Belly chain

A belly chain or waist chain are the popular English terms for the Kamarband/Udiyanam, which is a type of body jewelry worn around the waist. Some belly chains attach to a navel piercing; these are also called "pierced belly chains". They are often made of silver or gold. Sometimes a thread is used around the waist instead of a chain.

A belly chain is a common adornment for belly dancers.

History

Use of waist chains can be traced back to 4000 years or more originating in India, as is the case with most jewelry, which are now becoming popular worldwide due to globalisation and the diffusion of Indian culture through diaspora and exposure to Indian media. Historically, waist chains have been used in Eastern countries, specifically India, by men and women, as ornaments and as part of religious ceremonies, as accessories and to show affluence.

Many ancient sculptures and paintings from locations in India, dating back to the Indus Valley civilization, indicate that waist chains were a very popular jewelry. Around the world, an increasing number of women including celebrities are wearing waist ornaments. In Maldives, it was reported that scholars, magistrates and other influential people wore silver chains around their waists before the 1680s. Sayyid Mohammed arrived in Male’ when he heard that Maldives was filled with what he called "forbidden practices." He banned men from wearing waist chains as part of his effort to remove superstition and heresy. Some men complied; in other cases chains were forcibly removed. Many deities in the Hindu religion, such as Lord Krishna, wore waist chains. A waistband called cummerbund or patka was a part of the medieval upper class costume of Rajasthanis.