka last year nobody asked me about that. But about my ear stud they did ask if I am a homo.
  I wear my metti on the left feet, is it correct if I am not married?
  
  
• From: ADX (@ ) on: Mon Nov 1 05:01:52
  
  "They r surprised that women have these requirements to identify being married but indian men don't. They insist that american men wear their wedding ring.
  Indian women shud insist indian men to wear a metti or finger - ring. (Metti can be hidden in shoes"
  
  Actually, among Brahmins (only), the men have to wear a thicker thread/poonal, with 4 strands once they r married. Bachelors wear them with 3 strands....
  so I guess tats the advantage of being a brahmin ;-)
  
  
• From: davie (@ s0030140939) on: Mon Nov 1 06:02:55 EST 2004
  
  im claustrophobic. So if the metti loose i will let any one wear it. if its too tight naa
  
  

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