f.218b: Shah-Jahan honouring Prince Awrangzeb at his wedding (plate 45) An important part of the marriage ceremony was the presentation of the sehra (veil) to Prince Awrangzeb by his father Shah-Jahan, 19 May 1637. As at the wedding of the eldest son, Prince Dara-Shikoh, four years earlier, this presentation took place at night outside the Hall of Private Audience at Agra. The text recalls this moment: 'Then, with his own hand, the Emperor fastened on the Prince's head a sehra of lustrous pearls among which were strung rubies. It was ordered that Prince Muradbakhsh, Yaminuddawla, and other high ranking amirs should mount and accompany the Prince to the house of Shahnawas Khan. As they were crossing the field the varieties of fireworks that lit up the night are beyond description. Congratulations and rejoicing rose from the earth and singing and merriment engulfed time and space.' The tension between the Emperor as he presents the veil to Prince Awrangzeb cannot be missed and the hard stare and pose of his son emphasise the awkward relationship between them. This is in total contrast to the closeness displayed between the Emperor and his favoured eldest son at the latter's wedding.