Like food, clothing, languages and culture, Indian religious scenario is also vibrant with innumerable Gods and Goddess being worshiped in different forms. So strong is the religious sentiment here that that it is reflected in every aspect of life, be it—food, dressing, language, expressions or jewellery. Jewellery and precious metal is an intrinsic part of the any religion in India. Taking the fact into consideration, it won’t be incorrect or an overstatement to say that temple jewellery is quite popular in Indian jewellery market.%% Modern day definition of Temple Jewellery:$$ The term temple jewellery is used for the jewellery with carved images of god, goddess or religious symbols. Gold is the most widely used metal, however latest market trend do signal towards demand of coloured gemstones, diamonds and even silver in temple jewellery. Though religious sentiments are equally strong in all parts of the country, temple jewellery finds special significance in southern part of the nation, where Hindu Goddesses are most popular and temple jewellery is an important part of every important ritual like marriage, childbirth and other auspicious occasions. The most popular image used in temple jewellery is of Goddess Lakshmi. Features of Temple Jewellery: Though the highlight of the temple jewellery is the face or the figure of the deity, other parts like the embellishments and design around it are also inspired from the architectural designs on the walls of the temples. Yet another important feature of this type ofjewellery is the accessories used by Gods and Goddesses for example, Goddess Lakshmi sits on a Lotus and is seen with an elephant, so lotus flower and elephant heads make for important and popular designs in temple jewellery. Some of the other features are, conch shells, flowers, earthen lamps, peacocks and so on. Talking about material, temple jewellery is primarily made in gold as gold is considered as a pious metal and has religious significance, but with change in trend and price rise of gold other metals like silver and precious stones like ruby or diamonds are also being used. The most popular temple ornaments are—pendants, necklaces, waist-bands, arm-band and few earrings. %% {{Experts Speak}}$$ Talking about the origin of temple jewellery and what it symbiolises, T S Kalyanaraman of KalyanJewellers, says, “India is known for its intricate artwork, something which can be seen in jewellery too. Temple jewellery is believed to have originated somewhere in the ninth century during the reign of the Chola dynasty. Back then, this kind of jewellery was used to decorate the idols and Gods and Goddesses in temples, and hence, the name. Traditional temple jewellery is made of finest gold and embedded with several precious gems and stones and this kind of traditional jewellery making originated in Southern India.In fact, there are quite a few really old families in Tamil Nadu who have carried on the legacy of making traditional temple jewellery.”%%

Narayan Seth of S K Seth and Company Jewellers, says, “Temple jewellery making is an old art form, where figures of gods and goddesses served as the inspiration for jewellery designs. As this is an old style of making, it’s completely handmade and involves a lot of carvings (nakashi) and is very rich, as it comes from the days of kings and emperors. The temple jewellery, though not very common in other part of the country except South India, but it’s very symbolic to Indian tradition, culture and belief and thus has the caliber of being an identity for the nation in the global jewellery platform.”%% Mahipal J Jain of AnmolSwarn, says, “The origin of temple jewellery goes many years back. While earlier, it was symbolic of religious belief and considered auspicious, now it has become a tradition that transcends down the generations in a family. It has a rich history that makes it an important part of the traditional Indian jewellery design.”%% When asked about the popularity of temple jewellery in current times, the experts unanimously said that temple jewellery, irrespective of fashion trends, will always be there. %% Jain says, “Because temple jewellery finds its significance in context of importance of religion, it cannot be completely out of the market, ever. Religion and beliefs are important aspect of Indian lifestyle, no matter how modern one is. While South Indians are inclined towards having specially designed temple jewellery, embossed jewelley with figures of religious symbols and deities are common amongst North Indians. Temple jewellery cannot claim to be a trend now, but it can never be out of market as well.”%% Adding to the same, Seth says, “If we have to cite reasons behind the market hold of temple jewellery, there can be many. Right from the fact that it is ethnic and rich in looks to the fact that it symbolises religious sentiments and beliefs—it all gives a good ground for temple jewellery to not only thrive in the market but also enjoy a good share of importance and attention.”