Hindu women use kumkum to adorn their forehead, as well as apply it to the parting of their hair. It is a cultural and spiritual symbol, and one of the most significant parts of the identity of Hindu women.
Kumkum (Sanskrit – vermilion, Tamil – kakkum, Konkani – karkkuma, Marathi – kunku, Gujarati – kumkumu), is a red powder made from turmeric. The turmeric is dried and powdered with slaked lime to turn the rich yellow powder into a red hue. It is sprayed on the forehead and parting of hair in order to mark social, religious, and gender-based markings in India.
The red color of kumkum symbolizes devotion, love, and sacrifice. It also stands for intelligence, strategy, and discretion. Hence, it is used as a mark of honor and devotion during pujas and rituals.
Ekumkum is a traditional and sacred mark of the Hindu religion that is applied to the forehead by devotees during Navratri and other festive occasions. It is a form of protection from evil, and can also be used to attract the Divine Principle into the wearer’s life.
In addition to being a powerful tool for devotion, kumkum is also used in various healing methods and practices. In particular, it has been used as a remedy for infertility and reproductive disorders in India, and to purify a woman’s body and mind.
It is also a potent, natural repellent of black energy and harmful energies. It is a very powerful tool for removing the negative vibrations and energies from the environment, and is said to be effective against a number of evil forces such as raja-guna-vritti.
According to Vedic tradition, kumkum is a for attracting and awakening the saviour or destroyer Shakti Principle present in a person. It is also said that it can be used to remove the black energy from a woman’s body and mind.
Using a small spoon, mix together turmeric, vengaram and padikaram in equal proportions (see the Chemistry of Kunkumam below). Add lime juice to it and store in a glass eeya/tin vessel. Keep mixing it multiple times a day until the liquid is completely absorbed. Then, dry it thoroughly in a shady spot for a few days.
Then, adjust the amount of vengaram and padikaram to get the desired shade of red. If you want a darker shade, you may need to re-dry the mixture more frequently until it is as dark as you like.
In a few days, the vengaram and padikaram will have transformed into a beautiful deep red color. You can then dry the kumkumam again and store it in a jar.
Some devotees will recite hymns and prayers while applying kumkum on the forehead of their goddesses during festivals such as Rama-Navami or Ganesh-Navami. These prayers will ask for the help of the Goddess and thereby increase the devotion and love for her.
The kumkum will then attract the frequencies of the Divine Principle and Chaitanya. These are the same frequencies that are emitted from the Adnya-chakra of a person during a yoga session or a meditation. The kumkum will then emit a flow of the frequencies of these Goddesses and Chaitanya and create a protective sheath around the body of the person who wears it.
