MARRIAGE PLANNING - BINDIS
Bindi (pronounced as bin-dee) comes from the Sanskrit word 'bindu' meaning a dot or drop. The other popular Indian terms for Bindi are 'pottu', 'tika', 'tilak', 'tilakam' and 'kumkum'. Traditional Indians, mostly women wear Bindi or a small red dot on their forehead in between the eye-brows. For Indians, Bindi is not merely an ornamental substance and carries tremendous social and religious significance. In North India, it is considered mandatory for married women to wear Bindis at all times. Here bindi is used to depict the married status of a woman and is considered to be extremely auspicious.
Religiously speaking, Bindi is supposed to be representative of the mystic third eye and hence become the central point of the base of creation. Therefore, the traditional red dot (often made with tikka powder or vermillion) can be seen on men and women alike. When visiting a temple, it is common for the priest to mark, men, women and children with this mark using his finger. While a small dot is applied on women's forehead, a tilak or longish red mark us usually applied on the forehead of the man.
It is fascinating to note that the traditional red dot which has always been the muse of poets has undergone major transformation in modern times. While, keeping intact its socio-religious significance bindi has managed to become an important fashion accessory of modern Indian women, married or unmarried. These days , Bindis are being worn not just with traditional Indian dresses like salwar-suits, sarees and lehangas but are also worn with western outfits. Today, Bindis are available in designer avatars. Major catalyst behind this transformation was the replacement of age-old kumkum Bindis with convenient sticker Bindis. These days Bindis are being adorned with gold, silver, pearl and even diamonds. There is a a huge variety in terms of designs besides in present times Bindis are not just used to adorn the forehead but are also being used to caste attention on other body parts like nose, belly button, eyelashes, eyebrows etc.
History & Significance of Bindis
The word 'Bindi' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'bindu' or a drop and suggests the mystic third eye of a person. Since ancient times, Bindi is the most visually fascinating in all form of body decoration in India. The most astonishing factor about bindis besides the limited amount of literature that exists on it, is the attitude of people towards it. Here is an attempt to understand the history and significance of Bindi for Hindu community.
Use of Bindi in Ancient Times:
In ancient India, garlands were an important part of the evening dress of both men and women. This was often accompanied by 'Visesakachhedya', i.e., painting the forehead with a bindi or 'tilaka'. In those days, thin and tender leaves used to be cut into different shapes and pasted upon the forehead. These leafy bindis were also known by various names - 'Patrachhedya', 'Patralekha', 'Patrabhanga' or 'Patramanjari'. Such natural stuff and sandal paste was used for adorning not only the forehead but also on the chin, neck, palm, breast besides other parts of the body.
Significance of the Position of Bindi:
Scientifically speaking, the very positioning of the bindi in between the eyebrows is significant. Experts say the area between the eyebrows is the seat of latent wisdom and is known as the "Agna" (the 6th chakra) meaning "command". The area is called agna chakra because it is said to control various levels of concentration attained through meditation. The central point of this area is the "Bindu" wherein all experience is gathered in total concentration. Those knowledgeable in Tantric tradition say that during meditation, the "kundalini" or the latent energy that lies at the base of the spine is awakened and rises to the point of sahasrara (7th chakra) situated in the head or brain. The central point, the bindu, becomes therefore a possible outlet for this potent energy. It is believed that the red kumkum lies between the eyebrows to retain energy in the human body.
Myths and Significance Regarding the Color Red:
The most important and commonly used color of Bindi is red. Scholars say the color red is significant as it represents Shakti or strength. Other believe that red is most important in bindis as it symbolizes love. However, some scholars have seen the red colour as a symbolism for blood. We are told that in ancient times, in Aryan society, a groom used to apply his blood, on his bride's forehead as recognition of wedlock. The existing practice among Indian women of applying a round shaped red Tilaka called Bindiya or Kumkum could be a survival of this.
The other theory regarding red color bindi is that red colour symbolizes the far more ancient practice of offering blood sacrifices to propitiate the Gods - particularly the Goddess Shakti. In time, communities put an end to actual sacrifices and offered gifts instead, but the colour red remained.
