Surely many of us have seen Indian women at least in famous films that were once popular earlier. Most of them had a red dot on their forehead, which was a symbol that the woman was legally married to a man. In addition, this was an indicator that this woman preaches Hinduism, i.e. this is a symbol not only of a certain social status, but also religiosity, as well as a person’s worldview.
Symbol meaning
Drawing a bindi on the forehead is a very ancient tradition dating back centuries. For example, Usha, the goddess of the morning, applied this sign to herself as a greeting to her husband Surya, who appears to the sun gods.
This symbol is also found in many legends and stories about various heroes. Thus, the bindi could become fiery in valiant people, or disappear from the forehead if a person experiences extreme despair and mental anguish. Bindi is also a symbol of the future happy life women, allowing her to find a place in the family.
All people who are somehow interested in Hinduism know that the area between the eyebrows is considered the location of the sixth chakra. This is a kind of “third eye” that allows a person to comprehend the great wisdom of existence, hidden from other people. According to Tantrism, the area between the eyebrows is considered the point through which the kundalini energy exits. That is why, in order to preserve this energy, a bindi is drawn, which also protects a person from various troubles and misfortunes.
Bindi is also a symbol of marriage in India. Every Indian woman who gets married becomes the keeper of the hearth, and her main responsibility is to take care of the family she came to. This symbol speaks of the luck of this woman, and also reminds her of certain responsibilities for preserving the marriage that fall on her shoulders.
If the red dot was considered a certain symbol of love and marriage, then the black dot had a completely opposite meaning. If a woman had this sign on her forehead, then this was evidence that she was in mourning. Those girls who had not yet entered into a legal marriage went without a bindi at all, but not in all cases.
According to tradition, those women who had “critical days” did not have to draw this Indian symbol. There is probably no need to explain this circumstance, because a lot can be assumed here - from insulting the feelings of believers to lengthy explanations and allusions to the symbols of blood that represented the bindi.
In ancient times, when in India there was a division of people into castes, it was the dot that made it possible to understand which category its bearer belonged to. For example, those with a red dot belonged to the Brahmin caste, and women with black bindis were representatives of the Kshatriyas. However, the castes have long since disappeared, but the symbol itself lives on to this day, and if we take into account the interest in it not only among representatives of Hinduism, then we can say with confidence that this interest will not dry up for a very long time.
What is it made from?
The dot on the forehead of Indian women had a traditional red color, or this shade could be a little darker. It is made from a special mineral - vermillion, which is mercury sulfide. But in order to make a perfectly even point, you need to have sufficient skill in this matter.
Some women are unable to do this, so they use various round objects to get the perfect outline of their bindi. Coins with a hole in the middle, disks - all this can be used as an aid. The stencil is applied to the forehead, and paint is poured inside the hole.
In addition to vermilion, women can use other materials in making this symbol on the forehead:
- Sindoor, which is lead oxide.
- Bull's blood.
- Abir is in the form of a red powder that needs to be mixed with rice flour and yogurt.
- Turmeric is a scarlet dye that is mixed with lemon juice.
- Rusk powder, which is pre-mixed with glue and honey.
- Saffron mixed with pollen from flowers.
All these options have a right to exist, so Indian women use one or another option, depending on the availability of the necessary ingredients.
How to call her correctly
The point on the forehead of Indian women is called “bindi”, derived from the Sanskrit “bindu”. It means approximately the same thing as it symbolizes, i.e. dot or drop.
Bindi is one of the varieties of tilak - a symbol in Hinduism that representatives of this religion can apply to various parts of the body, not just the forehead. This is not just decoration, but a certain semantic load that speaks of a certain status of a person.
Indian women's bindis were drawn exclusively in the form of a dot, although it could be different sizes, and also made from different materials. It is also worth noting that bindi is not the only name for this symbol. Depending on the region of India, the local dialect, and other factors, the point may be called by the following words:
- kumkum;
- tickli;
- bottu;
- sindoor etc.
How are things now?
If previously the bindi had a serious meaning, indicating a certain status and religiosity, now this symbol has become a common means of decoration for women. Now everyone draws bindis - from little girls to respectable ladies. At the same time, they can all adhere to different religions, not be married, i.e. There are no strict requirements for its carriers.
