Our beginning
The modern mangalsutra I couldn’t find
“I didn’t start Modern Mangal to replace tradition. I started it so people like me would never have to leave it behind.”
I grew up American-Indian, living between two worlds. I honored my heritage and built a very Western life, and I could never find jewelry that felt like both. Everything was either fully traditional or fully Western. Nothing bridged the two.
Then I got married. I asked my mother-in-law if I could wear a designer necklace as my mangalsutra. She graciously said no. I could always buy the designer piece, she told me, but I would only ever have one mangalsutra.
She was right. So I designed the best compromise I could, something that felt Western but still honored the roots of the mangalsutra. It wasn’t perfect. I posted a casual seven-second video of it anyway, and hundreds of people messaged me asking where they could buy it. That was the spark. It wasn’t just my problem.
Our duality isn’t a burden. It’s the whole point. Every piece is made for people who refuse to choose between who they are and where they come from.
Shreya Sanghvi RastogiFounder
Our values
What we believe
Heritage belongs to the people wearing it
The mangalsutra has lasted because the people who wore it kept its meaning alive. You decide what tradition looks like for you.
Make One Yours
We make things worth keeping
18K solid gold that does not tarnish, every stone set by hand, and a lifetime warranty on every piece.
Lifetime Warranty
A community carries it forward
Someone wears theirs to work, a colleague asks where it is from, and the tradition reaches one more person.
Read Their Words
Generosity, built in
A portion of every purchase goes to charity through Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care, supporting humanitarian and animal welfare work.
See Our Impact
The meaning, made modern
Every part of it still means something
A lotus, opening
- Tradition
- The pendant has always been the heart of the piece, and its shape changes from one region and one family to the next.
- How we make it
- Four marquise diamonds fan out from one point like petals coming open, inspired by the lotus and jasmine. One carat in all, each stone set by hand.
Black for protection
- Tradition
- Black stands for Shiva and gold for Shakti. Together they mean balance, and a guard against the evil eye, for the person and for the marriage.
- How we make it
- Small black beads set into a fine cable chain, light enough to wear with a T-shirt or under a collar.
A chain with a story of its own
- Tradition
- How the beads are strung has always varied from one region and one family to the next.
- How we make it
- This is our Circle chain, with five beads along each side, for the family and friends who gather around a marriage and hold it up long after the day.
Gold that stays
- Tradition
- Gold has always been the part meant to last, the part a family keeps and passes on.
- How we make it
- 18K solid gold in a soft, warm tone that sits easily beside the rest of your jewelry, in yellow, white or rose.
Shown, the Love in Bloom mangalsutra, our most loved piece
Meet the Love in BloomThe Piece Passport
Every piece arrives with its own passport
A permanent record of what the piece is, who made it, and the life it goes on to have.
See How It WorksMake it yours
Words from the giver
When a piece is a gift, the giver’s words and the date are part of its record from the very start.
Your photos and milestones
The first time it is worn, the anniversaries, the moments it was there for. Each entry is yours, and each one stays.
Passed on, story intact
When it goes to the next person, the passport goes with it, so they inherit the piece with its history inside.
Keep it useful
A serial number, engraved
Each piece carries a unique number engraved on it and matched to its passport, so it can always be identified as yours.
What an appraiser needs
Metal, stone specifications and any IGI or GIA certification, the details an appraiser or insurer asks for, kept in one place.
Recorded once, kept for good
Held independently of our systems, so it cannot be edited or erased, and nothing gets lost in a drawer.
In their words
I saw a post of a woman explaining her passion for finding the perfect mangalsutra that was modern and fit her unique style for her own wedding. Everything that she mentioned in her video spoke directly to me… It has become a staple piece in my jewelry collection.
I am not exaggerating when I say that I wear it every single day. I sleep in it, shower in it, go to work as a physical therapist in it. It’s been through a lot, and it’s held up beautifully!
Once I placed my order, I was updated consistently with the manufacturing and shipping details which gave me peace of mind with such a big purchase.
Being that I am Italian and my now husband is Indian, we both had a lot to learn about each other’s cultures… Modern Mangal’s necklaces were the perfect solution.
Choose it with us
We would love to help you find yours
Bring your questions, a photo of a piece in your family, or simply a feeling you want it to carry. We will look at options together on a video call.
Complimentary and relaxed, by video. Prefer to write? Send us a note.