Kanchipuram Temple Gold Jewelry of Tamil Nadu

Temple jewelry of Tamil Nadu is a category of traditional gold ornaments designed specifically for classical dancers, temple deities, and religious ceremonies. The kovai style features sheet gold formed by repousse hammering, stone-setting in closed bezels with rubies and emeralds, and champlevé enamel fill in blue and green. Nagercoil in Kanyakumari district and Kanchipuram are the two main production centres. Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancers wear full sets of temple jewelry including necklaces (addige), ear pendants (jimikki), waist belt (odyanam), and armlets (tadu). The Adigal (goldsmith) community holds the craft. Pieces are made entirely by hand using wooden mallets, hardened steel dies, and fine engraving burins — no casting is used. Overseas temples in the USA, Singapore, and Malaysia are major buyers. The GI application for Tamil Nadu temple jewelry is under review.