Why women put sindoor

It is a symbol of female energy and traditionally always applied in the centre. After its application, it becomes a ritual. Sindoor is prepared by mixing turmeric, lime and cinnabar. One of the main components of the traditional sindoor is cinnabar, which is a toxic mercury sulfide mineral and has a bright red color which has caused people to use it as a pigment for thousands of years in many parts of the world, such as Indian subcontinent, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and countries where Hindu tradition is practised.

Application of Sindoor is a Hindu tradition. There are several stories and reasons behind the application of sindoor. Goddess Parvati, wife of Lord Shiva embodies strength and courage. Lord Shiva, finally appears and accepts her hand in marriage but on a condition.

Parvati accepts the condition and on the day of marriage Shiva removes her third eye, it starts bleeding. Thus, the area becomes the place where women apply sindoor and why sindoor is red and not some alternative colour. And also why, application of Sindoor is performed during marriage. Another reason why sindoor is applied is when the women figurines were extracted from the ground at Mehrgarh, Balochistan showed women with sindoor in the partition of their hair in Harappa culture.

It is also about the orange sindoor which comes from Ramayana. Sita is known for her self-sacrifice because she had to prove her purity and love for her husband Lord Rama. Indian culture and tradition is deeply rooted with spiritual values, godliness and principles to evolve in life. It helps us to lead a peaceful and harmonious life. Applying sindoor on the forehead of Indian married women has high value in the society. It is considered auspicious and has been practiced for ages.

The parting line appearing in the middle of the head has spiritual significance also. It is an aperture in the crown of the head called Brahmarandhra. This location is extremely sensitive that it is the gateway to experience the absolute consciousness from spiritual point of view.

The parting is drawn here by applying sindoor. The only metal in liquid form is mercury, used in preparing sindoor. Relief from the stress created by thoughts, increase in the awareness and alertness are some of the important benefits if real mercury is used in preparing sindoor. Sindoor is applied on the forehead of married women in India.

It is also considered as a therapeutic medicine. Usually it is made by mixing turmeric. Menstrual products, on the other hand, are taxed between 12 to 14 per cent.

However, views on the practice began to change at the start of the 20th century as India was going through a huge cultural shake-up brought on by British decolonisation and the spread of international feminist movements. During this period, sindoor was caught in the crossfire between a recently decolonised population trying to re-establish age old traditions and newly emancipated women fighting against practices bound up in patriarchal obligation.

As she reapplies her vermillion, symbolising her renewed marital status, she undermines the archaic value system associated with sindoor application. Nowadays, women who opt for the style risk being labelled as overly conservative — the criticism often levelled at Chopra for wearing it — while at the same time married women who shun the trend have been sexually harassed and socially ostracised.

But some people are fighting back against this impossible position. Throughout the past decade, many influential beauty figures in the South Asian diaspora have played with the conventions of the trend to overturn its potentially old school connotations and challenge cis-heteropatriarchal ideas about who is allowed to wear sindoor. For some creatives, facing the cultural baggage of sindoor head on meant shifting the trend more radically.

Back in designer Masaba Gupta, who is known for her quirky and disruptive takes on classic Indian attire, debuted a collection with models using white and neon pink sindoor to adorn their partings, with the dye bleeding deeper into the hair lengths than what had previously been seen.

The trend of colourfully dyed roots has also been making headlines outside of the Indian subcontinent. During the four days of the festival, women fast with penance and devotion for their husband and children. According to holy scriptures and beliefs of the Hindu religion, vermilion for women after marriage is regarded as a symbol of good luck. Married women in Hindu culture are wearing vermilion over their forehead for over decades.

During Chhath Puja, women apply long thick vermilion in orange colour.