Bangles in India are more than accessories; they are emblems of culture and social status. Aside from being a declaration of being a married woman, Indian bangles connote romantic and amorous statements. Based on classical Indian poetry, the woman's yearning for her lover or husband is indicated through the slipping of the bangle from her wrist, suggesting that the agony of being away from him is making her unhealthy and thin. The music coming from the tinkling bangles also carries its own meaning, expressing the presence of the woman, her wish for his attention, her desire, or even anger. Bangles are usually slipped on a wrist just by a little bit of pressure. Occasionally, oil is used on the hand for easy slipping. Derived from the Hindu word bungri, meaning glass, bangles are made from precious and non-precious material such as silver, platinum, gold, wood, glass, and plastic, just to name a few. Bangles are integral to traditional Indian jewelry. Women usually wear them in pairs, o

About the Author

Martin H. Sadd is Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Rhode Island. He received his Ph.D. in mechanics from the Illinois Institute of Technology and began his academic career at Mississippi State University. In 1979 he joined the faculty at Rhode Island and served as department chair from 1991 to 2000. Professor Sadd’s teaching background is in the area of solid mechanics with emphasis in elasticity, continuum mechanics, wave propagation, and computational methods. He has taught elasticity at two academic institutions, in several industries, and at a government laboratory. Professor Sadd’s research has been in computational modeling of materials under static and dynamic loading conditions using finite, boundary, and discrete element methods. Much of his work has involved micromechanical modeling of geomaterials including granular soil, rock, and concretes. He has authored more than 75 publications and has given numerous presentations at national and international meetings.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.