Nowadays, bindis, which are stickers with a self-adhesive structure, are very common. They can be metal, felt or made from other types of material. Of course, they cannot be called full-fledged bindis, but they are quite suitable as a disposable decorative element. In addition, some women decorate such stickers with gold plating, sparkles or precious stones- in this they are limited only by their imagination and financial capabilities.
Bindi is common throughout South Asia, as well as in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, etc. Outside these countries, the bindi is also common, but as decor or an element of some kind of stage image. Not for nothing, such famous representatives of show business as Shakira, Gwen Stefani, Madonna and many others adorned themselves with this symbol. This is understandable, because according to a survey conducted not long ago, women with bindis look much more attractive and alluring than without them.
However, one should not take this symbol too lightly, because it is part of the history of an entire continent. In India, for example, traditions regarding the application of a bindi are still strong, so it is not customary there to decorate yourself with this symbol if you do not have the right to do so. And if you come here, you should study the history and traditions of the state in advance so as not to offend the local residents with your illiteracy.
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The overwhelming number of mature Indian women walk around with a scarlet dot in the middle of their forehead. This sign symbolizes the woman's practice of Hinduism and the fact that she is married.
Name
More often this mark is called a bindi.
The bindi of Indian women is a type of sacred tilak symbol applied to the bodies of Hindus as a decoration and a sign of adherence to religious teachings.
Bindi is most often seen on the forehead of women, but it is also found on men.
The dots on the foreheads of the people of India, depending on their adherence to one or another direction of Hinduism, vary in shape, size and raw materials used.
Meaning
The ritual of applying a bindi to the face is several thousand years old.
According to legend, the dawn goddess Usha began to depict a miniature red circle on her forehead as a symbol of the rising daylight luminary as a sign of greeting to her husband Surya, the sun god.
According to another version, the color red symbolizes blood and sacrifices to the gods in the hope of their mercy.
A lot has been said about tilak in folk legends and myths. For example, in brave heroes it burned with fire, and in moments of deep sorrow and despair it could spontaneously disappear.
The central part of the face above the bridge of the nose is considered to be the location of the ajna chakra, better known as the third eye. It is believed that through ajna a person loses the valuable vital energy of kundalini, and the bindi blocks its evaporation, protecting its owner from the influence of evil forces and attracting good luck.
For a married woman, a red dot promises well-being and prosperity, and also reminds her of the sanctity of marriage.
In ancient times, girls unmarried women and widows were allowed to adorn themselves only with dots of black.
Raw material for bindi
The method of applying a bindi is extremely simple: Indian women dip the tip of their finger in cinnabar and, taking a little of the product, leave an imprint between their eyebrows.
Without certain skills, it is not always possible to apply a point exactly. In this case, improvised objects will help out - metal circles or coins with a round hole.
Lead oxide, livestock blood and other natural dyes with a pronounced red tint are also suitable as raw materials for bindi.
Bindi these days
The bindi has already lost its original sacred meaning. Women of different ages, marital status and religion living in the countries of South and Southeast Asia decorate their faces with dots of different sizes and colors.
Felt, plastic or metal tilak stickers have become very popular. The adhesive base does not cause difficulties in applying them, and a large selection allows you to change them every day.
Extravagant beauties prefer gold-plated or silver-plated bindis, decorated with sparkles, rhinestones, and inlaid with precious stones.
In other countries, women with Indian roots or those who have decided to convert to Hinduism also decorate themselves with bindis.
Tilak is often perceived as a detail of style. At one time, many celebrities, far from India and Hinduism, appeared in public with a red dot between their eyebrows.
Everyone has some idea about war paint, but few people think that there was also coloring for love. “It’s written on the forehead” - this is, perhaps, about a bindi)) In ancient times, they liked to paint not only the face, but the whole body. And not only in India. Tattoos are generally a sacred thing (in the literal sense), everyone ancient man considered it my duty. The pattern on the body spoke a lot about the person, his status, tribe, geographical region, marital status, and so on.
