Anyone who is not familiar with Burma, its culture and history will no doubt look quite puzzled when asked about the meaning of ‘Nawarat’ and will surely wonder what the heck Nawarat means or is. How could he (or she) know?
So what is this mysterious Nawarat (occasionally spelled Navarat) and what is it all about? Are you puzzled now? You sure are. Well don’t worry this article will throw light on the myth and mystery of Nawarat and in a few minutes from now you will know the answer to the question what is it all about.
Nawarat has to do with power, wealth, glory, greatness and splendor, achievement and accomplishment, with health and vigour, strength and vitality, calm and tranquility, as well as with love and affection. But above all it is about power in the broadest sense of this term. And as much as it is about all these things, it is about occultism (from the Latin ‘occultare’, which means ‘secret’ and ‘occultere’, which means ‘to hide’ or ‘hide’) and superstition (from the Latin ‘super ‘, which means ‘over’ and ‘stare’, which means ‘to stand’). In other words, Nawarat is about the widespread belief in Burma in invisible and unknown forces of supernatural influences, especially with regard to bringing good and bad luck, and in the efficacy of various practices such as astrology, which is considered a hidden knowledge of the universe and its mysterious forces.
At this point you’re probably thinking, well, now I have a pretty good idea of what Nawarat is all about, but I still don’t know what exactly it is. To begin with, ‘Nawarat’ is an amulet or amulet in the form of a piece of jewelry which is deeply believed by the Burmese to have magical powers; thus it can ward off evil and danger and give power, wealth, health, glory, etc. Simply put, the Nawarat is a ring worn for protection and good fortune.
The ring is made of gold and consists of seven jewels, a coral and a pearl – a total of nine pieces -, which is why it is called ‘Nawarat Koe Par’ in Burmese or ‘Nine Jeweled Ring’ in English.
Today, almost every jewelry store in Burma offers these rings (there are even cheap copies available) and anyone who is interested in buying a Nawarat ring and can afford it can do so. But again, you must firmly believe in the mystical powers of the Nawarat ring, as the ring itself, valuable as it may be in material terms, can hardly be called beauty; in fact, at least to the eyes of the Westerner, it seems quite vulgar and in bad taste. However, I have met very, very few ‘westerners’ – there were even women among them – who have bought cheaper versions of Nawarat rings. I suspect that their ulterior motive was to make themselves interesting at home because they would surely be asked what this ring is, which is so unusual in Western countries, which in turn offers a good opportunity to tell interesting stories and become the center of attention.
That the Nawarat is worn by women and that nowadays it is also offered as a pendant is not at all in keeping with tradition, as only men wear the Nawarat and only as a ring. Be that as it may, let us now take a serious and closer look at the ancient tradition (which plays an eminent role) of the ‘Nawarat’, the individual components of the ring, its design and the ways in which it is worn and made. since all these details are of vital importance for the Nawarat Koe Par to function correctly, that is, to reliably obtain and exercise its magical powers.
The tradition of Nawarat Koe Par dates back to the ancient history of Burma, today’s Myanmar; the times when only kings, members of royal families and companions and advisers to kings and queens could own and use a Nawarat Koe Par. The common people were aside from the fact that they generally did not have the financial means for such a precious and valuable ring that they were not allowed to own and wear a Nawarat. They faced heavy penalties should they not strictly adhere to this royal edict. This edict was a protective measure taken by kings and queens that was deeply rooted in their belief in and reverence for the supernatural, as well as their fear of it. Nothing was allowed that, according to his belief, was capable of endangering his powerful position. People were, by the way, sentenced to death for much minor ‘misdemeanours’.
Since ancient times, gems have been classified into ‘warm’ and ‘cold’ stones, and those who are superstitious (Friday the 13th, broken mirrors and the black cat may serve as examples) believe that they possess supernatural qualities and the ability to protect to harm. Furthermore, it is traditionally believed that certain gems match particularly well with people born in a specific month or under a specific sign of the zodiac, as the respective gem and the person are said to have matching characteristics. Illustrative of this is the ‘birthstone’. A birthstone is any of several gems associated with the particular zodiac sign or calendar months of the year that are believed to bring luck to people born in or under those months.
These birthstones, months and symbolic meanings are: January, Garnet (constancy), February, Amethyst (sincerity), March, Aquamarine or bloodstone (bravery), April, Diamond (innocence), May, Emerald (love, success ), June, pearl or alexandrite or moonstone (health, longevity), July, ruby (contentment), August, peridot or sardonyx (marital happiness), September, sapphire (clear thinking), October, opal or tourmaline (hope) , November, topaz (fidelity) and December, turquoise or zircon (prosperity).
