Sindoor is actually a red powder used by married Hindu women. On the marriage ceremony, the groom applies sindoor to the parting of the bride's hair in the head to show that she is now a married woman. Once widowed, a woman is not supposed to apply sindoor. Many women purchase commercial sindoor powder.
Sindoor has powdered red lead, alum and turmeric.
Sindoor applied in the parting of the hair must be distinguished from the bindi. Many Hindu women wear bindi on their forehead, between the eyes. Often the bindi is applied with the same sindoor powder as used in the hair. The bindi has several meanings. Sometimes it is a symbol of religious affiliation and sometimes the bindi is mere beautification. Even a widow can wear a bindi, but not sindoor.
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