India is one of the few places in the world that is unique in its kind, where many ancient traditions have survived to this day in their unchanged “preserved” form. And since, logically, all Indo-Europeans, including both Indians and you and me, had a common ancestral home and ancestral language in the past, it is India that preserves forgotten codes to the customs and mysteries of the past of the Indo-European tribes. So, it is quite possible that our ancestors also painted bindi and mehendi. What did bindi mean?
Chandan-bindi of a Bengali bride
HISTORY AND MEANING OF BINDI
Bindi is a dot on the forehead that women in India and some neighboring countries draw on it) is considered a variant of tilaka - marks that are applied to the face in India. There are many varieties of tilaka, their symbolism depends on religious affiliation. Most often it is one or more vertical or horizontal stripes on the forehead of men. Sometimes this is a tulsi sign, it includes both stripes and a bindi dot, more on that below. It seems to me that the roots of this symbolism are in the signs denoting masculine and feminine principles.
Vishnu and Lakshmi
The tradition of decorating the body with a bindi probably dates back to ancient rituals of worshiping the Moon and the Sun.Bindi is mentioned in early Sanskrit texts.A red dot, symbolizing the rising sun, was applied to her forehead by Usha, the goddess of morning in the Rig Veda, when greeting her husband, the sun god Surya.Bindi is a sign of blessing and protection from evil forces, a symbol of purification and good luck. Therefore, the sacred symbol is applied to the body after morning ablution. This is not only done by followers of Vedic culture or priests. Indian women drew and draw bindis every day in everyday life.Traditionally, the bindi is applied with a fingertip, but women can also apply it using a stencil to create a perfect circle.
Bindi is used not only in India, but also in Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Regional variations include a crescent shape in Maharashtra, a large red dot in Bengal, a small red dot surrounded by white dots in South India, and an elongated teardrop shape in Rajasthan.In southern India, unmarried girls also wear bindis.Women apply a red mark in the form of a circle on their forehead with a special powder or paste, kum-kum, sindur, etc.Sometimes not only red, but also other colors are used; jewelry with precious stones can also be used.
The point located between the eyebrows falls on the zone of the “third eye” - the sixth chakra Ajna (chakra of hidden wisdom). Followers of Hinduism and Buddhism, temple servants apply a ritual mark on their forehead - which is painted with red or yellow paint, depending on the symbol of a particular deity. These signs are a blessing, a happy wish, protect against evil forces and failures, or confirm a person’s status. For many married women in India living in various regions, the bindi and dyeing the parting red is a daily ritual associated with the status of a married woman and ancient family traditions.
The red bindi has always had the most significance due to its color. It well emphasizes the festive atmosphere and the importance of the moment. Its color also has a close connection with the mystical worldviews of the ancients - the color was given power, almost all peoples and tribes saw its strong energy and showed respect. However, there are places in India where the color black is equally significant and only married women are allowed to wear a black bindi.
Bindi in some regions may have their own symbolism. Red ones are worn only after marriage. Black was considered especially privileged and was intended only for holidays and important occasions. Just like nails, and in ancient times also teeth, black were considered signs of special status. According to local beliefs, the toenails of the Buddha himself were painted black - for many Indians this is not only a beautiful, but also a sacred color. At the same time women for family life in many regions they wore only a red bindi and changed it to black if they became widows.
Lakshmi from here, artist Tina Solstrand
SACRED TULSI TREE
The bindi is placed in place of the symbolic third eye and for initiates it symbolizes the mystical union of the masculine and feminine principles. A tulsi tattoo on the forehead is often combined with a bindi - a bindi under the tulsi sign is drawn on the forehead. This is largely a feminine sign; according to legend, a loving and devoted wife turns into a tulsi tree (Indian basil) standing near her lover’s house in order to protect him and always be there.
Since then, this unremarkable and not even flowering plant has been considered sacred. It is grown in special beautiful stands standing in the center of the yard. Worship rituals, local legends and festivals are dedicated to Tulsi. Previously, the young wife was obliged to personally look after him every morning in her husband's house. The stand was whitewashed and the sacred signs of the swastika, Om and other religious symbols were painted. For Tulsi, special prayer mantras were read in Sanskrit. The veneration of Tulsi as a ritual appeared during the spread of Hinduism in India.
