You have noticed a small, close-fitting ring on a man's ear at a Punjabi wedding, or on a woman who likes her earrings to have a bit of weight, and you want to know what it is called. Murki earrings are small ring earrings worn through the earlobe, a North Indian form most associated with Punjab, recorded on men and women alike, and worn today by anyone who wants one earring that never comes off.
I am Nandita, and we make silver jewellery in Jaipur. Most pages on this word either sell you a hoop or explain a singing technique. This one does both properly: what a murki is, what the oldest written records say about it, how it differs from a bali or a bala, how men and women wear it now, and how to choose the right size and closure.
In short
- A murki is a small ring earring for the lobe. Hindi and Urdu dictionaries describe it as an earring usually worn by men.
- An 1872 handbook of Punjab crafts calls the murki a smaller version of the bala, the large thin ring worn by Khatris, Sikhs and Dogras.
- The same records list gold murkis as ear-rings worn by men and women. A murki with a drop had its own name: pipal patta.
- In music, a murki is also a quick vocal flourish, called harkat in Punjab.
- Our murkis weigh about 2 g, 4 g and 8 g by their listings. Two are sold as a single or a pair.
What is a murki?
A murki is a small ring earring worn through the earlobe, the smaller cousin of the Punjabi bala, recorded in nineteenth-century Punjab as worn by both men and women and described in Hindi and Urdu dictionaries as an earring usually worn by men. The Rekhta dictionary gives it in Hindi as "कान की छोटी बाली", a small ear ring.
The word has a second life in music. In Hindustani singing, a murki is a short, quick ornament that flicks around a note, and the Wikipedia entry on murki notes that in Punjab it is also called harkat. So if you search the word, you will find singers as often as earrings. I have found no source that connects the two meanings, so I will not invent one, but I like that both describe something small, quick and finished with a flourish.
Murki earrings in Punjabi tradition: what the records say
The clearest early description I have found is in B. H. Baden-Powell's Hand-book of the Manufactures and Arts of the Punjab, published in Lahore in 1872. Its list of ear ornaments describes the bala as "very large thin rings worn by Khatris, Sikhs and Dogras", with "a pearl or so strung on the gold wire", and the murki simply as "smaller ear-rings of the same shape".
Two details from the same book are worth knowing. A district collection from Montgomery (today's Sahiwal, in Pakistani Punjab), listed in 1864, records gold murkis among ear-rings "worn by men and women". And a murki with something hanging from it was not called a murki at all: the pipal patta was "like a murki, but has a drop or pendant", ending in a fringe of tiny gold pipal leaves. So if you have heard that a murki is a hoop with a drop, the old Punjabi vocabulary would call that a different ornament.
Murki and its relatives
| Name | What it is | Who wore it (1872 records) | Closest modern equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murki | Small ring through the lobe | Men and women; gold murkis listed in 1864 | Small hinged or screw-back hoop that hugs the lobe |
| Bala | Very large thin ring, sometimes with a pearl on the wire | Khatris, Sikhs and Dogras | Large thin hoop |
| Pipal patta | Murki-like ring with a drop ending in tiny leaf shapes | Not specified | Hoop with a charm or drop |
| Bali (goshwara) | A set of rings worn all round the edge of the ear | Not specified | Several small hoops along the ear |
Words drift between regions and families, so treat this as one well-documented snapshot rather than the final word. Your grandmother in Ludhiana may use bali where the handbook says murki, and she is not wrong.
How men and women wear murki earrings today
The murki has never really belonged to one gender, and modern styling has simply caught up with the records. Many men wear a single murki in one ear, with a beard and a plain kurta or a white shirt. Women wear a pair as an everyday hoop, or a single murki next to a small stud for an uneven, stacked look. There is no rule about which ear. Choose the side you show more often in photographs.
Here is the truth bomb. A lot of men's "silver" hoops online are steel or plated brass with the word silver in the title and nowhere else in the metal. If the listing will not say 925, assume it is not. Real sterling silver is 92.5% silver, is stamped 925 and will tarnish over time, which is chemistry, not a defect. For more on men's styles, read our guide to men's silver earrings.
Three murkis, three weights
The Simple Unisex Murki is the everyday one: a plain silver crescent with a fine beaded edge, about 2 g for a single by the listing, sold as a single or a pair. It closes with a hinged post that fits into a small catch, so it sits snugly against the lobe.
The Men Murki Earrings are more substantial, about 4 g for a single piece, with a restrained design that lets the metal do the talking. They are also sold as a single or a pair, and the listing suggests wearing one on its own. If you want texture, the Tribal Murki Earrings carry carved patterns along the curve and weigh about 8 g by the listing, so they suit a lobe that is used to some weight.
Sizing and closure types
A murki should hug the lobe, not hang below it. Before you buy, measure the distance from your piercing to the bottom edge of your lobe with a ruler. A ring whose inside opening is smaller than that distance will pinch or not close; one that is a few millimetres larger will sit neatly. If your piercing is low, a smaller murki works; if it is high, you need more room inside the ring.
- Hinged post with a catch: the easiest to put on and take off; good for daily wear.
- Screw-back post: a threaded post with a small screw nut behind the lobe; slower to put on, but secure. Do not overtighten it.
- Open wire: the oldest form, a wire that passes through the lobe and closes on itself; check that the end sits flush so it cannot catch on clothes.
- No piercing: a murki needs a lobe piercing. If you do not have one, look at ear clips and cuffs instead; our guide to ear clips and cuffs covers them.
Weight matters as much as size. A 2 g murki is easy to forget; an 8 g one is a choice you will feel by evening. If your lobes react to cheap metal, our post on why 925 sterling silver suits sensitive ears is worth a read before you pick.
Why I think everyone should own one murki
Silver hoops come in and out of fashion, and the murki outlasts the trends because it is not trying to be fashionable. It is small, it sits close, it suits a man with a grey beard and a girl in her first job, and it looks better the more you wear it. The cool weight of a solid silver ring against the lobe is a very particular feeling, and once you are used to it, an empty ear feels odd.
In our Jaipur workshop, in a family that has worked with silver since 1985, we make our murkis in 925 sterling silver and we stamp them 925. They will tarnish over time. Wipe them with a soft silver cloth, keep them away from perfume and water, and store them in the pouch they arrive in.
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of murki?
Murki has two meanings. As jewellery, it is a small ring earring worn through the earlobe, described in Hindi and Urdu dictionaries as an earring usually worn by men. In music, it is a quick ornamental turn around a note in Hindustani singing, which in Punjab is also called harkat.
Which ear do men wear a murki in?
There is no fixed rule. Men wear a murki in either ear, as a single piece or as a pair, depending on personal taste and family custom. A practical tip: wear a single murki on the side people see most, which for many men is the side they part their hair or face the camera from.
What is the difference between a murki and a bali?
Usage varies by region and family. In an 1872 record of Punjab ornaments, the murki is a small ring through the lobe, the smaller version of the large bala, while bali or goshwara describes a set of rings worn around the edge of the ear. Today the words are often used loosely for any small hoop.
How do I choose the right murki size?
Measure from your piercing to the bottom edge of your lobe with a ruler, then choose a murki whose inside opening is a few millimetres larger than that distance. It should hug the lobe without pinching. Check the weight too: our murkis range from about 2 g to about 8 g by their listings.
Murki earrings, then and now
Murki earrings are one of the few pieces of Indian jewellery with a written history for men and women alike, from gold murkis in an 1864 Punjab collection to silver ones on both sides of the dinner table today. Pick your size, pick your closure, check the 925 stamp, and wear it until you forget it is there. Real Silver. Made to be worn every day.
