Chhath Puja 2025: What’s the scientific reason behind women applying orange sindoor from nose to forehead?

In this four-day festival dedicated to the Sun and Chhathi Maiyā, married women apply a vivid orange sindoor line from nose to hair-parting, but what does this striking mark mean, how did it originate and why only orange in this special observance?

New Delhi: Chhath Puja is an ancient Hindu festival primarily observed by communities in Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and parts of West Bengal. On this occasion devotees worship Surya Dev (Sun-God) and Chhathi Maiyā (believed to be his sister) for health, prosperity and well-being of the family.

According to some traditions, the festival’s roots go back to the return of Lord Rama and Sita to Ayodhya after exile, when people observed fasts and offered thanks to the Sun. The fast and offering rituals became formalised into the Chhath sequence.

For 2025, the four-day schedule is as follows:

• Day 1 (Nahay Khay): Devotees take a holy dip and eat a single pure meal.
• Day 2 (Kharna): A fast (often waterless) from sunrise to sunset, ending with a sweet dish after offering to the Sun.
• Day 3 (Sandhya Arghya): Main evening ceremony at riverbank or water-body during sunset, with rigorous fast.
• Day 4 (Usha Arghya): Early morning worship of rising Sun followed by breaking the fast (Parana) and Prasad distribution.

Nahay Khay 2025: Date, rituals and significance of Chhath Puja’s first day

Symbolism of the Long Sindoor Line

A distinctive sight during Chhath is married women applying a long streak of sindoor (vermillion) from the nose tip up through the forehead to the hair-parting.

Why nose to forehead?

• The elongated line is believed to symbolise the Sun’s red glow and the life-force it imparts.
• Tradition holds that the length of the sindoor line correlates with the longevity and well-being of the husband: “the longer the line, the longer the husband lives.”
• It is also interpreted as a visible sign of a married woman’s devotion (to both her husband and the divine) and link to family welfare.

Why Orange Sindoor, Not the Usual Red?

While most married Hindu women daily apply red sindoor, during Chhath the choice is typically orange. Here’s why:

• Orange is strongly associated with Lord Hanumān, who is revered as a Brahmachāri (celibate). The logic is that when a bride marries, her celibacy ends and she enters married life; orange marks this transition in the context of Chhath.
• Further, the orange-vermillion is seen as more fitting for worship of the Sun and Chhathi Maiyā because of its bright solar-hue symbolism.

Cultural and Community Significance

Beyond personal ritual, the sindoor application and other Chhath observances emphasise family unity, marital harmony, and community purity. By fasting, offering arghya, standing in water during sunset and sunrise, devotees express gratitude, self-discipline and connection to nature.

Moreover, the festival fosters a sense of regional identity in Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern UP, as well as among diaspora communities.

When you next see women during Chhath Puja sporting a bright orange line of sindoor from the nose to forehead, know that this is far more than decorative. It is a powerful symbol: rooted in solar devotion, marital aspirations, community values and ancient beliefs. The colour, the length of the line, the timing—all carry meaning.