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Sindoor
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A woman in a red sari applies red sindoor powder to the face of a decorated Durga idol during the Sindoor Khela ritual at Durga Puja in Lucknow, India. An Indian groom applies sindoor to the parting of the bride's hair during a Hindu wedding ceremony in Maharashtra, with the bride smiling and wearing traditional attire and jewelry. Bengali women in red and white sarees joyfully apply vermilion to each other's faces during Sindur Khela, with a decorated Durga idol in the background at a festival pandal.
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A woman in a red sari applies red sindoor powder to the face of a decorated Durga idol during the Sindoor Khela ritual at Durga Puja in Lucknow, India.
Custom of sindoor khela during Durga Puja Sindoor, or vermilion, is applied to an image of the goddess Durga during a ritual related to the Hindu festival of Durga Puja in India.

Sindoor

cosmetic
Also known as: sindura, vermilion
Written by
Tamanna Nangia
Tamanna Nangia is Associate Editor, Encyclopaedia Britannica. She has over five years of experience in editorial processes, handling many different aspects of the publishing process: content development,...
Tamanna Nangia
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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•History

Sindoor, fine red, maroon, orange, or pink powder used for several Hindu religious and ceremonial purposes in India and among Indian diaspora communities worldwide. Among many Hindu communities, sindoor is primarily applied at the hair parting by married women to signify their marital status. It visually distinguishes a suhagan (Hindi: “married woman whose husband is alive”). In many Hindu traditions sindoor is associated with auspiciousness, fertility, and wishes for a husband’s well-being and longevity. Although...

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