Sindoor
A red or orange-red powder worn by many married Hindu women along the parting of the hair.
Also: sindur, vermilion powder
In many Hindu communities, especially in northern and eastern India and Nepal, a married woman wears a line of red powder in the parting of her hair. The groom first applies it during the wedding, and it is a sign of marriage and a wish for the husband's long life. Traditionally it was made from vermilion or from turmeric treated with lime. Some commercial sindoor has been found to contain lead, so buyers are advised to choose tested products. During Durga Puja in Bengal, married women smear it on one another in a rite called sindoor khela.