The Company Mala of Jumla and Karnali: A Necklace Woven with Coins, Memory, and Heritage

In the villages of Jumla, some traditions are not written in books—they are worn around the neck.

Among the many ornaments that define the cultural beauty of Karnali, the Company Mala (कम्पनी माला) is one of the most meaningful. Made by stringing old silver coins onto a black and red woven thread, this traditional necklace was once a familiar sight on the necks of women across Jumla, Mugu, Humla, Kalikot, and Dolpa.

Today, an original Company Mala has become a rare treasure. More than jewelry, it is a story of migration, trade, family, resilience, and identity. Every coin carries a history, and every necklace preserves a chapter of Karnali’s past.

A familiar sight in old  Jumla              

Older generations in Jumla still remember the days when women wore Company Malas during weddings, festivals, religious ceremonies, and important family gatherings. The necklace rested proudly across the chest, shining against traditional dress. It was not simply an ornament; it was a symbol of dignity, prosperity, and family honor.

For many women, the Company Mala was among the most valuable possessions they owned. It was often gifted by parents, inherited from grandmothers, or received during marriage. A daughter wearing her mother’s Company Mala carried more than silver coins—she carried the memory of generations before her.

In the mountain villages of Karnali, where life revolved around farming, livestock, trade, and seasonal migration, jewelry also served a practical purpose. Wealth was not always stored in banks or locked boxes; it was worn, protected, and passed down through the family. 

More than British Indian coins

Many people believe that a Company Mala was made only from British Indian silver rupees, but the tradition in Karnali was richer and more distinctive.

In Jumla and other parts of Karnali, Company Malas were often created using a combination of:

·         British Indian silver rupees (Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George V, and King George VI),

·         Old Nepali silver Mohars, known locally as Binna Moli (बिन्ना मोली) or Ruda Rupiya, and

·         occasionally other regional silver coins.

This blending of currencies makes the Company Mala of Karnali unique. It reflects not only the influence of British India but also the history of the Nepali kingdom and the ancient trade networks of the Himalayas.

Binna Moli: the silver coins of Karnali

The old Nepali silver coins used in many Company Malas are known in Jumla and surrounding districts as Binna Moli. Unlike British Indian rupees with portraits of British monarchs, these coins feature Devanagari inscriptions, sacred symbols, and intricate geometric designs.

Most belong to the Shah period of Nepal, particularly the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

From their script style and ornamental borders, coins can be identified as 1 Mohar silver coins issued during the reigns of King Surendra Bikram Shah (1847–1881) and King Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah (1881–1911).

Coin type	Period
1 Mohar – Surendra Bikram Shah	1847–1881
1 Mohar – Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah	1881–1911
Half Mohar (smaller silver pieces)	1881–1911

These coins display the classic square-and-circle layout, with Devanagari inscriptions arranged within a square enclosed by a circular border. The design is inspired by yantras and sacred geometry, combining royal authority with religious symbolism.

The meaning of the square-and-circle design

One of the most fascinating features of Nepali Mohars is their artistic symbolism.

The inscriptions are arranged within a square surrounded by a circle, while decorative motifs fill the corners. This design reflects the influence of Hindu sacred geometry, royal iconography, and auspicious symbols associated with protection and prosperity.

Unlike modern coins, these Mohars were created not only as currency but also as expressions of faith, kingship, and cultural identity.

It is easy to understand why they became treasured ornaments.

The coins that traveled to Karnali

The British Indian coins used in Company Malas were generally minted between 1862 and 1947.

Coin type	Period
Queen Victoria Rupee	1862–1901
King Edward VII Rupee	1903–1910
King George V Rupee	1911–1936
King George VI Rupee	1938–1947

These were usually one-rupee silver coins, though some necklaces also included half-rupee or quarter-rupee pieces depending on the family’s wealth and the availability of coins.

