With changing times, the overall perception of marriage might have changed, but for most Marwari families and couples, age-old traditions and revered customs continue to hold sway. With the wedding season going full blast, we have dedicated our cover to the all-important social institution of marriage, outlining the many customs and rituals that typify Marwari weddings.

Talking about preservation of culture, we also bring you the story of The Bengal Rowing Club in Kolkata—or The Marwari Rowing club, as it was once known—which has completed 90 years of existence this year. Co-founded by Sir Badridas Goenka, Brij Mohan Birla and a few other illustrious Marwaris in 1929, the club today stands as a proud icon of Marwari heritage that offers a plethora of sports, entertainment and cuisine to around 3,200 members.

Geeta Khandelwal’s efforts to promote and sell quilts made by India’s ethnic communities and artists has not only brought her global fame, but also culminated in the publication of her book titled 'Godharis of Maharashtra, Western India'. Read about the tireless entrepreneur, author and textile artist, whose latest passion is making miniature versions of costumes worn by the maharajas of India from 1850 to 1950.

Coming back to the fabled entrepreneurial acumen of Marwaris, we have featured siblings Sharad Kumar Saraf and his brother Sudarshan Saraf of Technocraft Industries (India) Limited, who have come a long way from the early seventies, when they set up their drum closure manufacturing unit in Mumbai. Now a flourishing business with international presence, the Sarafs boast other equally successful lines of business such as scaffolding systems, yarns, garments and engineering design services.

With all this and more, we bring you another interesting edition of MARWAR.