What is "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).