%% Kalyanaraman gives out some of the practical reasons behind the popularity of the temple jewellery. He says, “Temple Jewellery is very famous in South India. Women wear temple jewellery designs on auspicious occasions such as marriages, festivals, etc. The intricate nature of the designs makes them ideal for such occasions. You can team them up with traditional Indian dresses like saree. Just like tradition, temple jewellery also enjoys good lot of importance and this will continue.”%% Pointing towards a change in the temple jewellery category, the experts opine that a slight change is inevitable, however, given its identity as a traditional jewellery design, no major change is seen in the designs and are tried to retain as original as possible. %% Kalyanaraman also states, “Temple Jewellery is traditional jewellery design. There is no fusion with modern jewellery. It is best to keep it as original as possible so that its uniqueness remains untouched.”%%

However, Seth holds a different opinion. He says, “Design processes always undergo changes to include modern day requirement and customer demands. However, temple jewellery has been accepted well in its original form, so there not much requirement to bring any change. Slight changes that can be seen are nothing drastic and the main attraction, that is, the image of the deity remains unchanged. Also there are some classic pieces that are never disturbed.”%% Jain concurs with Kalyanaraman while he says that fusion is not an appropriate term when temple jewellery is being referred. “There is not much scope of fusion here. It is figure based and hence the size is the only thing that can be altered. One cannot merge some western motifs with temple jewellery, else it might lose its identity of being a temple jewellery design.” %% However, they did not deny that some experiment in terms of material used in designing is bringing newness in the temple jewellery design. %% Continuing with his explanation, Kalyanaraman says, “Temple jewellery is usually made of pure gold, because it is also offered to the deity and used mostly during religious rituals. Latest trend points out towards little usage of gemstones and diamonds.” %% Seconding the fact was Jain, who says, “Usage of signity diamonds, little bit of coloured gemstones like ruby and emerald and few diamonds are now seen in the temple jewellery. However, the share is almost negligible and gold still rules, as gold is considered to be a pious metal.” %% Seth adds to the above, as he says that Kundan is now also a part of temple jewellery. “Both kundan and temple designs are traditional Indiandesigns and hence are easy to merge. Kundan lends a richer look to the temple jewellery, thus making it absolutely gorgeous.” %% When quizzed about the factors that are responsible to hold the market for temple jewellery, Kalyanaraman explains, “Temple jewellery contributes the 5 per cent of the total sale. Necklaces are in huge demand. People are coming back to traditional designs and this is the primary reason for its demand hike.” %% Seth says that apart from the practical reasons like demand and trend, the strongest factor that keeps the temple jewellery market going is religion and respect for religion. %%

Dittoing the fact, Jain says, “Religion and faith will never allow temple jewellery to go out of market. Adding to the two important factors is gradual recognition of temple jewellery as a fashion symbol, too. So with a strong backing or religious sentiments, the ever changing and widening fashion sense is also accepting temple jewellery and giving it a push.”%% As the youth steers the wheel of the market and has an unavoidable influence on sales, we tried finding out how is temple jewellery accepted among youth. To this, Kalyanaraman says, “Temple jewellery is mainly used during wedding and the youth like wearing jhumkas and kamarbandhs (waist bands). Temple jewelleryalso enhances the look of Indian wear like sarees, ghagracholis and salwarkameez thus is fairly popular among youth.” %% “Though youth is not much into heavy jewellery, but for certain special occasions, they prefer temple jewellery, as it is not only rich in looks and adds to the ethnic and traditional look, but also helps them be in harmony with both religious sentiments and modern values,” says Seth. %% Jain opines that religion and tradition are two strong factors that have strong hold on Indians irrespective of age group. “However, youthis definitely little liberal and looks at fine balance of traditional and modern designs. Temple jewellery offers good choices to youth who want a break from western design and feel close to their roots,”he shares. %% Talking about the hurdles and required marketing strategy, the experts say that there is a lot that can be done to popularise temple jewellery by eliminating certain hiccups. %% Jain says that though the temple jewellery will not slip out of market completely, but