George Harrison with Vaishnava Kanthimals from tulsi
In Vaishnaism, tulsi is worshiped as the incarnation of Lakshmi, in Krishnaism - Radha, who took the form of a plant. Beads are made from tulsi branches - kanthimala, an attribute of the Vaishnavas, and jala-mala beads (in Shaivism from rudraksha). Wearing a kanthimala around the neck is a sign of humble service to Vishnu or Krishna and that one is moving on the path of self-realization. Thanks to these beads, a person’s soul will not fall into the hellish worlds, and the servants of the god of death Yama will not be able to touch it.
BINDI AND MODERNITY
This tradition is widespread even now, and, most likely, it will continue for hundreds of years, especially in the wedding ceremony, but in Lately Adjustments began to creep into this tradition.The color, shape, and material of bindis are now used in a wide variety. They are painted with paints, pencils, powders - painted bindis are more traditional than adhesive ones. Some traditions have been lost - for example, in ancient times, the position of the bindi on the face reflected caste: the lower the bindi, the lower the caste, but now they do not pay attention to this. The bindi is losing its sacred, mystical meaning, is increasingly influenced by Indian fashion trends and has penetrated into European culture. And the skillful use of bindi allows women to correct facial features and eye color.
HOW TO CORRECT YOUR APPEARANCE USING A BINDI
Indian women, unlike all other women in the world, have in their arsenal a simple and effective way correct and give greater harmony to facial features. You guessed it - this is a bindi. For example, if the eyes are close or deep-set, it is enough not to put emphasis on the bridge of the nose - to correct the bridge of the nose, the bindi is simply raised to the middle of the forehead. For a low forehead, choose a medium size bindi or draw an openwork or oval dot. A large bindi will highlight small or tired eyes. A large bindi will decorate an elongated face, with wide-set eyes, a high forehead and small plump lips.
For a face that is not oval in shape with thin lines, a large bindi will add severity and extra age. In this case, a small or patterned bindi, light and elegant, is more suitable. A small bindi does not go well with wide eyebrows; in this case, you can adjust the width of the eyebrows, at least from below. Bindi with rhinestones or in the form of a drop are also used. The moon is positioned with its horns facing up, and not as it is seen in northern countries. A circle, diamond, or drop is often placed above the moon. Bindi can have the most different shapes. The modern bindi is perceived as a design element - the bindicombine with the color of clothing, facial features and other decorations. Earrings, beads or other necklace, hair clips, makeup - everything should be in harmony.
TRADITIONS AND PROGRESS: WHEN TRADITIONS GO
Traditions sometimes have their downsides. The world is developing, but in India there is still a caste system. Hindus who travel and study in different countries the world are, in most cases, brahmins. The rest, generation after generation, for thousands of years cannot go beyond the boundaries in which their ancestors were. The children of an Indian washerwoman are doomed to wash clothes generation after generation and have no chance of changing their lives. Our serfdom is nothing compared to these castes. Indira Gandhi tried to repeal at least a small part of the caste laws, but as a result she was assassinated by Sikhs on October 31, 1984. In our country it is All Saints' Day, and in many countries Halloween is celebrated on this day.
While Indians themselves in foreign lands often stop wearing bindis, in many countries there is a trend when many Europeans, on the contrary, begin to wear bindis all the time) Among famous women - Gwen Stefani, Shakira, Madonna and others
Tilak (tika) and bindi- ritual drawings, which in their original meaning symbolized belonging to Hinduism. Therefore, those belonging to Islam and Christianity wear neither one nor the other.
Bindi
means “dot, drop” - this is feminine, which is applied to the 3rd eye area.
Bindi was traditionally worn only by married women; this, along with a parting with a red stripe, served as an identification mark.
The bindi was drawn with red turmeric (kumkuma), usually in the shape of a drop.
For widows, the bindi was prohibited, as were other jewelry.
The bindi is red, just like the tilak, they are sometimes even called tika, but despite the external similarity - the red dot between the eyebrows - the difference is huge - the first is a simple decoration, the second is a ritual mark.
The tradition of wearing a bindi has now changed and differs from state to state. For example, in northern India, unmarried girls also wear a bindi, but black, married ladies - from scarlet to burgundy.
