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India with its rich traditions and customs has certain rituals associated with marriage. Marriage for Indians denotes the bonding of two souls and lives per se symbolizing a deep commitment and love for an entire lifetime. This is manifested in the form of certain rituals signifying the purity of the Indian wedlock. The Mangalsutra; a jewellery item, is one such symbol of an Indian marriage. The Mangalsutra is a scared thread of love, commitment and goodwill worn by the married women which carries with a deep significance of their marriage. Hence it is the western equivalent of the wedding ring worn by the married woman.

The Mangalsutra is a gold ornament and the most common type comprises of two strings of small black beads with a locket or pendant. It can also be made of small beads of gold and black beads with gold and a diamond pendant. The black beads are supposed to ward off evil and protect the marriage and lives of their husbands. Hence wearing the Mangalsutra is considered highly auspicious for married women. However, with contemporaneity in jewellery designs is seemingly more favored, the Mangalsutras are also available in shorter lengths with a single string and the gold pendants are often substituted by diamond pendants. These days several artificial mangalsutras in various styles are also common because of the growing popularity of the Indian imitation jewelry. However, the black beads remain constant in all forms of Mangalsutras.

The tradition of Mangalsutra was seemingly passed on from the southern part of India to Northern India. Mangalya dharanam which means "wearing the mangalya" is a vital part of Indian marriage rituals. Just as the black beads of the Mangalsutra are supposed to ward off all evil and absorb all the negative vibrations; the stringing of the beads into one thread signifies the union of man and wife as well as the integration of the woman into the family.

The Mangalsutra designs and its arrangement varies from region to region. the Tamilians wear the 'taali', an extraordinarily crafted pendant, the Maharashtrians swear by the black and gold beads with the double 'vati' pendant, the two 'vati' signifying the coming together of the bride and groom's family. The Kannadigas add corals while the Gujaratis and Marwaris often go for a diamond pendant. The Kashmiri Pandits wear an unusual mangalsutra that goes through the ears.

The price tag of a mangalsutra depends on its design and craftsmanship. Due to its profound symbolism, people often opt for the orthodox designs. While the Brahmins prefer simple taalis designs, the non-Brahmins opt for intricate and stylized designs with symbols like flowers, buds, leaves, trees and so on.