Molathadu is a sacred waist thread used by

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

men to ward off evil. It is mainly used in

South India South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...

. It usually is in red or black. Tying the thread around the waist is an old tradition that has been practiced for thousands of years, and it is thought to be a symbol of protection from bad spirits. It is mostly the Hindu communities in southern India that adhere to these customs and traditions. Black or red colored threads are typically used.

References

Hindu culture {{hindu-stub