The Allure of Alta: A Symbol of Prosperity, Reimagined As A Fashion Accessory

Alta is a bright red dye, usually signifying marital status or prosperity. It’s now being reimagined through fashion. 

Guess what ties together the following three iconic scenes from Bollywood films: The bridal entry from ‘Chokher Bali’, featuring actor Aishwarya Rai; the opening scene of horror-drama ‘Bulbbul’ on Netflix, showing a child draped in a white and red Benarasi playing among branches of a tree, and initial scenes of Ashoke (Irrfan Khan) and Ashima (Tabu) from the movie ‘The Namesake’. 

The answer is alta, a bright red dye, seen adorning the feet or palms of the women. In the above scenarios, it was used to contextualise Bengali culture in the films. 

Typically, the dye signifies being married. The red is also seen as a symbol of fertility. Its role was restricted to auspicious occasions and exclusively reserved for married or to-be-married women. 

Also read: The Red Revival: Redefining Sindoor Through Style and Fashion

Now, alta has been revolutionised through its use in fashion. Steeped in patriarchal notions, the dye has found a new form of representation through an unexpected lens. 

This is The Fashion Reset series, where we trace fashion centrepieces of the subcontinent to their patriarchal roots. We study how these have evolved through cinema and culture, and eventually found a new life or interpretation through the lens of fashion.

Use of Alta in the Indian Subcontinent

Originally derived from lac and referred to as "lakshya rasa" in Sanskrit, this dye has now been largely substituted with synthetic alternatives in the market. The earliest references to it can be traced back to folklore about Lord Krishna applying mahavar, or a red dye, on his beloved Radha’s feet. 

One of the many theories about the origin of the word says it is derived from the Arabic word "al-ta”, which means dye. 

Alta is most significant among the Bengali community, in the Indian subcontinent. It is traditionally applied on the feet and hands of women, especially during auspicious occasions and religious ceremonies.

Alta is cemented in the Hindu Upanishads as one of the 16 ornaments (solah sringar) that enhance the beauty of women, and are part of the trousseau for every Hindu bride. 

Edges of feet and fingertips are usually lined with this bright colour, and the dye tends to transfer very easily. The palms, top of feet and top of hands are adorned with intricate designs and circles. 

Significance of Alta, or Mahavar

Alta is associated with fertility, femininity, beauty, and marital bliss. It is commonly used by brides on their wedding day as a symbol of their marital status and prosperity. 

In Bengali households, people encounter alta early on. “My earliest encounter with alta were the feet and hands of the Indian goddesses that we would find in our thamma’s (grandmother’s) thakurghor (prayer area). It was very interesting how alongside their outfits, they also had colour-coordinated hands and feet,” recalled Pushpak Sen, a stylist and fashion influencer, who grew up in Kolkata. 

A popular wedding ritual involves the bride dipping her feet in alta and walking on a white cloth or paper when entering her husband’s home after marriage. The trail symbolises Goddess Lakshmi, in the form of the bride, entering the home. 

Pushpak added how for him it was always more precious than henna or mehendi, which is used on the palms and feet of women during weddings. “I see it as an accessory, a beautifying element, our own indigenous replacement for mehendi. I don't relate to mehendi, it doesn't fit my aesthetics, I don't even like it when Bengali brides wear mehendi,” he said, adding, “Alta is distinctly Bengali so we need to understand the differences between a ritual and something that is borrowed from another aesthetic. For me, alta is a pretty cool replacement for henna, and should be played around with.” 

In dance, the dye accentuates mudras, or hand formations. Odissi dancers are often seen sporting the red dye. It lends grace and fluidity to the dancer’s movements. 

A version of this dye is also popular in Nepali culture, where a red colour known as ‘Alah’ is put on the feet of young girls during the ‘bel bibaha’ ritual. 

Use of Alta in Bollywood

Movies have used alta predominantly to showcase Bengali culture and traditions.

Alta plays a pivotal role in signifying the loyalty of Paro, the leading lady, played by actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, in ‘Devdas’ (2002). In the iconic song ‘Dola Re Dola’ from the film, both Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Madhuri Dixit-Nene wear Alta while dancing together. It’s hard to forget the penultimate moments in the film of the thaali of alta spilling as Paro runs after hearing of her lover’s illness; with her white saree and long hair flying in the wind, and her footsteps leaving behind red prints. This post here sums up aptly how alta was used as a key feature through the movie as a symbol of love, loss and loyalty.

In ‘Bulbbul’, a horror-drama on Netflix, several sequences show women donning alta. While the opening sequences show a young girl’s feet painted with alta, implying her soon-to-be bride status. Later on, the married women sport alta as a symbol of beauty, luxury and a Bengali zamindari setting.

In ‘Namesake’, some scenes depicting the newly married couple show actor Tabu with alta on her fingertips, showing her new bride status. 

Alta can widely be spotted in snippets from various movie scenes and choreographies as well, where its use went beyond showcasing Bengali traditions. Actor Bipasha Basu’s feet had alta in the cult famous song ‘Beedi Jalaile’ from ‘Omkara’, while actor Deepika Padukone’s hands were smeared with red in ‘Mohe Rang Do Laal’ from ‘Bajirao Mastani’. In both of these, in a shift from the usual trope, the alta seems to have been used to add grace and sensuality to their movements.  

Alta, Reimagined Through Fashion

Alta’s unique and creative use in fashion in recent times is what has given it a new lease of life. 

Pushpak had the opportunity to conceptualise and style a campaign for Parama, a clothing brand, in collaboration with Calvin Klein jeans. “In that story, the red alta signified passion, love and desire,” he said. 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Pushpak Sen (@thebongmunda)

The photoshoot showed boys in white ornate white blouses and jeans, with alta adding the much-needed vibrancy to the frames. “It also symbolises that you can transgress from one particular gender identity to another. It's about time we give aesthetics more importance over their true or original significance,” said Pushpak. 

In one of designer Sabyasachi’s shoots, alta adorned the hands of models, from their wrists to their fingertips. It wasn’t intricate designs, but hands that were bright red in entirety. As many observed, their hands seemed like extensions of the ornately crafted red blouses they were wearing. Sabyasachi’s use of alta was unique in many ways. It removed alta from purely Bengali settings, which films have been prone to do, and instead amalgamated it with lehengas, deep blouses, sarees and more. Some models even had veils with Hindi typography, while wearing alta on their hands! The photoshoot also removed alta from typical bridal settings, giving it a contemporary twist.

 

 

 

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A post shared by Sabyasachi (@sabyasachiofficial)

Another brand, Torani, used alta in its own way, breaking stereotypes while at it. In their series Seven Sacred Sins, women and transwomen of all age groups sported the red dye. Alta here, adds grace and a sense of desire in the shots. A sexuality educator, Seema Anand looked resplendent with grey hair being the only other colour in an otherwise all-red frame.

 

 

 

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“It’s a great idea I think to preserve culture but take away the narrative of having been problematic in the past,” said Pushpak. “Also, the concept that alta has to be red is redundant to me, it could be of any colour, whatever fits your mood and goes with your look, and that should be explored. Love to see experimentation of alta by those not assigned female at birth or don’t identify as women, it’s like seeing inclusivity in its truest sense,” he added.