The other logic given by some scholars is that Bindi, which is often described as Sindhura or Tilaka means red, and Gandha which is also a term for Tilaka means pleasant odour.
Reflect the Status of a Married Woman:
In North India, it is essential for a married woman to wear Bindi. Hence application of Bindi denotes the woman's married status. The decked North Indian bride steps over the threshold of her married home, resplendent with the red bindi on her forehead. The red color is supposed to augur prosperity for the home she is entering. However, the same does not hold true for women in South India, as here it is a prerogative of all girls to wear a bindi. Significantly when an Indian woman has the misfortune of becoming a widow she has to stop wearing this mark.
Significance of Application of Tilak by Men:
Among men, the Tilaka has been traditionally interpreted as a good luck charm. In several Hindu communities, the bridegroom's make-up is considered incomplete without the Tilaka.
Significance of Using Red with Yellow:
Red kumkum and the yellow turmeric are placed side by side in temples or in any homes during a celebration. This is because the yellow of the turmeric has the power to influence the intellect. In several Hindu communities, red kumkum is offered to women with yellow turmeric at the time of leave-taking. The gesture is said to express goodwill and the host's prayers for the visitor's continued good fortune.
Historical Significance of Kumkum:
Tradition of applying Kumkum is said to be 5000 years old. Instance of the practice of placing kumkum is mentioned in ancient texts like the Puranas, Lalitha Sahasranamam, Soundarya Lahhari etc. Besides, it has been told that Radha turned the kumkum into a flame- like design on her forehead. Draupadi, in despair and disillusion, wiped the kumkum off her forehead on that dark day at Hastinapur.
The use of Kumkum attains special importance in temples dedicated to Shakti, Lakshmi and in other Vaishnavite temples. Kumkum is of special significance of Fridays and special occasions.
In the old days, materials like chandhanam, aguru, kasturi, kumkum and sindoor were used to make the tika. Women also ground saffron together with the kusumbha flower to create a paste to use on their foreheads.
How is Kumkum Different from Sindoor?
Kumkum and sindoor are prepared from two different materials. While Kumkum is made of red turmeric, Sindoor, which is worn on the centre parting of the hair, is made of zinc oxide.
In Indian culture, both sindoor and kumkum are auspicious. Both stand for good fortune and signs of "Soubhagya" in the case of a married woman. Therefore, women who had lost their husbands did not wear kumkum. Many married women would use turmeric as a substitute merely to indicate, not widowhood, but a state of mourning in the family. In some communities, womenfolk refrained from wearing kumkum during menstruation.
Today, most men wear kumkum specifically during worship or religious ceremonies.
Expert's Advice On Bindis
For the millions of Bindi lovers here is an expert advice on wearing, selecting, storing and re-using bindis. Please benefit from these tips on wearing bindi and storing them carefully and share this knowledge with other Bindi loving friends. In case you too have a secret tip to share on bindis please write in to us and help us enhance this page.
Expert Advice on Who Can Wear a Bindi:
While Bindi started as a traditional Hindu marriage tradition, today it is an extremely fashionable wear and is open to anyone. No matter what is one's socio-cultural background or age, anyone can wear Bindi if she prefers to do so.
Expert Advice on Selecting a Bindi:
Apart from making the color and intricacy of a bindi design, as the criterion for bindi selection one must pay attention to their individual face-cut in order to choose the most suitable bindi for themselves. Here are some tips for selecting Bindi for women with various face types:
Women with Round Face Structure: The round face is almost as wide as it is long. The greatest width is at the cheeks and facial lines are curved. Experts say, small and long Bindis are ideal for women with round face, as it will help to create the illusion of angles. Likewise, ladies with round face must avoid circular and squarish Bindis.
Women with Oval Face Structure: In women with oval face structure, the forehead is wider than the chin, cheekbones are dominant and the face tapers gracefully from cheekbones to a narrower, oval chin. Beauty experts say a well-proportioned Bindis of any kind look good on women with oval face. However, they are recommended to avoid extremes, as in too long or wide to maintain the natural balance and harmony of the face.
