Alta (dye)

A bride's hand on her Gaye Holud, Bangladesh
A bride's hand adorned with alta on her gaye holud ceremony

Alta (Bhojpuri: 𑂄đ‘‚Ē𑂞𑂰, Bengali: āĻ†āĻ˛āĻ¤āĻž), lakshaya rasa, alah, parani, vasantam or mahavar is a red dye mainly used in India, Bangladesh and Nepal to tint the hands and feet as a cultural practice. It is usually applied with a cotton swab or brush during wedding ceremonies and festivals.

Natural alta is produced from red lac, although today it is mainly replaced with synthetic dyes.

Early history

Early mention of alta comes from Upanishads where it is known as lakshaya rasa meaning red-lac dye pigment derived from lac resin as one of sixteen adornments of woman known as solah-shringar.

Within Hindu Vedas, Alta is associated with deities Lakshmi, Durga, and Krishna. The color red holds significance with Hinduism as it represents fertile soil and marks purity and fertility.

Cultural significance

A ceremony welcoming the newly wed bride to her new home, with the feet dipped in a mixture of milk and alta

Alta has cultural and religious significance in Bengali, Bihari and Odia culture Regardless of religious beliefs, women traditionally adorn their hands and feet with alta for marriage and cultural festivals like Pohela Baishakh, Pohela Falgun and others. Wearing alta on Durga Puja is a common ritual for Odia and Bengali women.

Odissi classical dancer wearing alta on her hands and feet

It can be commonly seen worn by Odissi classical dancers on hands and feet while performing. It is applied to women's feet as an auspicious symbol during Raja (Mithun Sankranti), which is a three-day festival celebrating womanhood (menstruation).

It is known as parani in south India and in a very diluted form Parani is also known as vasantam, meaning spring. It is worn by women and children on festive occasions, and also by Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Mohiniattam dancers.

Alta being applied during Hazamat ceremony in Bihar

In Nepal it is known as alah and it is an important part of weddings, religious rituals and festivals.

See also

References

  1. ↑ āĻ†āĻ˛āĻ¤āĻž. Kaler Kantho (in Bengali). 6 November 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  2. ↑ āĻ†āĻ˛āĻ¤āĻž āĻ°āĻžāĻ™āĻž āĻĒāĻž. Daily Bangladesh (in Bengali). Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  3. 1 2 āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻžāĻŽāĻžāĻŖāĻŋāĻ•, āĻ•āĻ˛ā§āĻ˛ā§‹āĻ˛. "āĻĒāĻžāĻ¯āĻŧā§‡ āĻ†āĻ˛āĻ¤āĻž āĻĒāĻ°āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§‡ āĻļā§āĻ­āĻ˛āĻ—ā§āĻ¨ āĻ°āĻžāĻ™āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§‡ āĻ¤ā§‹āĻ˛ā§‡āĻ¨ āĻ¤āĻŋāĻ¨āĻŋ". anandabazar.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  4. ↑ "Bengali Hindu Wedding - Rituals, Customs, Dress, Food". www.culturalindia.net. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  5. ↑ "Newari girls participate in mass Bel Bibaha [with photos]". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  6. ↑ Shrestha, Shreeya (November 2017). "An Elaborate Ritual called Marriage". ECS NEPAL. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  7. 1 2 "Learn How Bengali Mehndi Blends Simplicity, Authenticity and Ethnicity on the Wedding Day". www.weddingwire.in. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  8. ↑ Rath, Bikash (2 September 2014). "A sacred dye to return". Down To Earth. "Originally prepared from lac and hence known as lakshya rasa in Sanskrit, this dye has long been replaced by synthetic products in the market that most users were unaware of."
  9. ↑ "Alta : The Red Indian Dye and its Significance". Enroute Indian History. 18 September 2023.
  10. ↑ Assomull, Sujata (16 January 2023). ""dhon" makes a case for the traditional alta in the brand's latest campaign". Vogue India.
  11. ↑ "Alta: The story behind celebration of prosperity dipped in the hues of classic red". The Times of India. 7 August 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  12. ↑ TNM (26 August 2018). "Tracing Alta's imprints in south Indian classical dance". The News Minute. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  13. ↑ āŦ…āŦŗāŦ¤āŦž āĻ†āĻ˛āĻ¤āĻž. Kaler Kantho (in Bengali). 6 November 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  14. ↑ āĻ†āĻ˛āĻ¤āĻž āĻ°āĻžāĻ™āĻž āĻĒāĻž. Daily Bangladesh (in Bengali). Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  15. ↑ "āĻĻāĻžāĻ“ āĻ—āĻžāĻ¯āĻŧā§‡ āĻšāĻ˛ā§āĻĻ, āĻĒāĻžāĻ¯āĻŧā§‡ āĻ†āĻ˛āĻ¤āĻž". e-barta247.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  16. ↑ āĻ†āĻ˛āĻ¤āĻž āĻ°āĻžāĻ™āĻž āĻŦā§ˆāĻļāĻžāĻ–. The Daily Ittefaq (in Bengali). Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  17. ↑ "āĻ†āĻ˛āĻ¤āĻž āĻĒāĻ°āĻž āĻĒāĻžāĻ¯āĻŧā§‡". m.newsg24.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  18. ↑ "āĻŦā§ˆāĻļāĻžāĻ–ā§€ āĻ‰āĻ¨ā§āĻŽāĻžāĻĻāĻ¨āĻžāĻ° āĻĸā§‡āĻ‰ āĻļāĻžāĻŦāĻŋāĻ¤ā§‡". banglanews24.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  19. ↑ "Alta Dye: Bright Red Liquid Color Used to Adorn Palms and Feet". Utsavpedia. 17 November 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  20. ↑ "Odisha Tourism : Raja, A Festival Of Fun, Frolic and Mouthwatering Delicacies". odishatourism.gov.in. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  21. ↑ "Altha : Also Known As Parani For Legs A Cherished & Cheerful Telugu Tradition". 8 April 2024.
  22. ↑ "The Allure of Alta: A Symbol of Prosperity, Reimagined As A Fashion Accessory". HerZindagi English. 29 July 2023.