the hair line and forehead. Recently, a triangle shape on the forehead pointing towards the nose, with a diamond bindi for fashion, is being worn by younger women. Hinduism Neolithic female figurines excavated at Mehrgarh, Baluchistan seem to imply application of sindoor-like colour to the parting of women's hair. According to the legends, Radha the consort of Lord Krishna turned the kumkum into a flame-like design on her forehead. In the famous epic Mahabharata, Draupadi the wife of the Pandavas wipes off her sindoor in disgust and despair at the happenings in Hastinapura. Use of sindoor is frequently mentioned in the puranas Lalitha Sahasranama and Soundarya Lahari. Adi Shankaracharya writes in Soundarya Lahari: Jain women apply the sindoor, mostly in the cities. Jain nuns are forbidden to apply this to their hair line or foreheads. The display of the sindoor is considered very important to indicate the married status of the groom, whereas in several local cultures, sindooram is applied on their hair partings by unmarried women. Application of sindoor is essentially a Hindu tradition. In the 19th century, Sufi leader Sharafuddin Maneri encouraged Muslim women to apply sindoor in Bangladesh. This was severely condemned by reformist movements. Ayurvedic medicine There are various forms of Sindhoor mentioned in Ayurveda. Traditional sindhoor is made from natural ingredients used for facial makeup (cosmetics). Most widely used traditional Sindhoor is made from turmeric and lime juice. Other ingredients include Ghee, and slaked lime. This is also called Kumkum. Sindhoor is also made from red sandal powder, saffron etc. The coloured powders sold as substitutes are traditionally not considered sindhoor. Toxicity concerns Traditional sindoor was made with turmeric and alum or lime, or from other herbal ingredients. Unlike red lead and vermilion, these are not poisonous. Modern material being sold as sindhoor mainly uses vermilion, an orange-red pigment, the purified and powdered form of cinnabar, which is the chief form in which mercury sulfide naturally occurs. As with other compounds of mercury, sindoor is toxic and must be handled carefully. Sometimes, red lead (lead tetroxide, also known as minium) is added to sindoor. Red lead is toxic. In early 2008, allegations of high lead content led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to recall batches of sindoor from several manufacturers. In popular culture There are many Indian movies and dramas involving sindoor, with their themes revolving around the ritual's significance. These include Sindoor (1947),