Bindi - The Dot
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The dot or bindi also known as 'tika', 'pottu', 'sindoor',
'tilak', 'tilakam', 'bindiya', 'kumkum' and by other names.
Pronounced as 'Bin Dee', the word bindi is derived from the Sanskrit
word bindu, which means "drop". Bindi
is an auspicious ornamental mark worn by Hindu girls and women on
their forehead between the two eyes . Bindi is arguably the most
visually fascinating in all form of body decoration.
More than a beauty
spot, the manga tika (bindi) indicates good omen and purity. Traditionally Bindi is a symbol of marriage, very similar to western wedding bands. A red dot on the forehead is an auspicious sign of marriage and guarantees the social status and sanctity of the institution of marriage. Bindi were worn by married women in North India in the form of a little red dot. It denotes the woman's married status in most of the North Indian communities but in South India it is a prerogative of all girls to wear a bindi. The bridegroom's make-up is incomplete without Tilak, it is applied on the groom's forehead during the wedding ceremony. No festival or puja is complete without the tilak and sindoor. Red was chosen because that |
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color was suppose to bring good fortune into the home of the bride. The red mark made the bride the preserver of the family's honor and welfare. Over time, it has became a fashion accessory and is worn today by unmarried girls and women of other religions as well. No longer restricted in color or shape, bindis today are seen in many colors and designs and are manufactured with self-adhesives and felt. The very positioning of the bindi is significant. The bindi is always worn on in the middle of the eyebrows, this is believed to be the most important pressure point of the human body. This point is known by various names such as Ajna chakra, Spiritual eye, Third eye meaning 'command', is the seat of concealed wisdom. It is the centre point wherein all experience is gathered in total concentration. According to the tantric cult, when during meditation the latent energy rises from the base of the spine towards the head, this 'agna' is the probable outlet for this potent energy. The red 'kumkum' between the eyebrows is said to retain energy in the human body and control the various levels of concentration. It is also the central point of the base of the creation itself — symbolising auspiciousness and good fortune. No one knows exactly when the tradition of putting a bindi started, but since centuries it is seen on the foreheads of Hindu men and women. In the past few decades, not only married women have taken up this |
Some Designs or Patterns of Bindi
We here present some Bindi designs which can be made with different color liquid bindis or in combination with sticker bindis.
