as the symbol of their married state. A widow is expected to wear a black "sari" for the remainder of her life, and is not allowed to wear ornaments. The bridegroom's dress in early times consisted of a short loincloth of hand-woven cloth ("Dhoti"), a shawl to cover his shoulders, and a red handkerchief on the head ("Leis"). Later, his dress consisted of a white loincloth with a red and gold hem ("todop"), a shirt with gold buttons and a coat ("Kutanv"), a shawl on the shoulders, and a towel ("Urmal") on the head. The bridegroom wore a "Chakrasar" (neck chain) around his neck. He wore a pair of sandals or at least a pair of socks. At present, most Mangalorean Catholic couples opt for a White wedding, where the bridegroom wears a suit, while the bride wears a white wedding gown. The traditional style of wedding is becoming exceedingly rare.