Why do we use turmeric and kumkum?
No Hindu ceremony is complete without turmeric and kumkum. From the haldi ceremony before a wedding to the kumkum offered to the Goddess — why these two?
The golden spice
Turmeric (haridrā) has been used in India for thousands of years — in food, medicine and worship. Its golden yellow is the colour of auspiciousness and prosperity. Before a wedding, the bride and groom are anointed with turmeric paste in the haldi ceremony.
Kumkum — turmeric that turned red
Traditional kumkum is made from turmeric itself — treated with lime, which turns it a deep red. So the yellow and the red of a puja thali are, at heart, the same plant…
The journey continues for members
- Yellow and red
- Turmeric and health
Sources
- Grihya Sutras — wedding rites
- Ayurvedic texts — Charaka Samhita on haridra