What
is a Bindi?
A bindi is
a mark on the forehead, traditionally worn by Hindu women, although women of all religions and
nationalities wear them as decorations. In the Hindu religion, the bindi is an important symbolic mark,
and it is considered to be
highly auspicious. Men may also bear such markings, typically known as tilaks or tikas. There
are a number of different variations on the classic bindi worn
around the world.
Among Hindus, a tilak is
an important religious symbol. It may take the form of a dot, an elongated pear shape, or a
series of lines on or around the forehead. These marks may be used to indicate
traditional affiliations, and they are worn on special occasions, special
ceremonies, and sometimes daily as well, depending on the individual. Among women, the bindi is
worn after marriage, and an additional auspicious mark may be made further up
the forehead, close to the hairline.
According to the Hindu religion, the bindi marks
the sixth chakra, an important source of
power and balance. A mark on the site facilitates the flow of energy, and also
helps to keep demons away. Women may make bindis from ash and colored paste, or
they may wear decorative jewelery on the site. Commonly, a bindi takes
the form of a red dot, reflecting the origin of the word, bindu in Sanskrit, meaning “drop.”
People who are not Hindu
may wear a bindi as well, usually as a purely
decorative item or beauty mark. Many women in the West like to wear bindis on
festive and formal occasions, usually preferring jeweled bindis which can be
pasted on the forehead. The mark may also be used as a religious symbol among
some smaller sects around the world, appearing in a variety of shapes and
colors. Many yogis and yoginis in the West also wear bindis to symbolize their
affiliation with the Hindu religion, even if they are not practicing Hindus.
There are a number of
different names for the sacred mark, including pottu, agna, and teep. A true bindi should
be a circular mark, although the widespread use of the term for different shapes
has corrupted the meaning slightly. In nations which protect religious freedom
for their citizens, it is not uncommon to see a bindi on
the forehead of a Hindu at work or school, making him or her more readily
identifiable to other Hindu members of the community.
What
does the Bindi signify?
Bindi is a colorful dot that is
placed on the forehead of both men and women in Hindu Dharma. The origin
of the bindi starts way back in the ancient times but it has lost this
significance in the modern times and is mostly worn all over the world as an
accessory. Bindis have a special significance even today in the Indian
tradition. There a different colors worn for different occasions and stages in
life. A married women
always wears a Red colored Bindi as this shows true love and prosperity.
A black bindi is never adorned by a married woman as this is considered
inauspicious. Though most women these days don't follow these rules of color
anymore. Men also wear a Tilak during pujas or ceremonies in India. There are
many reasons as to why this practice started.
What
does the bindi signify in a married woman?
If a woman wears a red bindi
it shows that she is married. Widows in India do not wear bindi normally.
But they are allowed to
wear a black bindi in Southern India. Their black bindi shows
their loss. However, young girls are free to wear bindi of
any color. The red bindi in married women signifies true love and
prosperity.
What is the use of the bindi
in a spiritual way?
In a Spiritual view, bindi plays the
most important role in hindu culture. Every morning a hindu takes a bath
and sits in prayer just to seek for the absolute truth through every prayer.
However, it is true that one cannot sit in prayer the whole day. So when you leave the prayer room,
you are expected to put some mark on your forehead, which will remind you
during the day about all the activities and the purpose of life. It is obvious
you cannot see the mark on your own forehead everytime so whenever you see it
on another face, you will get a chance to recall the purpose of your life.
The idea is to remember that all the things you are doing are dedicated towards
the achievement of this supreme goal of self realization.
What did the mean bindi in Society?
Society has always wanted
to categorize or tag people in groups. The Bindi performed a similar function in
the 'Social' realm. The social purpose was to ward of the evil eye of the young
unmarried girl by making her wear a 'black' Bindi.
The married women wore a red Bindi.
The 4 castes wore
different colored tilak though this is not followed except in very conservative
families in the villages.
1. The Brahmins who were
priests or academicians wore a tilak of white sandal wood signifying purity.
2. The Khatriyas (Kings
and Warriors and Administrators) wore red tilak to signify valor.
3. The Vaishyas (Business
men) wore a yellow tilak signifying prosperity.
4. The Sudra (service
class) wore black tilak to signify service to the other classes.
What is the use of wearing
bindi from the health point ?
From a health point
of view, the Bindi is worn between the eyebrows where the
pineal gland lies. This is an important nerve center and applying sandalwood or
ash keeps the nerves cool and so keeps you cool and conserves energy. In the past the Bindi was
made from the yellow and red sandalwood, red and yellow turmeric, saffron, various flowers, ash, zinc oxide. All these had cooling
properties in nature. Today people wear Bindiis made
with glue or glass and doesn't benefit in any way but is more of an accessory.
On a spiritual level what does
the position of the Bindi signify?
The Ajna Chakra is
considered to be the place of the "third eye"where one applies the
Bindi. The Ajna Chakra is the site where one finally loses Ahamkara(ego or
sense of inidividuality) when one achieves self realization or
reaches a higher level of spirituality. It is a way to remind one another in
the society to see through the mind's eye and see the bigger picture of attaini
What do the different kinds of
Bindi mean?
In Vaishnavas, the red colored bindi is applied as a V
shape with a white I inside it, showed they were worshippers of God Vishnu.
While the followers of Shiva applied ash colored powder as horizontally on
their foreheads as three lines. A red bindi means married in women, black
bindi was worn in Southern parts of Inida by unmarried girls to ward off bad
luck.
Thanks & Regards,
Pradeep
