BULAKI
Somethings are never meant to go out of style.
As I travelled way to the Far-West Nepal, the roads got narrower, concrete houses turned into classic mud houses, and simpler life started to unfold in front of me. As I began exploring and loving the place, I saw a women with a unique jewel hanging from her nose.
The ornament was Bulaki;almost a jewel. Out of curiosity I started researching and talking to these women about the elegant jewel. Normally, Bulaki is a gold ornament that hands below a hole pierced through the septum until the lower lip. It’s a culture of women from Limbu, Magar and Thami communities to wear Bulaki after they got married.
The size, shape and design may differ according to the diversity of the place and people. But it’s a fact that the whole ornament can be as long as 6cm and needs to be lifted up when the women is eating. The lower part of the ornament is intricately decorated with stones and intricate designs.
We see Bulaki only in few of these remote areas of Nepal when “Modernization” is yet to step in. Accham, Bajula, Dailekh, Doti are the few places where people wearing it can be spotted.
More than the designs, in some ethnic groups, the Bulaki is placed into the mouth of a deceased women to help expedite the soul’s salvation process. It’s believed that Bulaki helps women to attain MUKTI.
