It is typically colored a shade of red, sometimes orange, saffron, yellow or is a mixture of these colors.[3][7][1] However, it may also be white or wreathe or just stalks of a grass of the types found in other cultures and believed to offer similar apotropaic value.[3] It is typically tied to the wrist or worn like a necklace, but occasionally it may be worn in conjunction with a headband or turban-like gear.[3] Similar threads are tied to various items and the neck of vessels during a Hindu puja ceremony.[8]