Kumkum Dot

As I was reading The Crooked Line, I came across the phrase “kumkum dot” and I didn’t know what it was, so I decided to look it up. It turns out that the kumkum dot is the little red dot that women in Islam sometimes put on their foreheads to signify that they are married. Traditional kumkum is made by grinding up the dried turmeric into a powder. The powder is yellow, but you are supposed to add a few drops of lime to it, which makes it red. Apparently, the kumkum holds a great deal of significance for women in Islam.