The swastika sign is somewhere between a religious superstition and a cultural thing. There are folks who believe that if they don't do that sort of thing it's

The swastika sign is somewhere between a religious superstition and a cultural thing. There are folks who believe that if they don't do that sort of thing it's a bad omen and there are folks who do it only out of respect for tradition. Having an elder 'inaugurate' something is mostly a result of the "respect for elders" ethos in Indian society. This sounds pretty benign, and in many ways it is a good thing, but it has its downsides. I know people in my generation who couldn't (wouldn't) get married to someone unless their grandparents approved the person!