Kumkum is the deep red powder applied as a dot or mark on the forehead and offered abundantly in worship of the Goddess — kumkum archana, where the deity's names are recited while offering pinches of kumkum, is a popular ritual in Devi and Lakshmi temples. Traditionally it is made by mixing turmeric with slaked lime, which turns the yellow powder red. Married women in many communities wear kumkum as a bindi and exchange haldi-kumkum as a gesture of auspiciousness and friendship, particularly in Maharashtra and South India. It is closely related to, but distinct from, sindoor — the vermilion applied in the hair parting as a sign of marriage in North Indian tradition.