Indian women with red colour applied on the dividing part of their hair. The colour is made of a red powder called sindura and indicates that these women are married. The tradition of applying red colour derives from ancient Aryan society, when the groom used to apply his blood on the dividing part of the hair of his bride, as seal and recognition of the matrimony.

Nowadays, often just a small vermilion dot, known as a bindi, is applied on the forehead, between the eyebrows. This then symbolizes a drop of blood. Sometimes the bindi is still applied in addition to the red colour on the hairline (fig.).