Also in design and style, tradition often plays an important role and changes are inevitable and normal. A specific design or style expresses a specific spirit of the time. In other words, it represents a certain era. And the design and style of jewelry is no exception to the rule. However, with the Nawarat Koe Par this is not the case. As for this ring, absolutely nothing has changed.
All the time the style, the design, the materials used and the manufacturing method have remained absolutely the same. The gems are arranged in a circular fashion with the red ruby always being the largest of them in the center. This is of immense importance to the ring, as it cannot otherwise display its magical powers. In case you are considering the idea of buying a Navarat Koe Par for yourself and trying to save when it comes to this important point, it is definitely not the right thing to do. Do not forget that your future is at stake. My advice is don’t risk it. The exact position of the individual gem, as well as the pearl and coral, is predetermined and follows an ancient code that must be strictly adhered to. Only the exact placement and alignment of the gems guarantees maximum mythic power, which can be defined as follows. Ruby (general power), sapphire (love), cat’s eye or zircon, of which the transparent and colorless variety is also known as Matura diamond (accomplishment), diamond (glory), emerald (tranquility), coral (leadership power), topaz (health), pearl (greatness), and garnet (strength).
The red ruby, as mentioned above, has to be the centerpiece; the blue sapphire has to point north, the yellow cat’s eye (alternate zircon) south, the crystalline diamond east, and the emerald green west. While the proper place for pinkish-orange or red coral is the northeast and for colorless topaz the northwest, the silvery-white pearl has to point to the southeast and the red garnet to the southwest. Furthermore, it is vitally important that the gems are placed in the Nawarat Koe Par in such a way that the ‘warm’ emerald points towards the body of the owner and subsequently the ‘cold’ diamond points away from it to provide maximum protection against any danger. that may be lurking around the corner. For the maximum effectiveness of the Nawarat it is also important that it is worn in the left hand which according to Asian tradition is the ‘clean’ hand and that its owner is praying and paying homage to good spirits before putting it on for the first time. In no way should these instructions be taken lightly and/or the order of the setup should be changed, as this would inevitably render the ring ineffective; that is, the Nawarat Koe Par would not display its magical powers to the fullest and would consequently be quite useless with respect to its main purpose of providing protection and bringing good luck.
Equally strict rules apply to the making of the ‘Ring of Nine Jewels’, the procedures of which are heavily based on the occult. A large number of Burmese goldsmiths are still very familiar with the proper traditional procedures to be followed and adhered to when making the ring. Making a Navarat requires the goldsmith to perform the required ceremonies correctly, to believe deeply in supernatural powers, to have a strong astrological connection with the jewels chosen to make the Nawarat Koe Par, and to take the five precepts. These are: not to take life, not to lie, not to steal, not to take intoxicants, and not to commit adultery on the same day that ring work begins.
The correct time to start work on the Nawarat depends on the date of birth (time, day, month and year) of the future ring bearer and is carefully calculated by a ‘Badin-saya’ (astrologer). Prior to the start of the ring making, the prayers that the goldsmith makes are as important as he makes light offerings to each individual precious stone, the coral and the pearl, all placed on a clean white cloth. Each of these stones has a unique special power that increases significantly when combined. When the right time has come, the work begins; and the moment when the planet corresponding to the respective gem is at its zenith is exactly the moment when the respective stone, pearl and coral, respectively, must be set. For this reason, the manufacture of a Nawarat Koe Par must be ordered in time, as it can take a year or even more (sometimes many years) for the ring to be finally finished.
This, of course, only applies to the truth of the true believer. As mentioned above, you can also buy a ready-made Nawarat ring, but it is very, very doubtful, to say the least, that in this case the hopes pinned on the ring are justified, since they will most likely not be fulfilled.
With regards to the ring making process, it is also important that the gems are set on flower pollen that matches in color the color of the respective stone when set. As for ruby, for example, it would be pollen from Padonmar (lotus), while coral should be placed on musk lotus and sandalwood. So if you want to be happy, healthy, rich, glorious, powerful, powerful, etc. and nothing has worked so far or if what you are doing does not seem to be enough to achieve these goals to your satisfaction, you can give it a try by getting a Nawarat Koe Par made especially for you. Provided you have enough time, financial means, and an unshakable belief in the magical forces of Nawarat, it is certainly worth a try.
Ma thi nein bu (you never know).
Gan kaung ba de (Good luck!).