it certainly needs a push in terms of promotion. “Like any other category, this category of jewellery designs too needs promotion of high standards. First of all, we need to take this to other parts of the countries, as the popularity confines to South Indian only.” %% Listing the hurdles, Seth says, “The most difficult part that keeps the customer away is the price. A good temple jewellery pieces will be handmade out of 150 to 180 gms of gold, given the surge in gold rates, it gets difficult for customers to go for real good temple jewellery. It also needs promotion in national and international market, as the design has the caliber to become symbolic of Indian tradition and add to the image of India, as a jewellery design hub.” %% Citing example of the campaign by his brand, Kalyanaramansays, “Temple jewelleryis a special art. Our artisans with the help of our designers do more detailing in the temple jewellery. Our collection is called ‘Nimah’ and our brand ambassador AishwariyaRai models for the same. She is shown as a goddess, wearing the collection. This kind of marketing that brings the global appeal will help making the temple jewellery more popular. %% {{Conclusion: }} $$ Temple Jewellery can be rightly called as authentic Indian art of jewellery making that is magnificent, rich and close to the religious sentiments thereby to the roots, while keeping abreast with the modern time’s requirement. From a business point of view too, given the strong backing of religion, it is also one of the safe investments and a little push can help it gain its importance as a symbol of Indian culture and tradition on a global platform. %%

Like food, clothing, languages and culture, Indian religious scenario is also vibrant with innumerable Gods and Goddess being worshiped in different forms. So strong is the religious sentiment here that that it is reflected in every aspect of life, be it—food, dressing, language, expressions or jewellery. Jewellery and precious metal is an intrinsic part of the any religion in India. Taking the fact into consideration, it won’t be incorrect or an overstatement to say that temple jewellery is quite popular in Indian jewellery market.%% Modern day definition of Temple Jewellery:$$ The term temple jewellery is used for the jewellery with carved images of god, goddess or religious symbols. Gold is the most widely used metal, however latest market trend do signal towards demand of coloured gemstones, diamonds and even silver in temple jewellery. Though religious sentiments are equally strong in all parts of the country, temple jewellery finds special significance in southern part of the nation, where Hindu Goddesses are most popular and temple jewellery is an important part of every important ritual like marriage, childbirth and other auspicious occasions. The most popular image used in temple jewellery is of Goddess Lakshmi. Features of Temple Jewellery: Though the highlight of the temple jewellery is the face or the figure of the deity, other parts like the embellishments and design around it are also inspired from the architectural designs on the walls of the temples. Yet another important feature of this type ofjewellery is the accessories used by Gods and Goddesses for example, Goddess Lakshmi sits on a Lotus and is seen with an elephant, so lotus flower and elephant heads make for important and popular designs in temple jewellery. Some of the other features are, conch shells, flowers, earthen lamps, peacocks and so on. Talking about material, temple jewellery is primarily made in gold as gold is considered as a pious metal and has religious significance, but with change in trend and price rise of gold other metals like silver and precious stones like ruby or diamonds are also being used. The most popular temple ornaments are—pendants, necklaces, waist-bands, arm-band and few earrings. %% {{Experts Speak}}$$ Talking about the origin of temple jewellery and what it symbiolises, T S Kalyanaraman of KalyanJewellers, says, “India is known for its intricate artwork, something which can be seen in jewellery too. Temple jewellery is believed to have originated somewhere in the ninth century during the reign of the Chola dynasty. Back then, this kind of jewellery was used to decorate the idols and Gods and Goddesses in temples, and hence, the name. Traditional temple jewellery is made of finest gold and embedded with several precious gems and stones and this kind of traditional jewellery making originated in Southern India.In fact, there are quite a few really old families in Tamil Nadu who have carried on the legacy of making traditional temple jewellery.”%%