Women with Square Face Structure: A squared face has a squared forehead about the same width as the cheekbones and jawline. The dominant feature is the squared jaw. For such a face, beauty experts recommend delicate, long and circular bindi with more curves to elongate as well as soften the squareness of a face. Wide and geometric shaped Bindis are definitely a taboo.
Women with Triangular Face Structure: The triangular face has a jawline wider than the forehead. Besides, cheekbones are broader than the brow bone and narrower than the jaw line. Hence, bold bindis with a good width would help balance the face. Small or long bindis may not help to minimize the jaw-line.
Expert Advice on Removing New Bindi from the Package:
These days Bindis are coming in delicate designs with lot of work on them. For best results, one needs to be very careful when removing Bindi from a package. Some ladies prefer sliding their fingernail under the bindi until it is completely loosened. Some ladies even use a pair of tweezers to loosen it. However, one need to be extremely careful while using tweezers as one can accidentally harm the intricate gemstone work that might be there on a bindi.
Expert Advice on Placing a Bindi:
As most Bindis come with a sticker like back, one can easily adorn one's forehead with a bindi with very little practice. In case you are not able to place the bindi in the desired location in one go, you always have the option to peel it off and re-stick it. Most women have been successfully placing bindis using fingers and find this way extremely convenient. This is especially so in case of single bindi. However, to achieve precision in case of very small or delicate bindis many women prefer to use a tweezers.
Expert Advice on Storing a Bindi:
Some women do not consider it important to keep a bindi after use and prefer to throw it away. That is of course an option. However, some ladies like to reuse the bindi and others want to keep a collection of their favorite bindis. In case you really like a bindi and wish to keep it simply keep the original package it came in. Ideally, the bindi packet should have a thick piece of clear plastic paper that it comes stuck to. So, when you are finished wearing your bindi, remove it and stick it back to the paper. If it no longer sticks, consider adding a small drop of glue to it or alternatively you can place it in a container.
Expert Advice on Using a Glue on Bindi:
Though some bindis, have a very good sticking power and may stick securely several times some others do not remain glued to the skin even for a day. Experts say, the natural oils from skin removes the sticky backing and hence one may require adding some glue to it. It is recommended that one should select the glue with care. Only some glues available in the market are safe and gentle for the skin while others may lead to rashes and allergies. Experts advise that glues should be tested carefully before using. In case any skin irritation is notices the use of the glue should be discontinued at once! Ideally, the glue to be used for bindi should be non-toxic and must wash away from the skin completely. Some women prefer using gel as it dries clear while others use eyelashes glue for the bindi.
Expert Advice on Where to Wear a Bindi:
Most women prefer to wear bindi between their eyebrows. Some like it smack dab in the middle while others like it a bit higher. However, there are no strict rules and one can use imagination and creativity to come up with their own innovative places of wearing bindi.
Traditional Bindis
The ancient Indian custom of applying Bindi is very much in vogue even in present times. For, married Hindu women, a bindi on forehead is extremely auspicious as it reflects their suhagin or married status.
Use of Kumkum or Sindoor to Make a Bindi:
Conservative Indian woman still makes use of ages old kumkum or sindoor for making a bindi. In olden days, to get a perfect round shaped bindi, womenfolk made use of a small circular disc or a hollow pie coin. For best results, first a sticky wax paste or Vaseline was applied on the empty space in the disc. This was then covered with kumkum and then the disc was removed. This small technique resulted in perfect round bindis.
Use of Sticker Bindi:
Though Kumkum bindis looked extremely beautiful, most women, especially those living in hot coastal areas found it extremely inconvenient and cumbersome. This is because the rivulets of sweat caused the kumkum to run down the bridge of the nose making it look quite odd and un-decorative. Liquid bindis too were found to be problematic as they also either runs down due to sweat or cakes up unbecomingly. These practical issues lead to the development of 'sticker bindis'. The sticker bindis are made of velvet with glue on one side. Ladies found these extremely convenient and user-friendly and today sticker bindis do a roaring business. These are available in all shapes and designs and are the most preferred choice of women.
