Sindoor Plant (Bixa orellana)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi planted a ‘sindoor’ sapling at his residence on World Environment Day on June 5, 2025. The sapling was presented to him by a group of women who had ​shown remarkable courage during the 1971 war.

• The choice of sapling holds significance​ as India ​had named its military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack as Operation Sindoor to convey its commitment to avenge the targeted killings of men by terrorists, who did a religious profile of their victims.
• Sindoor (vermilion) is traditionally applied by married Hindu women, signifying the religious and cultural bond attached to marital life in the Indian tradition.

Sindoor Plant (Bixa orellana)

• The Sindoor Plant (Bixa orellana), also known as the Annatto Plant, is admired for its bright red seeds.
• Bixa orellana, commonly known as annatto or achiote, is a shrub or small tree native to Central America that yields the natural red-orange pigment used as a food coloring.
• It is a valuable source of annatto, a natural dye extracted from the waxy arils surrounding the seeds.