These silver rupees reached Karnali through traders, shepherds, mule caravan operators, laborers, and Gurkha soldiers who traveled between Nepal and India. After returning home, families transformed the coins into necklaces, bracelets, and other ornaments.What began as savings gradually became heritage.

Why these coins mattered in Jumla

In Jumla, people did not separate Binna Moli from their personal history.

Women wore these silver coins not because they were collectors, but because the coins represented security, inheritance, and identity. A Company Mala made with Nepali Mohars was often considered more prestigious than one made only with British Indian rupees.

Families preserved these coins for generations. A grandmother’s Binna Moli could become a mother’s necklace, and later her daughter’s heirloom. During difficult years, the silver could be sold, but many women chose to protect the mala because it carried the memory of their family.

For many households, the necklace was both an ornament and an emotional archive.

A woman’s ornament, a family’s treasury

Most genuine British Indian rupees were made of 91.7% silver and weighed approximately 11.66 grams each.

A Company Mala containing ten or more silver coins could hold over 100 grams of silver, making it a portable family treasury.

In the remote mountains of Karnali, this mattered greatly. Silver jewelry could provide financial security during times of crop failure, illness, or economic hardship.

Yet the value of the Company Mala was never measured only in silver.         

It reflected:

·         The hard work of fathers and husbands,

·         The craftsmanship of local artisans,

·         The honor of the family and the continuity of tradition.

The women of Jumla and the Company Mala

In Jumla, the Company Mala has always been deeply connected with women. An elderly woman wearing a Company Mala is often carrying decades of family history. The necklace may have traveled across generations, surviving migration, hardship, and social change.

Many young people today admire the beauty of these necklaces, but their emotional significance is even greater. They remind us of mothers who worked in terraced fields, grandmothers who walked mountain trails, and families who preserved their dignity through difficult times. The Company Mala is not simply silver around the neck. It is memory resting on the chest.

Karnali’s forgotten trade history

The presence of both British Indian rupees and Nepali Mohars in the same necklace reveals an important historical truth. For centuries, Jumla was connected to the Himalayan trade routes linking western Nepal, Tibet, and the Indian plains. Salt, wool, grain, livestock, medicinal herbs, and other goods moved through these mountain corridors.

Silver currency traveled with merchants and caravans.The coins found in Company Malas are therefore not merely ornaments; they are evidence of Karnali’s historic trade economy and cultural exchange.A single necklace can contain the history of the Nepali kingdom, British India, and the Himalayan trade network all at once.

Why original Company Malas are disappearing

Today, authentic Company Malas are becoming increasingly rare.Rising silver prices have led many families to sell or melt their old coins. Others have been purchased by collectors or replaced with modern replicas.

As a result, finding an original Company Mala containing both British Indian silver rupees and Nepali Binna Moli Mohars has become extremely difficult. This loss is not only about jewelry. It is also about the disappearance of a cultural memory. When the coins are separated from the necklace, much of the story disappears with them.

A heritage worth preserving

As interest in traditional Nepali culture grows, the Company Mala deserves recognition as one of Karnali’s most important cultural heirlooms.Museums can preserve examples, but the real heritage lives in the stories of the women who wore them.

Documenting these necklaces, photographing them, recording family histories, and encouraging younger generations to value them can help protect a tradition that is quietly fading.In a rapidly changing world, the Company Mala reminds us that history is not always found in monuments.

Sometimes, it hangs gently around the neck of a woman in a mountain village.

Conclusion

The Company Mala of Jumla and Karnali is more than a necklace made from old silver coins. It is a symbol of ancestry, resilience, craftsmanship, and cultural identity. 

From the reigns of Surendra Bikram Shah and Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah to the silver rupees of Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, King George V, and King George VI, these coins traveled across kingdoms, trade routes, and generations before becoming part of Nepal’s living heritage.

Today, every surviving Company Mala is a rare witness to that journey. When a woman in Jumla wears an old Company Mala, she is not simply wearing jewelry. She is wearing history.