The origins of sindoor and its use as a marital marker are uncertain. References to sindura appear in several Sanskrit scriptures, but they vary widely regarding its use. However, the early texts do not mention anything that could be interpreted as sindoor-daan—the practice of the groom applying sindoor in the center parting of the bride’s hair during their wedding rituals. An early literary association between sindoor and married women appears in Sanskrit writer Banabhatta’s (also called Bana) 7th-century work Harshacharita (c. 640; “The Life of Harsha”). It describes royal marriage festivities and identifies “unwidowed” queens with lines of sindoor on their foreheads.
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