Kumkuma

Kumkuma is a powder used for social and religious markings in India. It is either 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 India, it is known by various names including kuṅkumam (Sanskrit कुङ्कुमम्), kumkuma (Telugu కుంకుమ, kunku (Marathi कुंकू), kumkum (Bengali কুমকুম, Hindi कुमकुम), kunkumam (Tamil குங்குமம்), Kannada ಕುಂಕುಮ ), Kungkumam (Malayalam കുങ്കുമം).