This black tassel on a car’s front bumper might seem like a normal decoration, but for Indian drivers, it’s an important safety tool that has protected drivers for generations.
While Australians are accustomed to decorating their vehicles with accessories such as stickers and custom number plates, some countries like India favour a more spiritual touch.
One Reddit user took to the social media platform to find out the meaning behind a black tassel car accessory hanging from a vehicle’s front bumper, only to stumble upon a fascinating story.
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“I’ve never seen these things hanging from any car in my life, then in the last month or so I’ve seen them on three different cars,” they stated.
“My first thought was a new take on the classic strip off the back to help with motion sickness, but it looks so fancy, is it a religious thing?” they added.
Though commenters were quick to chime in with a range of humorous responses, some highlighted the cultural and spiritual symbol it carries.
“It’s an Indian tradition carried over from the days of the cavalry. Horses and camels used to be dressed with such colour tassels… the black tassels were primarily to ward off evil eye/spirit,” one Reddit user claimed.
“Nice personal touch to someone’s car, and I’ve always admired how much it humanizes [sic] the space. [It] reminds me of how much I know a lot of ethnic Chinese and Viet Aussies who’ll mount a small Buddhist display on the dash or in the console somewhere,” another commenter added.
If you’ve seen these black pom poms on other vehicles while you’re commuting, chances are you’ve come across a paranda (also known as a parandi) – a spiritual token some drivers use as a symbol of protection from evil and bad luck.
In a nutshell, paranda is prominent in Punjabi culture and is a big part of the car culture in India. Since drivers are typically out on the road for an extended period of time, their vehicle becomes a part of their family and car accessories are used to showcase their beliefs.
Professor Purushottama Bilimoria from the University of Melbourne and a senior researcher at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies said that while parandas are typically seen as a woman’s hair ornament, “there’s no reason why it cannot go over a vehicle which is considered one’s partner”.
“When a Hindu, Sikh or Jain person buys a new vehicle (or is given a company car), the vehicle is brought to the temple to be consecrated and blessed so that it performs with efficiency and is protected from getting into accidents,” he told Drive.
“The vehicle will have turmeric and red paste marks all over it, and it will be driven to the new car owner’s home, with paranda and garlands proudly hanging over the bonnet.”
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