it is also on the feet. and it is called alta. it is an auspicious marking. most deities are also ornamented with alta it used to made with sindhur / kunkuma (vermillion) but now is made with theatrical make-up. also the sun and the moon on the inside of ur palms :)

My teacher uses red markers. Between her students, we did a survey and decided we like Mr. Sketch brand the best (the ones that smell like fruit). It doesn't seem to bleed as much and is non-toxic. I find that I need to go wash it off right away, because every marker I've used has tended to leave red prints on anything and everything I touch if my hands are the least bit sweaty.

I asked my teacher what they use in India, and she told me that the dye from India bleeds even more than red magic marker. I confirmed this - I had a friend bring some back with her and the results were a light color that transferred to everything I touched.

Some sources have said the color comes from henna. But I've talked to some fairly experienced henna artists that do a lot of color experimentation, and they can't find a way to make henna that red on human skin. The best guess I've heard for historical dyes is lac dye, a bug-based dye that is a fairly potent red. Some medieval artwork books refer to lac dye jars, or women applying lac dye to their hands. Lac dye will certainly make that color. Just not sure how skin safe or permanent it is.

> would like to add the dye on my fingers as it looks beautiful when performing.

The dye is to aid the audience in viewing the different hand gestures used in Indian classical dance. The gestures are very exact and make up a poetic sign language that helps in the storytelling aspect. There is a large shared vocabulary used by all of the classical forms of India-- though each form could be said to have its own dialect.

So while the red fingers look beautiful, their purpase is communicative-- so that audiences have no problem reading the most subtle gestures.