Traditional Shapes of Bindis:
The traditional and most commonly used bindi is red or maroon in color and round in shape. Married Hindu women use different sizes of this bindi depending on their face structure and personal preference. Drop shaped bindi is another very popular bindi design. Some women also go in for diamond shaped bindi. In present times, though bindis have undergone a major transformation and are available in intricate designs and patterns, traditional bindi designs have still managed to retain their magical charm.
Contemporary Bindis
A hitherto symbol of married status of Indian women, Bindis have undergone a major transformation in terms of their designs and significance. Today, bindis carry a unique fashion statement of their own. Hip and fashion conscious youngsters are not just sporting bindis with traditional Indian wear but also wearing them with western outfits. Eye catching, as they are, bindis are gradually but surely sweeping the West too as one can see young performers sporting them on music channels. As a fashion accessory bindis are available in mind-boggling variety of shapes, colors and designs. Besides being used on the forehead, innovative and designer bindis are finding place in belly button, nails, arms and even toes.
Latest Trends in Bindis:
In present times, the traditional kumkum tikas has largely been replaced with modern sticker bindis. The sticker bindis are made of felt and have glue on the other side. These makes these bindis smudge free and extremely convenient to use. Today, sticker bindis too have undergone a significant revolution. They are present in end number of designs, shapes and patterns. With Bindis turning into a fashion statement designer's imagination in terms of bindi patterns have run wild. Today, you may find bindis in the shape of serpent, skull, crab, butterfly etc. Credit for such unique shapes of bindis goes to the vamps in the popular Hindi soap operas.
Multi-Layered Bindis: Another popular trend in Bindis is the use of multi-layered bindis where bindis with more than one color or shape are stuck together to form new design. Creative women use their own imagination to form beautiful layered bindis out of their bindi collection. Huge variety of layered bindis is also available in the market.
Materials Used to Adorn Bindis: These days Bindi designers are also being innovative in terms of things they use to decorate a bindi. Sequin bindis, bindis adorn with pearls, colorful and glittering stones and even gold and diamond are available in the market today. Exotic and intricate Bindis dusted with gold powder and studded with beads are also quite popular.
Contemporary Forms of Bindis:
In present times, Bindis can be categorized into following forms:
Bridal and Formal Wear: Traditional bridal bindis makes use of "bindi sets" where the large or main bindi is placed in between the eyebrows on the forehead while smaller bindis are placed along the brows. Bridal bindis can be prepackaged sets, which are designed to be worn together, or a combination of a large bindi with several smaller "diamond" accents.
Eye Bindi: Another immensely popular method of bindi wear is the eye bindi. These are usually placed in the corner of eyes. Some place them in both corners while others only place them on the outside corner.
Eyelash Bindi: In the past few years it has become fashionable to also wear bindis along the eyelashes. This, of course, requires proper selection of bindis.
Nail Bindi: Trend of wearing nail bindis is gradually catching on. One can try wearing them along the edge of nails or placing flat ones on the nail itself. Experts say that one must use especially created nail bindis for adorning nails.
Nose Bindi: Nose Bindi is also a very popular form of bindi wear. Using a small bindi works best on the nose. Often the small "diamond" accents are used but at times several smaller bindis in different styles work well too. Nose bindis have emerged as the convenient alternative to magnetic backing of fake nose rings.
Belly Button Bindi: The trend of belly button exposure has lead to the creation of belly button bindis in trendy avatars. Fashionistas are finding belly button bindis a stylish way to sparkle up the navel. There are no rules for this one and one either purchase special belly button bindi or get creative and make her own using a collection of bindis.
Face Bindi: Beauty experts are looking for more interesting places of wearing bindis apart from the centre of the eyebrows. Get imaginative and make your own style statement.
