Price :
QTY :
CART TOTALS :
There are items
in your cart
CART TOTALS :
With this products also buy:
Your shopping bag is empty
Go to the shop
Cast in brass by Bastar's Ghadwa metalworker families, this Dhokra necklace set strings a row of tiny hand-cast ghungroo bells that shift and chime with you as you move through the day. Each bell is shaped in wax, then set in metal through the lost-wax method the region has practised for millennia. No two ring alike. Wear it over a plain kurta or a linen shirt, and let the warm, raw brass do the talking.
Durable and artisan-made; handle with care and keep away from moisture to prevent tarnishing Avoid contact with water and perfumes. Spot clean with a soft, dry cloth.
Each piece is handcrafted, so slight variations in colour, texture and dimension are natural and celebrate its handmade origin.
A Dhokra ghungroo necklace carries its own sound, so it works best where it can be seen and heard. Keep the neckline simple. Let the bells sit against plain cloth.
Everyday: Wear it over a solid cotton kurta in cream, indigo, or rust, where the raw brass reads warm against earthy colour. Skip a competing pendant. These bells are the statement.
Fusion: A white linen shirt or a plain tee lets the ghungroo row become the whole look, which is the relaxed pairing that dhokra does so well without ever trying too hard. Roll the sleeves. Keep the rest quiet.
Occasion: For a festive evening, layer it over a handloom silk or a dark kurta and add small brass jhumkas so the two metals speak to each other across your neckline. The chime suits griha pravesh, Diwali visits, and small pujas, where a little sound is welcome.
Length and frame: A set that sits at the collarbone flatters most necklines and shorter necks, while a longer, chest-length drop balances a broader frame and open collars. Try both against a mirror.
Wearing care: Brass darkens with skin oils and air, which many people read as patina rather than wear. If you prefer it bright, wipe the bells with a dry cloth after each wear and keep perfume and water off the metal. Store it flat. A soft pouch stops the bells from tangling.
Every bell on this set begins as clay, not metal. Bastar's Ghadwa metalworker families build the dhokra form the way the region has for generations, thread by thread, one bell at a time. The result is a necklace of small ghungroo bells, each cast on its own.
Core and coil: The artisan shapes a core from clay and river sand, then wraps it in fine threads of beeswax until the shape reads true. For a ghungroo, a tiny clay pellet is sealed inside so the finished bell can rattle. Those wax coils are handwork. No machine leaves that line.
The mould: A second clay layer seals the wax. When the mould is heated the wax runs out through a narrow channel, which is exactly why the method carries the name lost-wax, or cire perdue. What remains is a hollow negative of the bell.
Metal and break: Molten brass is poured into that gap and left to set hard. The clay is then broken away, so every mould yields exactly one bell and nothing is ever reused. Each cast is final.
Finish and string: Each bell is filed, cleaned, and rubbed until the warm brass tone comes up under the cloth. The bells are strung in a row with the pellet left loose inside, so the set chimes softly as you move. Small differences between them are the signature of hand casting, not flaws.
The Bastar Dhokra tradition holds a Geographical Indication granted in 2008 (see ipindia.gov.in/gi); for this specific piece, please refer to the product specifications for its stated origin and metal.
Be the first to review this product.
Dhokra is an ancient metal craft from India’s tribal regions, including West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand. Practiced for over 4,000 years, it follows traditional lost-wax casting techniques.
