Sindoor is a red powder (
VermilionVermilion, sometimes spelled vermillion, when found naturally occurring, is an opaque orangish red pigment, used since antiquity, originally derived from the powdered mineral cinnabar. Chemically, the pigment is mercuric sulfide, HgS, and like many mercury compounds it is toxic...
), which is traditionally applied at the beginning or completely along the parting-line of a woman’s hair (also called
mang) or as a dot on the forehead. Sindoor is the mark of a married woman in
HinduismHinduism is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as ', a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal law", by its adherents. Generic "types" of Hinduism that attempt to accommodate a variety of complex views span folk and Vedic Hinduism to bhakti tradition, as...
. Single women wear the dot in different colors ("
bindiA bindi is a forehead decoration worn in South Asia and Southeast Asia, not to be confused with a tilaka...
" in
HindiStandard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a standardised register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 languages with official status in India, and is used, along with English, for administration of the central government.Standard Hindi is a sanskritised register derived...
) but do not apply sindoor in their
mang. Hindu widows do not wear the sindoor, signifying that their husband is no longer alive.
Sindoor is a red powder (
VermilionVermilion, sometimes spelled vermillion, when found naturally occurring, is an opaque orangish red pigment, used since antiquity, originally derived from the powdered mineral cinnabar. Chemically, the pigment is mercuric sulfide, HgS, and like many mercury compounds it is toxic...
), which is traditionally applied at the beginning or completely along the parting-line of a woman’s hair (also called
mang) or as a dot on the forehead. Sindoor is the mark of a married woman in
HinduismHinduism is the predominant religion of the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is often referred to as ', a Sanskrit phrase meaning "the eternal law", by its adherents. Generic "types" of Hinduism that attempt to accommodate a variety of complex views span folk and Vedic Hinduism to bhakti tradition, as...
. Single women wear the dot in different colors ("
bindiA bindi is a forehead decoration worn in South Asia and Southeast Asia, not to be confused with a tilaka...
" in
HindiStandard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a standardised register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 languages with official status in India, and is used, along with English, for administration of the central government.Standard Hindi is a sanskritised register derived...
) but do not apply sindoor in their
mang. Hindu widows do not wear the sindoor, signifying that their husband is no longer alive. A version used in Hindu rituals or puja is known as
KumkumKumkum - is a powder used for social and religious markings in Hinduism. It is either made from turmeric or saffron. The turmeric is dried and powdered with a bit of slaked lime, which turns the rich yellow powder into a red color.The kumkum is an auspicious symbol...
. This also lends itself to the name of a
wedding ritualHindu wedding ceremonies are traditionally conducted at least partially in Sanskrit, the language in which most holy Hindu ceremonies are conducted. The local language of the people involved is also used since most Hindus cannot understand Sanskrit...
in some Hindu communities, known as '
HaldiHaldi is a river in the southern part of West Bengal, a state in India. Industrial town Haldia is situated where Haldi meets river Hoogly, a branch of the river Ganga.
Haldi is a family name in Switzerland, the place of origin is Saanen...
-
KumkumKumkum - is a powder used for social and religious markings in Hinduism. It is either made from turmeric or saffron. The turmeric is dried and powdered with a bit of slaked lime, which turns the rich yellow powder into a red color.The kumkum is an auspicious symbol...
'.
Hinduism
The history of sindoor is believed to be very old; it is a very traditional practice. It expresses a woman's desire for a long life for their husbands. The reason sindoor is red is because it comes from
vermilionVermilion, sometimes spelled vermillion, when found naturally occurring, is an opaque orangish red pigment, used since antiquity, originally derived from the powdered mineral cinnabar. Chemically, the pigment is mercuric sulfide, HgS, and like many mercury compounds it is toxic...
, and it is said to represent strength and love. A woman's initial experience with the sindoor is during their marriage ceremonies. The displaying of the sindoor is considered very important since the bride belongs to the groom.
Many experts in Vedic traditions say that the sindoor is placed on the part of the hair at a
Hindu marriage ceremonyA Hindu marriage joins two individuals for life, so that they can pursue dharma , artha , kama , and moksa together...
to signify that the wife is now under the protection of her husband and that anyone who harms her would find that their blood would be shed.
In general, using sindoor is a Hindu tradition, and not followed by
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
women. In the 19th century, sindoor was one of the rituals that a Sufi leader Sharafuddin Maneri had permitted Bangladeshi Muslim women to practice; however, soon thereafter a reformist organization was established to eliminate it.
Though most Indian women do continue to wear the bindi, it has become a decorative accessory often applied as a sticker.
In early 2008, allegations of high lead content led the U.S.
Food and Drug AdministrationThe Food and Drug Administration is a Government agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and is responsible for regulating and supervising the safety of foods, tobacco products, dietary supplements, Medication drugs, vaccines, Biopharmaceutical, blood transfusion,...
to reduce sales of Sindoor in grocery stores.
In popular culture
There are many Indian movies and dramas involving sindoor —
Sindoor Tere Naam Ka and the movie
Sindoor released in 1987 — with their themes revolving around the ritual's significance.
Composition
Traditional sindoor was made with
turmericTurmeric is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is native to tropical South Asia and needs temperatures between 20°C and 30°C, and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive...
and
alumAlum is both a specific chemical compound and a class of chemical compounds. The specific compound is the hydrated aluminium potassium sulfate with the formula KAl
2.12H
2O...
or
limeCalcium oxide , commonly known as burnt lime, lime or quicklime, is a widely used chemical compound. It is a white, caustic and alkaline crystalline solid at room temperature. As a commercial product, lime often also contains magnesium oxide, silicon oxide and smaller amounts of aluminium oxide and...
, or from other herbal ingredients. Many commercially available powders are usually mercury or lead compounds (e.g., powdered
red leadRed lead, also called minium, lead tetroxide or triplumbic tetroxide, is a bright red or orange crystalline or amorphous pigment. Its Latin name minium originates from the Minius River in northwest Spain where it was first mined. Natural minium is uncommon, forming only in extreme oxidizing...
); these are toxic and can cause
lead poisoningLead poisoning is a medical condition caused by increased levels of the heavy metal lead in the body...
. However,
MangaloreMangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka...
Kunkuma, traditionally prepared by mixing powdered and burnt betel nut with turmeric is available in some shops in South India.