Bindis Price Range:
Price of Bindis varies tremendously depending on the intricacy of the design, finish and the materials used to decorate it. The price of ordinary sticker bindis range from Rs2 to Rs15 for a pack while pearl studded, stone and diamond embedded, enamel encrusted bindis are priced anywhere between Rs50 and Rs75 for about 8 to 10 bindis that come in one packet. Semi-precious kundan and meenakari gold plated bindi have found way into jewelry shops and are priced between Rs500 and Rs2000. Bottles of special glue are sold along with these bindis to allow re-use, as the sticking capacity wears off after a couple of uses.
Buying Bindis Online:
Traditionally, women have been shopping from bindi from cosmetic shops, or shops that specialize in selling only bindis or from the kiosks in local markets but in the present technologically advanced age, one can shop for bindis online. Various bindi manufacturers and designers have set up their own bindi shopping sites where one can select bindis by browsing through the catalogue.
Bindi (pronounced as bin-dee) comes from the Sanskrit word 'bindu' meaning a dot or drop. The other popular Indian terms for Bindi are 'pottu', 'tika', 'tilak', 'tilakam' and 'kumkum'. Traditional Indians, mostly women wear Bindi or a small red dot on their forehead in between the eye-brows. For Indians, Bindi is not merely an ornamental substance and carries tremendous social and religious significance. In North India, it is considered mandatory for married women to wear Bindis at all times. Here bindi is used to depict the married status of a woman and is considered to be extremely auspicious.
Religiously speaking, Bindi is supposed to be representative of the mystic third eye and hence become the central point of the base of creation. Therefore, the traditional red dot (often made with tikka powder or vermillion) can be seen on men and women alike. When visiting a temple, it is common for the priest to mark, men, women and children with this mark using his finger. While a small dot is applied on women's forehead, a tilak or longish red mark us usually applied on the forehead of the man.
It is fascinating to note that the traditional red dot which has always been the muse of poets has undergone major transformation in modern times. While, keeping intact its socio-religious significance bindi has managed to become an important fashion accessory of modern Indian women, married or unmarried. These days , Bindis are being worn not just with traditional Indian dresses like salwar-suits, sarees and lehangas but are also worn with western outfits. Today, Bindis are available in designer avatars. Major catalyst behind this transformation was the replacement of age-old kumkum Bindis with convenient sticker Bindis. These days Bindis are being adorned with gold, silver, pearl and even diamonds. There is a a huge variety in terms of designs besides in present times Bindis are not just used to adorn the forehead but are also being used to caste attention on other body parts like nose, belly button, eyelashes, eyebrows etc.
History & Significance of Bindis
The word 'Bindi' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'bindu' or a drop and suggests the mystic third eye of a person. Since ancient times, Bindi is the most visually fascinating in all form of body decoration in India. The most astonishing factor about bindis besides the limited amount of literature that exists on it, is the attitude of people towards it. Here is an attempt to understand the history and significance of Bindi for Hindu community.
Use of Bindi in Ancient Times:
In ancient India, garlands were an important part of the evening dress of both men and women. This was often accompanied by 'Visesakachhedya', i.e., painting the forehead with a bindi or 'tilaka'. In those days, thin and tender leaves used to be cut into different shapes and pasted upon the forehead. These leafy bindis were also known by various names - 'Patrachhedya', 'Patralekha', 'Patrabhanga' or 'Patramanjari'. Such natural stuff and sandal paste was used for adorning not only the forehead but also on the chin, neck, palm, breast besides other parts of the body.
Significance of the Position of Bindi:
Scientifically speaking, the very positioning of the bindi in between the eyebrows is significant. Experts say the area between the eyebrows is the seat of latent wisdom and is known as the "Agna" (the 6th chakra) meaning "command". The area is called agna chakra because it is said to control various levels of concentration attained through meditation. The central point of this area is the "Bindu" wherein all experience is gathered in total concentration. Those knowledgeable in Tantric tradition say that during meditation, the "kundalini" or the latent energy that lies at the base of the spine is awakened and rises to the point of sahasrara (7th chakra) situated in the head or brain. The central point, the bindu, becomes therefore a possible outlet for this potent energy. It is believed that the red kumkum lies between the eyebrows to retain energy in the human body.
