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Search customs, ideas and practices, or combine filters to follow a connection across cultures. Evidence assessments describe editorial conclusions, not scores or rankings.

2 investigations found · Page 1 of 1

Primarily Symbolic/Cultural

Why Do Hindus Mark the Forehead With Tilak, Bindi or Vibhuti?

Tilak, bindi and vibhuti are varied Hindu forehead-marking traditions that communicate sectarian identity, devotion and ritual participation. Some materials affect the skin, but claims of direct pineal or pituitary activation…

Primarily Symbolic/Cultural

Why Do Married Indian Women Wear Sindoor, Mangalsutra and Other Marriage Markers?

Sindoor, mangalsutra, thali, bangles and toe rings are regionally varied marriage markers that make marital identity visible. Their strongest meanings are social, ritual and economic; many modern biomedical claims are…