Alta (dye)
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Alta ( bn, আলতা ) ( od, ଅଳତା ), alah or mahavar is a red dye that is applied to the hands and feet of women, mainly in the
Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geopolitically, it includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, In ...
. It is applied with a cotton swab or brush to the hands and feet during marriage ceremonies and festivals. Alta is originally produced from lac, although today it is mainly replaced with synthetic dyes.


Cultural significance


Bengali culture

Alta has great cultural significance in
Bengali Culture The culture of Bengal defines the cultural heritage of the Bengali people native to eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent, mainly what is today Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal and Tripura, where the Bengali language is t ...
. Regardless of religious beliefs,
Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...
women in
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mo ...
and Indian States of
West Bengal West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
as well as
Tripura Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a population of 36.71 lakh ( 3.67 million). It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the ea ...
,
Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
traditionally adorn their hands and feet with alta for marriage and cultural festivals like
Pahela Baishakh Pohela Boishakh ( bn, পহেলা বৈশাখ) is the first day of the Bengali calendar which is also the official calendar of Bangladesh. This festival is celebrated on 14 April in Bangladesh and 15 April in the Indian states of We ...
,
Pahela Falgun Pohela Falgun ( bn, পহেলা ফাল্গুন, ''Pôhela Falgun'' or পয়লা ফাল্গুন, ''Pôela Falgun''), also known as the first day of Spring of the Bengali month Falgun, is a festival celebrated in Bangladesh. ...
and others. Wearing Alta on Durga Pooja is a common ritual for Odia & Bengali womenfolk.


Odia culture

Alta is also significant in
Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...
. It can be commonly seen worn by
Odissi Odissi (), also referred to as Orissi in old literature, is a major ancient Indian classical dance that originated in the temples of Odisha – an eastern coastal state of India.Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested ...
or Mithun Sanakranti, which is a three-day festival celebrating womanhood (menstruation). During this festival, as a part of the ritual, women apply alta on their feet symbolising fertility and auspiciousness. Alta and turmeric is also applied during marriages in
Odia Odia, also spelled Oriya or Odiya, may refer to: * Odia people in Odisha, India * Odia language, an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family * Odia alphabet, a writing system used for the Odia languag ...
culture.


See also

*
Henna Henna is a dye prepared from the plant ''Lawsonia inermis'', also known as the henna tree, the mignonette tree, and the Egyptian privet, the sole species of the genus ''Lawsonia''. ''Henna'' can also refer to the temporary body art resulting fr ...
*
Kumkum Kumkuma is a powder used for social and religious markings in India. It is made from turmeric or any other local materials. The turmeric is dried and powdered with a bit of slaked lime, which turns the rich yellow powder into a red color. In Indi ...
* Sindoor


References

{{Worship in Hinduism Indian culture Indian wedding traditions Bangladeshi culture Bangladeshi wedding traditions Festivals of Bangladeshi culture Bengali culture Festivals in India