Narayan Seth of S K Seth and Company Jewellers, says, “Temple jewellery making is an old art form, where figures of gods and goddesses served as the inspiration for jewellery designs. As this is an old style of making, it’s completely handmade and involves a lot of carvings (nakashi) and is very rich, as it comes from the days of kings and emperors. The temple jewellery, though not very common in other part of the country except South India, but it’s very symbolic to Indian tradition, culture and belief and thus has the caliber of being an identity for the nation in the global jewellery platform.”%% Mahipal J Jain of AnmolSwarn, says, “The origin of temple jewellery goes many years back. While earlier, it was symbolic of religious belief and considered auspicious, now it has become a tradition that transcends down the generations in a family. It has a rich history that makes it an important part of the traditional Indian jewellery design.”%% When asked about the popularity of temple jewellery in current times, the experts unanimously said that temple jewellery, irrespective of fashion trends, will always be there. %% Jain says, “Because temple jewellery finds its significance in context of importance of religion, it cannot be completely out of the market, ever. Religion and beliefs are important aspect of Indian lifestyle, no matter how modern one is. While South Indians are inclined towards having specially designed temple jewellery, embossed jewelley with figures of religious symbols and deities are common amongst North Indians. Temple jewellery cannot claim to be a trend now, but it can never be out of market as well.”%% Adding to the same, Seth says, “If we have to cite reasons behind the market hold of temple jewellery, there can be many. Right from the fact that it is ethnic and rich in looks to the fact that it symbolises religious sentiments and beliefs—it all gives a good ground for temple jewellery to not only thrive in the market but also enjoy a good share of importance and attention.”%% Kalyanaraman gives out some of the practical reasons behind the popularity of the temple jewellery. He says, “Temple Jewellery is very famous in South India. Women wear temple jewellery designs on auspicious occasions such as marriages, festivals, etc. The intricate nature of the designs makes them ideal for such occasions. You can team them up with traditional Indian dresses like saree. Just like tradition, temple jewellery also enjoys good lot of importance and this will continue.”%% Pointing towards a change in the temple jewellery category, the experts opine that a slight change is inevitable, however, given its identity as a traditional jewellery design, no major change is seen in the designs and are tried to retain as original as possible. %% Kalyanaraman also states, “Temple Jewellery is traditional jewellery design. There is no fusion with modern jewellery. It is best to keep it as original as possible so that its uniqueness remains untouched.”%%

However, Seth holds a different opinion. He says, “Design processes always undergo changes to include modern day requirement and customer demands. However, temple jewellery has been accepted well in its original form, so there not much requirement to bring any change. Slight changes that can be seen are nothing drastic and the main attraction, that is, the image of the deity remains unchanged. Also there are some classic pieces that are never disturbed.”%% Jain concurs with Kalyanaraman while he says that fusion is not an appropriate term when temple jewellery is being referred. “There is not much scope of fusion here. It is figure based and hence the size is the only thing that can be altered. One cannot merge some western motifs with temple jewellery, else it might lose its identity of being a temple jewellery design.” %% However, they did not deny that some experiment in terms of material used in designing is bringing newness in the temple jewellery design. %% Continuing with his explanation, Kalyanaraman says, “Temple jewellery is usually made of pure gold, because it is also offered to the deity and used mostly during religious rituals. Latest trend points out towards little usage of gemstones and diamonds.” %% Seconding the fact was Jain, who says, “Usage of signity diamonds, little bit of coloured gemstones like ruby and emerald and few diamonds are now seen in the temple jewellery. However, the share is almost negligible and gold still rules, as gold is considered to be a pious metal.” %% Seth adds to the above, as he says that Kundan is now also a part of temple jewellery. “Both kundan and temple designs are traditional Indiandesigns and hence are easy to merge. Kundan lends a richer look to the temple jewellery, thus making it absolutely gorgeous.” %% When quizzed about the factors that are responsible to hold the market for temple jewellery, Kalyanaraman explains, “Temple jewellery contributes the 5 per cent of the total sale. Necklaces are in huge demand. People are coming back to traditional designs and this is the primary reason for its demand hike.” %% Seth says that apart from the practical reasons like demand and trend, the strongest factor that keeps the temple jewellery market going is religion and respect for religion. %%

