(Image source from: Graceful Haldi Kumkum Ceremony of HSS Sevikas in Pheonix)

HSS Sevikas in Phoenix, Arizona, have got together to perform Haldi Kumkum Ceremony, reflecting the Indian tradition with joy and grace. As a part of the Makar Sankranti Haldi Kumkum 2016, the women congregated to pray for the long lives of their husbands.
The participants of the Haldi Kumkum Ceremony that took place in Pheonix, Arizona, include Deepali Mandalkar, Lalitha Byra, Monica Gupta, Deepali Karandikar, Raji Selvakumar, Neha Vagal, Mugdha Patwardhan Limaye, Lakshmi Prasanna, Vani Sathish, Shilpa Desai, Rupal Rajyaguru, Sapna Vishal, Manisha Shewale, Sudharani Mukkamala, Anjali Vijayvergia, Uma Raghu, Greeshma Ajith, Akila Karthik, Puja PS, Saranya Mukunthan, Lakshmy Sivaraman, Manjunath Prasad Subramanya, and Suvarna Fadnavis, besides other HSS Sevikas.
Haldi Kumkum ceremony

Haldi Kumkum ceremony or Haldi Kumkum is a social gathering part of Indian tradition, where married women exchange haldi (turmeric) and kumkum (vermilion powder), symbolizing their married status and wishing longevity to their husbands.

As a part of the ceremony, married women invite relatives, friends and acquaintances to get together in an environment of fun and custom. The tradition is most popular in western states of India including Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Goa. During the ceremony, the hostess distributes flowers, bangles, sweets, betel leaves, small novelties, nuts as well as coconuts. Snacks which are usually offered are Vatli Dal and Kairiche Panhe (raw mango juice).
The custom was in practice during Marathas and Peshwas rule in Maharashtra. Palaces had specific areas, during that time, for holding the vermillion and turmeric powders.

Those were created with stone troughs for the sake of celebrations. Queens or courtiers' wives of that time, used to give away opulent gifts to their guests. Rich clothing and gifts of jewels were offered to goddess Parvati or Bhavani before the beginning of Haldi Kumkum season.Such old is the rich tradition that creates refreshing atmosphere besides building social inclination among the women in the society, in the beginning of a new year.

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-Sumana