Kumkuma

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Kumkuma is a powder used for social and religious markings in India. It is 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 many names including kuṅkumam (Sanskrit कुङ्कुमम्, Tamil குங்குமம், and Malayalam കുങ്കുമം), kumkuma (Telugu కుంకుమ), kukum (Konkani कुकूम्), kunku (Marathi कुंकू), kanku (Gujarati કંકુ), kumkum (Bengali কুমকুম and Hindi कुमकुम), and kunkuma (Kannada ಕುಂಕುಮ).