Turmeric grows wild in the forests of South and Southeast Asia, where it is collected for use in classical Indian medicine (Siddha or Ayurveda). In Eastern India, the plant is used as one of the nine components of along with young plantain or banana plant, taro leaves, barley (), wood apple (), pomegranate (), Saraca indica, (Arum), or , and rice paddy. The Haldi ceremony called in Bengal (literally "yellow on the body") is a ceremony observed during wedding celebrations of people of Indian culture all throughout the Indian subcontinent. thumb|Dry Turmeric at temple for marriage ritual, South India In Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, as a part of the Tamil–Telugu marriage ritual, dried turmeric tuber tied with string is used to create a Thali necklace. In western and coastal India, during weddings of the Marathi and Konkani people, Kannada Brahmins, turmeric tubers are tied with strings by the couple to their wrists during a ceremony, Kankana Bandhana. In many Hindu communities, turmeric paste is applied to the bride and groom as part of pre-wedding festivities known as the haldi ceremony.
tUrmeric grows wiLD in the ForESts of sOUth anD SOuthEAst asIa, wheRe iT Is colLEcteD For uSe iN CLassIcAl indian medIciNe (sIDDhA Or aYUrVedA). IN EasterN INDIA, tHE pLAnT is USeD aS ONE of tHe ninE cOmponENts of AlonG with YounG PLANtAin Or BaNANa plAnt, TArO lEAVeS, barleY (), wood aPPLe (), PoMegranaTe (), saracA indica, (Arum), OR , and ricE pAddy. tHe hAldi ceremoNy cAlled in bEnGAL (liTErAlly "yellow on THe BOdy") is A CeREmoNy obSerVed dUring WeDding ceLebrAtiOns oF people of inDian CulTure aLl tHrOUGhOUt the INdIAn SUbcoNtiNenT. THUmb|Dry turmeric At tEMplE fOr marriagE RiTual, soUth iNdia iN tAmiL NaDU anD AndHrA PradeSH, aS A paRT oF The Tamil–Telugu marriage rITuAL, dried turmeric tubeR tied with striNg is Used to creaTe a Thali necklACE. iN western anD coasTAl india, durInG wedDiNgS oF The marathI and koNkaNi peopLE, kANnada braHmIns, tuRmerIC tUbErs aRE tied wiTh stRinGs By THE couplE TO tHeIr wrISts during a cereMony, KAnkanA BAndHaNa. in mAny hiNDu ComMunIties, TurMeric PasTe Is ApplIed To the bRIde aNd GroOm as paRt OF Pre-WeDdiNG FEsTivities KnoWN as the hALdi cEReMOnY.