From the Land of the Rajas:

Creativity in Rajasthan

As in many societies, women wear distinctive clothing to indicate their transformed state.  Before the ceremony, they have their hands painted with henna designs, as tokens of good luck.  In Rajasthan, red is the color of a bride, both for her sari or wedding outfit and in the form of vermillion powder decorating the central part in her hair.  Just as a married Rajasthani woman adopts a distinctive costume, so does she wear a range of jewelry — mostly made of silver — to express her new role, much as western brides wear gold bands.  Among these are a spherical forehead ornament, earrings, nose ring, necklace, arm bangles, anklets, and toe rings.  Of the sixteen traditional “arts of beautification” (solah shringar) for a Hindu bride, we display four here:  bridal wear, mehendi hand paintings, a container for sindoor (vermillion pigment), and ornaments.

Women wearing ivory bangles
Photo by Martha Beltran, 2005

(L) Woman wearing anklet bracelets and toe rings
Photo by Renaldo Maduro, 1969—70

(R) Woman wearing headcloth and silver jewelry
Photo by Renaldo Maduro, 1969—70