Myths and Significance Regarding the Color Red:
The most important and commonly used color of Bindi is red. Scholars say the color red is significant as it represents Shakti or strength. Other believe that red is most important in bindis as it symbolizes love. However, some scholars have seen the red colour as a symbolism for blood. We are told that in ancient times, in Aryan society, a groom used to apply his blood, on his bride's forehead as recognition of wedlock. The existing practice among Indian women of applying a round shaped red Tilaka called Bindiya or Kumkum could be a survival of this.
The other theory regarding red color bindi is that red colour symbolizes the far more ancient practice of offering blood sacrifices to propitiate the Gods - particularly the Goddess Shakti. In time, communities put an end to actual sacrifices and offered gifts instead, but the colour red remained.
The other logic given by some scholars is that Bindi, which is often described as Sindhura or Tilaka means red, and Gandha which is also a term for Tilaka means pleasant odour.
Reflect the Status of a Married Woman:
In North India, it is essential for a married woman to wear Bindi. Hence application of Bindi denotes the woman's married status. The decked North Indian bride steps over the threshold of her married home, resplendent with the red bindi on her forehead. The red color is supposed to augur prosperity for the home she is entering. However, the same does not hold true for women in South India, as here it is a prerogative of all girls to wear a bindi. Significantly when an Indian woman has the misfortune of becoming a widow she has to stop wearing this mark.
Significance of Application of Tilak by Men:
Among men, the Tilaka has been traditionally interpreted as a good luck charm. In several Hindu communities, the bridegroom's make-up is considered incomplete without the Tilaka.
Significance of Using Red with Yellow:
Red kumkum and the yellow turmeric are placed side by side in temples or in any homes during a celebration. This is because the yellow of the turmeric has the power to influence the intellect. In several Hindu communities, red kumkum is offered to women with yellow turmeric at the time of leave-taking. The gesture is said to express goodwill and the host's prayers for the visitor's continued good fortune.
Historical Significance of Kumkum:
Tradition of applying Kumkum is said to be 5000 years old. Instance of the practice of placing kumkum is mentioned in ancient texts like the Puranas, Lalitha Sahasranamam, Soundarya Lahhari etc. Besides, it has been told that Radha turned the kumkum into a flame- like design on her forehead. Draupadi, in despair and disillusion, wiped the kumkum off her forehead on that dark day at Hastinapur.
The use of Kumkum attains special importance in temples dedicated to Shakti, Lakshmi and in other Vaishnavite temples. Kumkum is of special significance of Fridays and special occasions.
In the old days, materials like chandhanam, aguru, kasturi, kumkum and sindoor were used to make the tika. Women also ground saffron together with the kusumbha flower to create a paste to use on their foreheads.
How is Kumkum Different from Sindoor?
Kumkum and sindoor are prepared from two different materials. While Kumkum is made of red turmeric, Sindoor, which is worn on the centre parting of the hair, is made of zinc oxide.
In Indian culture, both sindoor and kumkum are auspicious. Both stand for good fortune and signs of "Soubhagya" in the case of a married woman. Therefore, women who had lost their husbands did not wear kumkum. Many married women would use turmeric as a substitute merely to indicate, not widowhood, but a state of mourning in the family. In some communities, womenfolk refrained from wearing kumkum during menstruation.
Today, most men wear kumkum specifically during worship or religious ceremonies.
Expert's Advice On Bindis
For the millions of Bindi lovers here is an expert advice on wearing, selecting, storing and re-using bindis. Please benefit from these tips on wearing bindi and storing them carefully and share this knowledge with other Bindi loving friends. In case you too have a secret tip to share on bindis please write in to us and help us enhance this page.
Expert Advice on Who Can Wear a Bindi:
While Bindi started as a traditional Hindu marriage tradition, today it is an extremely fashionable wear and is open to anyone. No matter what is one's socio-cultural background or age, anyone can wear Bindi if she prefers to do so.
