After dipping her hands in, she presses her vermilion palms onto the walls of the family home: it is from this point on that ‘she belongs to the house, and the house belongs to her’, concludes Balkrishna Doshi. In the Gujarati tradition, Indian newlyweds head to the groom’s parents’ house after the marriage ceremony, where a thali plate containing a little water mixed with kumkum (a brilliant red pigment) awaits the bride outside the front door. If you enjoy reading the AR online, why not consider subscribing to the print edition? This is one of the most read articles on the AR website.