Hidden Mumbai Part 3

It doesn’t need much
to start a business in
Mumbai
Several of the hero or memorial stones (Pallia) are
covered in the typical red sindoor or vermilion. The
original practice is to apply sindoor on the idol of
Hanuman – the monkey God. The legend is that one day
Hanuman noticed Sita wearing the red powder in the parting
of her hair, and asked what it was. Sita explained that it
was sindoor and that it blessed Lord Rama with a long and
prosperous life. Shortly thereafter, Lord Rama saw Hanuman
covered from head to toe with sindoor and asked the reason.
Hanuman replied that if just a pinch of sindoor on Sita’s head
can bless Lord Rama with a long and happy life, he would
cover his entire body and bless Lord Rama with eternal bliss.
It is now a practice to apply sindoor to idols of Hanuman. This
is also called as Chola Chandana. People take back a little
sindoor from the idol and wear it on their foreheads.
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