From the archive record
An aarti and tilak ceremony during a Haryanvi wedding in India. Women perform the ritual by applying tilak to the foreheads of family members and children one by one while holding aarti thalis with lit diyas. Several attendees wear currency garlands (note malas), a customary feature of many North Indian weddings that symbolises prosperity and शुभकामनाएँ for the family or couple. Guests are dressed in Haryanvi and North Indian attire, including embroidered outfits, veils, kurtas, and Nehru jackets. ceremonial trays filled with Indian sweets, reflecting the customs and family participation associated with the wedding celebration.