Kumkuma is a powder used for social and religious markings in
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. It is made from
turmeric
Turmeric (), or ''Curcuma longa'' (), is a flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. It is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that requires temperatures between and high ...
or any other local materials. The turmeric is dried and powdered with a bit of
slaked lime
Calcium hydroxide (traditionally called slaked lime) is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Ca( OH)2. It is a colorless crystal or white powder and is produced when quicklime ( calcium oxide) is mixed with water. Annually, approxim ...
, which turns the rich yellow powder into a red color.
In India, it is known by many names including ''kuṅkumam'' (
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
कुङ्कुमम्,
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
People, culture and language
* Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka
** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
குங்குமம், and
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
കുങ്കുമം), ''kumkuma'' (
Telugu కుంకుమ), ''kukum'' (
Konkani __NOTOC__
Konkani may refer to:
Language
* Konkani language is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in the Konkan region of India.
* Konkani alphabets, different scripts used to write the language
**Konkani in the Roman script, one of the scripts used to ...
कुकूम्), ''kunku'' (
Marathi
Marathi may refer to:
*Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India
**Marathi people (Uttar Pradesh), the Marathi people in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh
*Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Mar ...
कुंकू), ''kanku'' (
Gujarati કંકુ), ''kumkum'' (
Bengali কুমকুম and
Hindi
Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
कुमकुम), and ''kunkuma'' (
Kannada
Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...
ಕುಂಕುಮ).
Application

Kumkuma is most often applied by Indians to the forehead. The reason involves the ancient Indian belief that "the human body is divided into seven vortices of energy, called
chakra
A chakra (; ; ) is one of the various focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation practices, collectively denominated as Tantra, part of the inner traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism.
The concept of the chakra arose in Hinduism. B ...
s, beginning at the base of the spine and ending at the top of the head. The
sixth chakra, also known as the
third eye
The third eye (also called the mind's eye or inner eye) is an invisible eye, usually depicted as located on the forehead, supposed to provide perception beyond ordinary sight. In Hinduism, the third eye refers to the ajna (or brow) chakra. In bot ...
, is centered in the forehead directly between the eyebrows and is believed to be the channel through which humankind opens spiritually to the Divine".
[Huyler, Steven. "The Experience: Approaching God". In ''The Life of Hinduism'', ed. Vasudha Narayanan and John Stratton Hawley. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 2006.]
Thus, the kumkuma is placed where Indians believe to be the most important spot for receptivity to be enhanced.
Common forehead marks
*
Shaivites
Shaivism (, , ) is one of the major Hindu denominations, Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Para Brahman, supreme being. It is the Hinduism#Demographics, second-largest Hindu sect after Vaishnavism, constituting about 385 million H ...
: Followers of
Shiva
Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
usually apply three white horizontal lines (made from
vibhuti) with a dot of kumkuma at the center. This is also known as
tripundra
''Tripundra'' ( ''tripuṇḍra'' "three marks") is a Hindu Shaivite tilaka, worn by Shaivas as an indication of their affiliation with Shiva. It is also one of the tilakas worn by Smarta Hindus. It consists of three horizontal lines (and somet ...
.
*
Vaishnavas
Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu denominations, Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole Para Brahman, supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, ''Mahavishnu''. It is one of the majo ...
: Followers of
Vishnu
Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
make use of "white clay to apply two vertical lines joined at the base and intersected by a bright red streak." Many times the clay is applied in a U-shape. This is known as
Urdhva Pundra
The Urdhva Pundra () is a tilak, tilaka worn by Vaishnavites, Vaishnavas as an indication of their affiliation with Vishnu. It is generally worn on the forehead, but may also be worn on other parts of the body such as the shoulders. The markings ...
tilaka.
*
Shaktas: Shaktas of most Sampradayas usually apply a dot of vermillion in the center of the forehead with turmeric smeared around it.
