All about the ancient tribes
Aside from the beautiful saris and gold jewelry that characterize much of the Indian subcontinent’s culture, one of the most internationally-known body adornments worn by Hindu and Jain women is the bindi, a red dot applied between the eyebrows on the forehead.
What does the red dot between the eyes of Indian women mean?
Traditionally, the area between the eyebrows (where the bindi is placed) is said to be the sixth chakra, ajna, the seat of “concealed wisdom”. The bindi is said to retain energy and strengthen concentration. The bindi also represents the third eye.
The bindi can symbolize many aspects of the Hindu culture, but from the beginning it has always been a red dot worn on the forehead, most commonly to represent a married woman. The bindi is also said to be the third eye in Hindu religion, and it can be used to ward off bad luck.
Traditionally worn as a red dot on the forehead, the bindi has Hindu beginnings. Red bindis symbolize marriage, so when women were widowed, they would often change their bindi color to black.
A pottu is not just a decoration. It has significance in the Hindu religion. It’s worn between the eyes as this point is said to be the most important pressure point, which is known as the Ajna chakra – the spiritual eye or third eye that is the place of wisdom and the center point of concentration.
The mark is known as a bindi. And it’s a Hindu tradition that dates to the third and fourth centuries. The bindi is traditionally worn by women for religious purposes or to indicate that they’re married. But today the bindi has also become popular among women of all ages, as a beauty mark.
Young, unmarried women wear a black bindi, and married women wear a bright red bindi. Widows, whose husbands have died, either wear no bindi, or wear a white dot made of ash. Mothers sometimes place black bindi on the foreheads of babies and small children for protection against evil spirits.
In India, touching the feet of elders is considered to be one of the important common gestures. It is considered to be a way of giving respect to elders and seeking their blessings. Also known as Charan Sparsh, it has been followed for ages, probably since the Vedic period.
Married and unmarried women can both wear them if they want. The only difference is. If you are married you wear red ones and if you are unmarried you wear black ones (I may have mixed them up).
Application of sindoor Sindoor is the mark of a married woman in Hinduism. Widows do not wear sindoor or bindis, signifying that their husband is no longer alive. The sindoor is first applied to the woman by her husband on the day of her wedding; this is called the Sindoor Daanam ceremony.
bindi in British English or bindhi (ˈbɪndɪ ) noun. a decorative dot worn in the middle of the forehead, esp by Hindu women. Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers.
Bindi tattoo on the forehead, is one of the cultural practice in Indian women from rural areas. Many patients are not pleased with the appearance of their tattoo and thus seek removal. The development of quality-switched lasers has revolutionized the removal of unwanted tattoos.