Dittoing the fact, Jain says, “Religion and faith will never allow temple jewellery to go out of market. Adding to the two important factors is gradual recognition of temple jewellery as a fashion symbol, too. So with a strong backing or religious sentiments, the ever changing and widening fashion sense is also accepting temple jewellery and giving it a push.”%% As the youth steers the wheel of the market and has an unavoidable influence on sales, we tried finding out how is temple jewellery accepted among youth. To this, Kalyanaraman says, “Temple jewellery is mainly used during wedding and the youth like wearing jhumkas and kamarbandhs (waist bands). Temple jewelleryalso enhances the look of Indian wear like sarees, ghagracholis and salwarkameez thus is fairly popular among youth.” %% “Though youth is not much into heavy jewellery, but for certain special occasions, they prefer temple jewellery, as it is not only rich in looks and adds to the ethnic and traditional look, but also helps them be in harmony with both religious sentiments and modern values,” says Seth. %% Jain opines that religion and tradition are two strong factors that have strong hold on Indians irrespective of age group. “However, youthis definitely little liberal and looks at fine balance of traditional and modern designs. Temple jewellery offers good choices to youth who want a break from western design and feel close to their roots,”he shares. %% Talking about the hurdles and required marketing strategy, the experts say that there is a lot that can be done to popularise temple jewellery by eliminating certain hiccups. %% Jain says that though the temple jewellery will not slip out of market completely, but it certainly needs a push in terms of promotion. “Like any other category, this category of jewellery designs too needs promotion of high standards. First of all, we need to take this to other parts of the countries, as the popularity confines to South Indian only.” %% Listing the hurdles, Seth says, “The most difficult part that keeps the customer away is the price. A good temple jewellery pieces will be handmade out of 150 to 180 gms of gold, given the surge in gold rates, it gets difficult for customers to go for real good temple jewellery. It also needs promotion in national and international market, as the design has the caliber to become symbolic of Indian tradition and add to the image of India, as a jewellery design hub.” %% Citing example of the campaign by his brand, Kalyanaramansays, “Temple jewelleryis a special art. Our artisans with the help of our designers do more detailing in the temple jewellery. Our collection is called ‘Nimah’ and our brand ambassador AishwariyaRai models for the same. She is shown as a goddess, wearing the collection. This kind of marketing that brings the global appeal will help making the temple jewellery more popular. %% {{Conclusion: }} $$ Temple Jewellery can be rightly called as authentic Indian art of jewellery making that is magnificent, rich and close to the religious sentiments thereby to the roots, while keeping abreast with the modern time’s requirement. From a business point of view too, given the strong backing of religion, it is also one of the safe investments and a little push can help it gain its importance as a symbol of Indian culture and tradition on a global platform. %%

Like food, clothing, languages and culture, Indian religious scenario is also vibrant with innumerable Gods and Goddess being worshiped in different forms. So strong is the religious sentiment here that that it is reflected in every aspect of life, be it—food, dressing, language, expressions or jewellery. Jewellery and precious metal is an intrinsic part of the any religion in India. Taking the fact into consideration, it won’t be incorrect or an overstatement to say that temple jewellery is quite popular in Indian jewellery market.%% Modern day definition of Temple Jewellery:$$ The term temple jewellery is used for the jewellery with carved images of god, goddess or religious symbols. Gold is the most widely used metal, however latest market trend do signal towards demand of coloured gemstones, diamonds and even silver in temple jewellery. Though religious sentiments are equally strong in all parts of the country, temple jewellery finds special significance in southern part of the nation, where Hindu Goddesses are most popular and temple jewellery is an important part of every important ritual like marriage, childbirth and other auspicious occasions. The most popular image used in temple jewellery is of Goddess Lakshmi. Features of Temple Jewellery: Though the highlight of the temple jewellery is the face or the figure of the deity, other parts like the embellishments and design around it are also inspired from the architectural designs on the walls of the temples. Yet another important feature of this type ofjewellery is the accessories used by Gods and Goddesses for example, Goddess Lakshmi sits on a Lotus and is seen with an elephant, so