New Delhi ? As night fell Thursday, India’s capital swarmed with weddings as some 14,000 couples tied the knot on a day considered lucky by Hindus.

Indian Hindu bride Vanshree, left, adjusts the jewelry of her elder sister at a beauty salon in New Delhi. Beauty salons, marriage venues and entertainers were busy Thursday as New Delhi expected to witness 14,000 marriages.

Tens of thousands of relatives and friends danced in the streets to popular film music as bridegrooms on horsebacks made their way to marriage ceremonies at parks, temples, banquet halls and farmhouses.

Hindu priests considered Thursday auspicious because it was the fourth night after the sighting of the full moon and a festival associated with Ganesha, the elephant-headed god.

Today will be another busy marriage day, as the wedding anniversary of the god Rama, the hero of the Hindu epic narrative Ramayana.

This nation of 1 billion people is predominantly Hindu, and many parents decide on wedding dates after consulting Hindu priests who determine compatibility by comparing astrological readings for prospective brides and grooms.

The wedding ceremony, which can last as long as five hours, begins with the couple exchanging marigold garlands. They later walk around a bonfire seven times and are declared husband and wife.