Most Hindu women adorn themselves with beautiful saris, golden jewelry, and the characteristic red dot on their forehead, called a bindi. However, more than just an ornament, bindis have a deep, spiritual, and social purpose. Its origins date back centuries, and although its materials have evolved with time, its meaning remains.
For the past fifty years, due to the fascination over India, and its different religions and cultures, some of these characteristic traditions have been used as mere adornments and fashion staples, leaving aside their true meaning and purpose. Here’s all you need to know about bindis and why you should take it out of your music festival outfits.
What is a bindi?
Let’s start by clearing up some terms, as many people tend to associate bindis with basically all women in India. Hindus is the term given to those who practice Hinduism, only one of the eight major religions preached in India. Also, bindis are used in Jainism as well.
Having cleared that out, within Hinduism there’s the belief that the Bindhu is the place of the creation of the cosmos. Bindi comes from the Hindi word Bindhu, which was the name given to the specific spot where the creation started.
In Hinduism, the bindi is placed right in the center of the forehead between the eyebrows, considered one of the seven chakras of the body. This one specifically is thought to be the chakra of wisdom so placing a bindi right there is the acknowledgement of the creation of the cosmos and a way to channel all that energy within the individual.
Now, bindi is also the name given in Sanskrit, also only one of the many languages spoken in India. Its literal meaning is drop or particle; however, there are other terms in other languages used for bindis like kumkum, sindoor, teep, tikli, and bottu.
Origins of bindis
Although nowadays we associate bindis exclusively with women, in ancient times, both men and women wore bindis for their religious purpose. These were mainly made with ashes and other powders. According to their shape, size, and color, they would indicate their religious affiliation. So, color varied according to what deity they praised. Bindis were placed by the temple priest right in the center of the eyebrows in the forehead.
Its origins date back to 3000 BC, when the Vedas were written. The Vedas are the oldest scriptures of Hinduism and the ones that set the foundations of the religion. The Vedas establish the concept of the chakras, a concentration of energy. As we mentioned, it’s believed seven main chakras connect our body to the universe; the brow chakra, called the Ajna chakra and most commonly known as the “third eye,” is that connection with wisdom we mentioned.
The spiritual purpose behind bindis
Let’s delve a little deeper into the spiritual purpose of bindis. We already mentioned the Ajna chakra, which translates into “command” or “perceive.” For that matter, this third eye it’s associated with intuition and intellect. For Hinduism, these bindis help enhance the chakra and give access to everybody’s inner wisdom. That is, bindis help people get rid of egos and personal prejudices to interpret and see the world more objectively.
According to the Vedas, our physical eyes show us the external world, the material existence; while the Ajna or third eye helps individuals see the spiritual world and thus be more connected to God. In that way, bindis are also a reminder to keep the spiritual views at the center of life. Moreover, as the Ajna is associated with intellectuality, bindis are also believed to help increase concentration and calm the mind. To fully get these benefits, the individual must wear a natural bindi, which is commonly marked with sandalwood or coal.
Marital status
Besides the spiritual purpose of bindis, there’s also a social meaning to them and that has to do with the color of bindis. We all associate the red bindi to women, and for Hindu culture, it serves as a marital status label.
Many centuries ago, couples would establish their bond in a ceremony before their wedding, where the man would take a drop of his blood and place it right in the woman’s forehead or third eye. It was believed that as soon as the bride entered her new home, the bindi would help bring prosperity to the marriage besides turning her into the guardian of the family.
As time went by, blood was substituted with natural dyes, but the meaning remained the same. According to the tradition, if the husband passes, the new widow has to start using black bindis, which are naturally marked with kajal or lampblack.
As you can see bindis have a deep cultural meaning for Hinduism and Jainism and are way much more than just a fashionable staple. Not wearing them is a sign of respect for a culture that dates centuries back and that bestows bindis an important spiritual, social and cultural meaning.
Photos: Pexels: Azraq Al Rezoan / Krishna Studio / UniQue PhotoGraphy By Sonam Singh
