 A bindi (from Sanskrit bindu, meaning "a drop, small particle, dot") is a forehead decoration worn in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Traditionally it is a dot of red color applied in the center of the forehead close to the eyebrows, but it can also consist of a sign or piece of jewelry worn at this location.
Traditionally, married Hindu women wear a bindi. The traditional bindi is made with red sindoor powder or perhaps a black ointment. The bindi is a form of tilak, religious Hindu signs worn on the forehead. Nowadays, bindis are also worn by women who are not married, children, and by women who are not Hindu.
Outside South Asia, bindis may be worn by women of Indian origin. Western women who have converted to Hinduism, such as in the Hare Krishnas, may also wear bindis. Sometimes they are worn as a style statement. International celebrities such as Gwen Stefani, Shakira, Madonna, Nina Hagen, Nelly Furtado, and Shania Twain have been seen wearing bindis.
Alternative names of bindi
A bindi can be called:- Tikli in Marathi.
- Pottu in Tamil and Malayalam.
- Tilak in Hindi.
- Bottu or Tilakam (in Telugu).
- Bottu or Tilaka (in Kannada).
- Teep (meaning "a pressing") (in Bengali).
- Nande is a term erroneously used to describe the bindi in Malaysia. It may contain pejorative connotations although not in most cases.
Sometimes the terms sindoor, kumkum, or kasturi are used, by reference to the material used to make the mark.
Religious significance
The area between the eyebrows (where the bindi is placed) is said to be the sixth chakra, ajna, the seat of "concealed wisdom". According to followers of Tantrism, this chakra is the exit point for kundalini energy. The bindi is said to retain energy and strengthen concentration. It is also said to protect against demons or bad luck.
Related customs
In addition to the bindi, in India, a vermilion mark in the parting of the hair just above the forehead is worn by married women as a symbol of their married status. During North Indian marriage ceremonies, the groom applies sindoor on the parting in the bride's hair. Ancient Chinese women wore similar marks (for purely decorative purposes) since the second century, which became popular during the Tang Dynasty.
In modern times
In modern times, the bindi has become a decorative item and is worn by unmarried as well as non-Hindu women, in India, Bangladesh and other countries of South Asia. It is no longer restricted in colour or shape. Self-adhesive bindis (also known as sticker bindis) are available. They are made of felt or thin metal, and come with an adhesive on one side. These are simple to apply, disposable substitutes for older tilak bindis. Sticker bindis come in many colors, designs, materials, and sizes. Fancy sticker bindis may be decorated with sequins, glass beads, or rhinestones for extra dazzle.
Ajna
Ajna (Sanskrit meaning command) is the sixth primary chakra according to Hindu tradition. The Ajna chakra is positioned at the eyebrow region and it has two petals, said to represent the psychic channels Ida and Pingala, which meet here with the central Shushumna channel, before rising to the crown chakra, Sahasrara. On the left hand petal is the letter 'ham', and on the right the letter 'ksham', the bija mantras for Shiva and Shakti respectively.
Ajna is considered the chakra of the mind. When something is seen in the mind's eye, or in a dream, it is being 'seen' by Ajna.
Residing in the chakra is the deity Ardhanarishvara a hermaphrodite form of Shiva-Shakti, symbolising the primordial duality of subject and object, and the deity Hakini Shakti is also present in this chakra.
In kundalini yoga, different practices are said to stimulate the Ajna chakra, including Trataka (steady gazing), Shambhavi Mudra (gazing at the space between the eyebrows), and some forms of Pranayama (breath exercises).
Ajna is said to contain Mantrika shakti.
Alternative names:- In Tantra: Ajita-Patra, Ajna, Ajna-Pura, Ajna-Puri, Ajnamhuja, Ajnapankaja, Bhru-Madhya, Bhru-Madhya-Chakra, Bhru-Madhyaga-Padma, Bhru-Mandala, Bhru-Mula, Bhru-Saroruha, Dwidala, Dwidala-Kamala, Dwidalambuja, Dwipatra, Jnana-Padma, Netra-Padma, Netra-Patra, Shiva-Padma, Triweni-Kamala.
- In the Vedas, Upanishads: Ajna, Baindawa-Sthana, Bhru Chakra, Bhruyugamadhyabila, Dwidala.
- In the Puranas: Ajna, Dwidala, Trirasna.
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