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EveryParampara

Sindoor

Red vermilion powder worn in the parting of a married Hindu woman's hair.

A pattern drawn for this page, not a picture of Sindoor.

Also: sindur, kumkum

Sindoor is a red powder, traditionally made of turmeric and lime or of mercury-free pigments, that a Hindu groom applies to the parting of his bride's hair at the wedding. Married women continue to wear it, and it is taken as a sign of marriage and the husband's long life. Bengali women use it during Durga Puja in the sindoor khela, when they smear it on each other's faces on the last day. Kumkum, a close relative, is used for tilak and bindi on both sexes at worship.

Region: South Asia

See also

MangalsutraBindiTilakSaptapadi

Find traditions that mention Sindoor

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