Bindis are no longer always drawn on with paint; they are now sold in the form of red or black velvet in the shape of a circle, glued to the forehead. However, they began to match the color of the bindi to the color of the toilet, so you can find both green and blue.
Stores sell plastic bindis with glitter and pebbles, which are stuck on the foreheads of even little girls.
I also saw bindis in jewelry stores - with precious stones on a piece of silver or gold.
In southern India, I also saw a bindi in the form of a black dot drawn with antimony on the forehead of very young children of both sexes. Parents said that such a bindi acts as a talisman for the baby.
Tilak, or rather tilak
This is a design applied by a Hindu to the forehead, sometimes the chest and arms, also called tika for short.
The most common tilak (abbreviated as tika) is a red dot between the eyebrows, just like a bindi, but the tika (tilak) is placed after performing a puja or visiting a temple.
The design and color of the tilak varies depending on the religious tradition.
Shaivaites, that is, those who worship Shiva, and Shaktas, who worship, wear tripundra- 3 horizontal stripes drawn with ash. 
The stripes are applied with the sacred ash of vibhuti, which is formed after the burning of offerings in the process of agnihotra (homa), yajna (yajna), etc. During fire rituals, the Deities are presented with a mixture, the components of which can be cow dung, rice, sandalwood paste, milk, ghee, sweets, etc.
Vagrants, as well as some settled gardeners, also use ash from their personal fire - dhuni (duni).
Ashes for applying tripundra are sold in many south Indian temples as an offering to the deity and returned as prasad. In North Indian temples, a box of turmeric is given out as prasadam for tilak.
I saw that, in the absence of ash, tripundra is sometimes applied with paint and even red turmeric.
Application of tripundra also varies depending on different places, so you can see 3 even thin stripes in the center of the forehead or stripes the width of a finger from temple to temple.
Sometimes Shaivites, as well as Shaktas (including Aghori), add to the tripundra a large red dot in the middle of the forehead or in the place of the third eye, symbolizing Shakti, energy and blood, perhaps this is an echo of ancient times when red tilakas were placed with the blood of sacrificial animals.
Shaktas often place several bindus or draw a red line across the forehead to between the eyebrows.
It is believed that Aghoris take (may take) ashes for tripundra from cremation pyres.
Vaishnavas, that is, followers of the cult draw vertical stripes on the forehead with white ash or paint, yellow turmeric or sandalwood paste with red red turmeric or depending on the sect. 
The Vaishnava tilak may look like the letters U or V on the forehead, straight or more complex stripes connect at the eyebrows and go to the bridge of the nose, or it can be a yellow vertical stripe on the forehead, similar to a leaf.
Most often it is women who wear a bindi on their forehead. But men also sometimes put such a mark on their forehead. It is applied as a distinctive sign and decoration. It can be of any shape, and the materials used to apply this point are also varied. It depends on the trends in Hinduism.
Why is tika applied specifically between the eyebrows? It is believed that the “sixth chakra” is located in this place. It collects life experience. According to Tantric custom, whatever a person thinks about rises up the spine to the sources of the head and passes through the bindi. The purpose of this point is to conserve energy and enhance concentration.
It is also a Hindu custom that the groom must apply his blood to his future wife. Therefore, tika was considered its symbol. But now this ritual is not popular, and it is gradually being forgotten.
Before India became independent country, the bindi indicated belonging to one of the castes. For example, if the dot was black, the woman was classified as a kshtariya, and if it was red, she was classified as a brahmana.
According to custom, an Indian bride must cross the threshold of her husband's house dressed in bright clothes, jewelry and with a bright bindi on her forehead. The red dot signifies good luck and prosperity for a married woman and serves as a reminder to her of the sanctity of marriage.
What is a bindi made of?
Traditionally, the bindi is burgundy or red. With the help of a small amount of cinnabar (scarlet-colored mercuric sulfide) with the tip of her finger, a woman can create a perfectly straight bindi.Some women who do not have the dexterity use discs or coins with a hole. They are attached to the forehead with wax, and a bindi is applied to the hole. The disc is then removed.
In addition to cinnabar, sindoor (lead oxide), abir, and ox's blood can be used as paint for tiki. There is also a dye called turmeric. It is made from turmeric, lemon juice, honey and powdered sugar.
