Alta_(dye)
Alta (dye)
Red dye applied to hands and feet during weddings and festivals
Alta (Bengali: আলতা), alah or mahavar is a red dye that is applied to the hands and feet of women, mainly in the Indian subcontinent.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] It is applied with a cotton swab or brush to the hands and feet during marriage ceremonies and festivals.
Alta is originally produced from Alkanna tinctoria, although today it is mainly replaced with synthetic dyes.[1]