Expert Advice on Selecting a Bindi:
Apart from making the color and intricacy of a bindi design, as the criterion for bindi selection one must pay attention to their individual face-cut in order to choose the most suitable bindi for themselves. Here are some tips for selecting Bindi for women with various face types:
Women with Round Face Structure: The round face is almost as wide as it is long. The greatest width is at the cheeks and facial lines are curved. Experts say, small and long Bindis are ideal for women with round face, as it will help to create the illusion of angles. Likewise, ladies with round face must avoid circular and squarish Bindis.
Women with Oval Face Structure: In women with oval face structure, the forehead is wider than the chin, cheekbones are dominant and the face tapers gracefully from cheekbones to a narrower, oval chin. Beauty experts say a well-proportioned Bindis of any kind look good on women with oval face. However, they are recommended to avoid extremes, as in too long or wide to maintain the natural balance and harmony of the face.
Women with Square Face Structure: A squared face has a squared forehead about the same width as the cheekbones and jawline. The dominant feature is the squared jaw. For such a face, beauty experts recommend delicate, long and circular bindi with more curves to elongate as well as soften the squareness of a face. Wide and geometric shaped Bindis are definitely a taboo.
Women with Triangular Face Structure: The triangular face has a jawline wider than the forehead. Besides, cheekbones are broader than the brow bone and narrower than the jaw line. Hence, bold bindis with a good width would help balance the face. Small or long bindis may not help to minimize the jaw-line.
Expert Advice on Removing New Bindi from the Package:
These days Bindis are coming in delicate designs with lot of work on them. For best results, one needs to be very careful when removing Bindi from a package. Some ladies prefer sliding their fingernail under the bindi until it is completely loosened. Some ladies even use a pair of tweezers to loosen it. However, one need to be extremely careful while using tweezers as one can accidentally harm the intricate gemstone work that might be there on a bindi.
Expert Advice on Placing a Bindi:
As most Bindis come with a sticker like back, one can easily adorn one's forehead with a bindi with very little practice. In case you are not able to place the bindi in the desired location in one go, you always have the option to peel it off and re-stick it. Most women have been successfully placing bindis using fingers and find this way extremely convenient. This is especially so in case of single bindi. However, to achieve precision in case of very small or delicate bindis many women prefer to use a tweezers.
Expert Advice on Storing a Bindi:
Some women do not consider it important to keep a bindi after use and prefer to throw it away. That is of course an option. However, some ladies like to reuse the bindi and others want to keep a collection of their favorite bindis. In case you really like a bindi and wish to keep it simply keep the original package it came in. Ideally, the bindi packet should have a thick piece of clear plastic paper that it comes stuck to. So, when you are finished wearing your bindi, remove it and stick it back to the paper. If it no longer sticks, consider adding a small drop of glue to it or alternatively you can place it in a container.
Expert Advice on Using a Glue on Bindi:
Though some bindis, have a very good sticking power and may stick securely several times some others do not remain glued to the skin even for a day. Experts say, the natural oils from skin removes the sticky backing and hence one may require adding some glue to it. It is recommended that one should select the glue with care. Only some glues available in the market are safe and gentle for the skin while others may lead to rashes and allergies. Experts advise that glues should be tested carefully before using. In case any skin irritation is notices the use of the glue should be discontinued at once! Ideally, the glue to be used for bindi should be non-toxic and must wash away from the skin completely. Some women prefer using gel as it dries clear while others use eyelashes glue for the bindi.
Expert Advice on Where to Wear a Bindi:
Most women prefer to wear bindi between their eyebrows. Some like it smack dab in the middle while others like it a bit higher. However, there are no strict rules and one can use imagination and creativity to come up with their own innovative places of wearing bindi.
Traditional Bindis
The ancient Indian custom of applying Bindi is very much in vogue even in present times. For, married Hindu women, a bindi on forehead is extremely auspicious as it reflects their suhagin or married status.
Use of Kumkum or Sindoor to Make a Bindi:
Conservative Indian woman still makes use of ages old kumkum or sindoor for making a bindi. In olden days, to get a perfect round shaped bindi, womenfolk made use of a small circular disc or a hollow pie coin. For best results, first a sticky wax paste or Vaseline was applied on the empty space in the disc. This was then covered with kumkum and then the disc was removed. This small technique resulted in perfect round bindis.
