Thaali and islam
I was born and raised in a Tamil Hindu family, but I reverted to Islam a few years ago. Even though Hinduism was never something I personally found peace in, I’ve always deeply loved and cherished the Tamil culture I grew up in and want to hold onto that part of myself forever.
I’ve been thinking a lot about marriage and how, one day, I would still love to wear a thaali — not for religious reasons, but as a way of honouring my Tamil roots and culture on my wedding day. I wouldn’t want anything with deities or symbolism that goes against my Islamic beliefs, though.
I once read that long before colonisation, and before coin-style pendants became common in thaali designs, some Tamils used tiger teeth as pendants. That really interested me and made me wonder about the older, pre-Hindu or non-religious history of the thaali/kodi.
Does anyone here know more about the historical origins of the thaali — especially what it looked like in older Tamil culture? And do you have any ideas for a thaali design that could preserve my Tamil cultural background while still aligning with my Islamic beliefs? I am SL tamil btw