Wedding Necklace

A yellow string bearing a gold plaque with indented center. For a bride. In an auspicious moment in the presence of friends chanting mantras, the groom ties this necklace around the bride's neck. She never removes it unless the husband dies - hence a widow may be identified by its absence (Inf. Dr. Sekhar). String was dipped in powdered turmeric: an East Indian plant (circuma longa) or its aromatic root stock, used as a yellow dye and as a condiment, particularly in curry powder.