Persian · noun · Faith & Sacred History
Zunnaar
ज़ुन्नार
said zun-naar
also written: Zunnar,Zonnar
Meaning
The sacred cord or thread worn by Brahmins and, historically, by non-Muslims, a poetic emblem of infidelity or the beloved's bond.
Literally: girdle, sacred thread
Usage & notes
A classic symbol of the lover binding himself to the beloved's faith; in the ghazal tradition the zunnaar marks the renunciation of conventional belief for love.
Related words
PERSIAN
Barhaman
A Brahmin or Hindu priest; in Persianate poetry the idol-temple's keeper, a counterpart to the Muslim cleric.
PERSIAN
Butkhaana
An idol-temple; in mystic verse the shrine of beauty where the lover worships the beloved's form.
ARABIC
Kufr
Unbelief; in Sufi paradox, sometimes exalted as the lover's true faith over hollow piety.