lotus flower and elephant heads make for important and popular designs in temple jewellery. Some of the other features are, conch shells, flowers, earthen lamps, peacocks and so on. Talking about material, temple jewellery is primarily made in gold as gold is considered as a pious metal and has religious significance, but with change in trend and price rise of gold other metals like silver and precious stones like ruby or diamonds are also being used. The most popular temple ornaments are—pendants, necklaces, waist-bands, arm-band and few earrings. %% {{Experts Speak}}$$ Talking about the origin of temple jewellery and what it symbiolises, T S Kalyanaraman of KalyanJewellers, says, “India is known for its intricate artwork, something which can be seen in jewellery too. Temple jewellery is believed to have originated somewhere in the ninth century during the reign of the Chola dynasty. Back then, this kind of jewellery was used to decorate the idols and Gods and Goddesses in temples, and hence, the name. Traditional temple jewellery is made of finest gold and embedded with several precious gems and stones and this kind of traditional jewellery making originated in Southern India.In fact, there are quite a few really old families in Tamil Nadu who have carried on the legacy of making traditional temple jewellery.”%%

Narayan Seth of S K Seth and Company Jewellers, says, “Temple jewellery making is an old art form, where figures of gods and goddesses served as the inspiration for jewellery designs. As this is an old style of making, it’s completely handmade and involves a lot of carvings (nakashi) and is very rich, as it comes from the days of kings and emperors. The temple jewellery, though not very common in other part of the country except South India, but it’s very symbolic to Indian tradition, culture and belief and thus has the caliber of being an identity for the nation in the global jewellery platform.”%% Mahipal J Jain of AnmolSwarn, says, “The origin of temple jewellery goes many years back. While earlier, it was symbolic of religious belief and considered auspicious, now it has become a tradition that transcends down the generations in a family. It has a rich history that makes it an important part of the traditional Indian jewellery design.”%% When asked about the popularity of temple jewellery in current times, the experts unanimously said that temple jewellery, irrespective of fashion trends, will always be there. %% Jain says, “Because temple jewellery finds its significance in context of importance of religion, it cannot be completely out of the market, ever. Religion and beliefs are important aspect of Indian lifestyle, no matter how modern one is. While South Indians are inclined towards having specially designed temple jewellery, embossed jewelley with figures of religious symbols and deities are common amongst North Indians. Temple jewellery cannot claim to be a trend now, but it can never be out of market as well.”%% Adding to the same, Seth says, “If we have to cite reasons behind the market hold of temple jewellery, there can be many. Right from the fact that it is ethnic and rich in looks to the fact that it symbolises religious sentiments and beliefs—it all gives a good ground for temple jewellery to not only thrive in the market but also enjoy a good share of importance and attention.”%% Kalyanaraman gives out some of the practical reasons behind the popularity of the temple jewellery. He says, “Temple Jewellery is very famous in South India. Women wear temple jewellery designs on auspicious occasions such as marriages, festivals, etc. The intricate nature of the designs makes them ideal for such occasions. You can team them up with traditional Indian dresses like saree. Just like tradition, temple jewellery also enjoys good lot of importance and this will continue.”%% Pointing towards a change in the temple jewellery category, the experts opine that a slight change is inevitable, however, given its identity as a traditional jewellery design, no major change is seen in the designs and are tried to retain as original as possible. %% Kalyanaraman also states, “Temple Jewellery is traditional jewellery design. There is no fusion with modern jewellery. It is best to keep it as original as possible so that its uniqueness remains untouched.”%%