*
Swaminarayana: Followers of the Swaminarayan faith apply kumkuma at the center of the forehead and between a U-shaped tilaka. The tilaka is normally yellow and made from sandalwood.
[Sadhu Mukundcharandas. ''Indian Rites and Rituals''. First edition. Amdavad: Swaminarayana Aksharpitha, 2007]
*Chandrakor: Many
Maharashtrians – men, women, and children alike – wear it traditionally in the shape of crescent moon.
Significance
In the Vaishnava tradition, the "white lines represent the footprint of their God, while the red refers to his consort, Lakshmi".
The Swaminarayana tradition holds that the tilaka (yellow U-shaped mark) "is a symbol of the lotus feet of Paramatma," and the kumkuma "represents the bhakta" (devotee).
In both of these traditions, the forehead mark serves as a reminder that a devotee of God should always remain protected at the feet of God.
The 'color' of the womb is yellow and is symbolically represented by turmeric. The blood stains on the womb is represented by kumkuma. It is believed that the combination of turmeric and kumkuma represents prosperity.
Kumkuma and women
When a girl or a married woman visits a house, it is a sign of respect (in case of an elderly lady) or
blessing
In religion, a blessing (also used to refer to bestowing of such) is the impartation of something with doctrines of grace, grace, Sacred, holiness, spiritual Redemption (theology), redemption, or Will of God, divine will.
Etymology and Germani ...
s (in case of a girl) to offer kumkuma to them when they leave. However, normally it is not offered to widows(It is actually orthodoxy and superstition). If kumkuma is given to widow there will be no harm as 'bidhaba' or 'sadhaba' depends only on consideration, it's neither law of nature nor God.
Men, women, girls, and boys also apply a dot on their forehead of red turmeric powder, when visiting a temple or during a
pooja. Kumkuma at temples is found in heaps. People dip their thumb or ring finger into the heap and apply it on the forehead or between the eyebrows.
In most of India, married women apply red kumkuma to the parting of their hair above their forehead every day as a symbol of marriage. This is called vermilion, or in Hindi, ''
sindoor
Sindoor (, ) or sindura (,) is a traditional vermilion red or orange-red or maroon Cosmetics, cosmetic powder (substance), powder from South Asia, usually worn by marriage, married women along the part of their hairline. In Hindu communities, ...
''. In India, many unmarried girls wear a
bindi every day.
Making kumkuma
Kumkum is made from turmeric by adding slaked lime.
Other uses
Kumkuma is also widely used for worshiping the
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
goddesses, especially
Shakti
Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; 'energy, ability, strength, effort, power, might, capability') in Hinduism, is the "Universal Power" that underlies and sustains all existence. Conceived as feminine in essence, Shakti refer ...
and
Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, , ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of wealth, fortune, prosperity, beauty, fertility, sovereignty, and abundance. She along with Parvat ...
, and kumkuma powder is thrown (along with other mixtures) into the air during
Holi
Holi () is a major Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love and Spring.The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...".Yudit Greenberg, Encyclopedia of Love in World ...
(the Festival of Colours), a popular Hindu spring festival.
Sanatan Sanstha has published an article which mentions that Kumkuma also is believed to prevent "negative energies entering the body".
See also
*
Haldi Kumkum
*
Bindi (decoration)
A bindi (from Sanskrit '' bindú'' meaning "point, drop, dot or small particle") is a coloured dot or, in modern times, a sticker worn on the centre of the forehead, originally by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists from the Indian subcontinent.
A b ...
*
Tilaka
In Hinduism, the tilaka (), colloquially known as a tika, is a mark worn usually on the forehead, at the point of the Ajna, ''ajna chakra'' (third eye or spiritual eye) and sometimes other parts of the body such as the neck, hand, chest, or the ...
*
List of materials used in Hinduism
*
:Hindu iconography
References
External links
Kumkum 2008
{{cosmetics
Cosmetics
Hairdressing
Marriage in India
Marriage in Hinduism
Powders