Bhasma

Bhasma is a sacred holy ash used in Hindu rituals, worship, and spiritual practices. Traditionally made from the purified ash of yajnas (sacred fire rituals) or burnt herbs and woods like cow dung cakes, it symbolizes purity, protection, and the transient nature of life.
Applying Bhasma on the forehead or body is believed to purify the mind, destroy negative energies, and remind the devotee of the spiritual truth that everything material eventually returns to ash.