To understand this polarised response, we need to look back into the history of the practice. Known as sindoor, this red dye has been used by Indian women for centuries and holds historic, spiritual, and medicinal significance. First put on a woman by her husband on their wedding day as a symbol of her devotion to him, the style is traditionally used by Indian women to signify married status. However, more recently, the practice has been shunned by some feminists who believe it to be a symbol of patriarchal control.

While it’s unknown when exactly the tradition originated, female figurines dating as far back as 5000 years have been found in northern India with red painted partings. Sindoor also gets a nod in the Hindu epics. In Ramayana, for example, which theologians date back to the 7th century BCE, Sita is said to apply sindoor to please her husband, Lord Rama. Like the bindi, the significance of sindoor stems from its location near to the Third Eye chakra (AKA the Ajna chakra) at the centre of the head. The Ajna chakra’s proximity to the brain associates it with concentration, desire, and emotional regulation. For those who believe in the power of chakras, placing sindoor in this location means harnessing a woman’s mental energy to focus on her husband.

Sindoor has also traditionally been used for medicinal reasons.