Sunday, September 16, 2012

Bindi Importance.....


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


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