However, Seth holds a different opinion. He says, “Design processes always undergo changes to include modern day requirement and customer demands. However, temple jewellery has been accepted well in its original form, so there not much requirement to bring any change. Slight changes that can be seen are nothing drastic and the main attraction, that is, the image of the deity remains unchanged. Also there are some classic pieces that are never disturbed.”%% Jain concurs with Kalyanaraman while he says that fusion is not an appropriate term when temple jewellery is being referred. “There is not much scope of fusion here. It is figure based and hence the size is the only thing that can be altered. One cannot merge some western motifs with temple jewellery, else it might lose its identity of being a temple jewellery design.” %% However, they did not deny that some experiment in terms of material used in designing is bringing newness in the temple jewellery design. %% Continuing with his explanation, Kalyanaraman says, “Temple jewellery is usually made of pure gold, because it is also offered to the deity and used mostly during religious rituals. Latest trend points out towards little usage of gemstones and diamonds.” %% Seconding the fact was Jain, who says, “Usage of signity diamonds, little bit of coloured gemstones like ruby and emerald and few diamonds are now seen in the temple jewellery. However, the share is almost negligible and gold still rules, as gold is considered to be a pious metal.” %% Seth adds to the above, as he says that Kundan is now also a part of temple jewellery. “Both kundan and temple designs are traditional Indiandesigns and hence are easy to merge. Kundan lends a richer look to the temple jewellery, thus making it absolutely gorgeous.” %% When quizzed about the factors that are responsible to hold the market for temple jewellery, Kalyanaraman explains, “Temple jewellery contributes the 5 per cent of the total sale. Necklaces are in huge demand. People are coming back to traditional designs and this is the primary reason for its demand hike.” %% Seth says that apart from the practical reasons like demand and trend, the strongest factor that keeps the temple jewellery market going is religion and respect for religion. %%

Dittoing the fact, Jain says, “Religion and faith will never allow temple jewellery to go out of market. Adding to the two important factors is gradual recognition of temple jewellery as a fashion symbol, too. So with a strong backing or religious sentiments, the ever changing and widening fashion sense is also accepting temple jewellery and giving it a push.”%% As the youth steers the wheel of the market and has an unavoidable influence on sales, we tried finding out how is temple jewellery accepted among youth. To this, Kalyanaraman says, “Temple jewellery is mainly used during wedding and the youth like wearing jhumkas and kamarbandhs (waist bands). Temple jewelleryalso enhances the look of Indian wear like sarees, ghagracholis and salwarkameez thus is fairly popular among youth.” %% “Though youth is not much into heavy jewellery, but for certain special occasions, they prefer temple jewellery, as it is not only rich in looks and adds to the ethnic and traditional look, but also helps them be in harmony with both religious sentiments and modern values,” says Seth. %% Jain opines that religion and tradition are two strong factors that have strong hold on Indians irrespective of age group. “However, youthis definitely little liberal and looks at fine balance of traditional and modern designs. Temple jewellery offers good choices to youth who want a break from western design and feel close to their roots,”he shares. %% Talking about the hurdles and required marketing strategy, the experts say that there is a lot that can be done to popularise temple jewellery by eliminating certain hiccups. %% Jain says that though the temple jewellery will not slip out of market completely, but it certainly needs a push in terms of promotion. “Like any other category, this category of jewellery designs too needs promotion of high standards. First of all, we need to take this to other parts of the countries, as the popularity confines to South Indian only.” %% Listing the hurdles, Seth says, “The most difficult part that keeps the customer away is the price. A good temple jewellery pieces will be handmade out of 150 to 180 gms of gold, given the surge in gold rates, it gets difficult for customers to go for real good temple jewellery. It also needs promotion in national and international market, as the design has the caliber to become symbolic of Indian tradition and add to the image of India, as a jewellery design hub.” %% Citing example of the campaign by his brand, Kalyanaramansays, “Temple jewelleryis a special art. Our artisans with the help of our designers do more detailing in the temple jewellery. Our collection is called ‘Nimah’ and our brand ambassador AishwariyaRai models for the same. She is shown as a goddess, wearing the collection. This kind of marketing that brings the global appeal will help making the temple jewellery more popular. %% {{Conclusion: }} $$ Temple Jewellery can be rightly called as authentic Indian art of jewellery making that is magnificent, rich and close to the religious sentiments thereby to the roots, while keeping abreast with the modern time’s requirement. From a business point of view too, given the strong backing of religion, it is also one of the safe investments and a little push can help it gain its importance as a symbol of Indian culture and tradition on a global platform. %%