Use of Sticker Bindi:
Though Kumkum bindis looked extremely beautiful, most women, especially those living in hot coastal areas found it extremely inconvenient and cumbersome. This is because the rivulets of sweat caused the kumkum to run down the bridge of the nose making it look quite odd and un-decorative. Liquid bindis too were found to be problematic as they also either runs down due to sweat or cakes up unbecomingly. These practical issues lead to the development of 'sticker bindis'. The sticker bindis are made of velvet with glue on one side. Ladies found these extremely convenient and user-friendly and today sticker bindis do a roaring business. These are available in all shapes and designs and are the most preferred choice of women.
Traditional Shapes of Bindis:
The traditional and most commonly used bindi is red or maroon in color and round in shape. Married Hindu women use different sizes of this bindi depending on their face structure and personal preference. Drop shaped bindi is another very popular bindi design. Some women also go in for diamond shaped bindi. In present times, though bindis have undergone a major transformation and are available in intricate designs and patterns, traditional bindi designs have still managed to retain their magical charm.
Contemporary Bindis
A hitherto symbol of married status of Indian women, Bindis have undergone a major transformation in terms of their designs and significance. Today, bindis carry a unique fashion statement of their own. Hip and fashion conscious youngsters are not just sporting bindis with traditional Indian wear but also wearing them with western outfits. Eye catching, as they are, bindis are gradually but surely sweeping the West too as one can see young performers sporting them on music channels. As a fashion accessory bindis are available in mind-boggling variety of shapes, colors and designs. Besides being used on the forehead, innovative and designer bindis are finding place in belly button, nails, arms and even toes.
Latest Trends in Bindis:
In present times, the traditional kumkum tikas has largely been replaced with modern sticker bindis. The sticker bindis are made of felt and have glue on the other side. These makes these bindis smudge free and extremely convenient to use. Today, sticker bindis too have undergone a significant revolution. They are present in end number of designs, shapes and patterns. With Bindis turning into a fashion statement designer's imagination in terms of bindi patterns have run wild. Today, you may find bindis in the shape of serpent, skull, crab, butterfly etc. Credit for such unique shapes of bindis goes to the vamps in the popular Hindi soap operas.
Multi-Layered Bindis: Another popular trend in Bindis is the use of multi-layered bindis where bindis with more than one color or shape are stuck together to form new design. Creative women use their own imagination to form beautiful layered bindis out of their bindi collection. Huge variety of layered bindis is also available in the market.
Materials Used to Adorn Bindis: These days Bindi designers are also being innovative in terms of things they use to decorate a bindi. Sequin bindis, bindis adorn with pearls, colorful and glittering stones and even gold and diamond are available in the market today. Exotic and intricate Bindis dusted with gold powder and studded with beads are also quite popular.
Contemporary Forms of Bindis:
In present times, Bindis can be categorized into following forms:
Bridal and Formal Wear: Traditional bridal bindis makes use of "bindi sets" where the large or main bindi is placed in between the eyebrows on the forehead while smaller bindis are placed along the brows. Bridal bindis can be prepackaged sets, which are designed to be worn together, or a combination of a large bindi with several smaller "diamond" accents.
Eye Bindi: Another immensely popular method of bindi wear is the eye bindi. These are usually placed in the corner of eyes. Some place them in both corners while others only place them on the outside corner.
Eyelash Bindi: In the past few years it has become fashionable to also wear bindis along the eyelashes. This, of course, requires proper selection of bindis.
Nail Bindi: Trend of wearing nail bindis is gradually catching on. One can try wearing them along the edge of nails or placing flat ones on the nail itself. Experts say that one must use especially created nail bindis for adorning nails.
Nose Bindi: Nose Bindi is also a very popular form of bindi wear. Using a small bindi works best on the nose. Often the small "diamond" accents are used but at times several smaller bindis in different styles work well too. Nose bindis have emerged as the convenient alternative to magnetic backing of fake nose rings.
Belly Button Bindi: The trend of belly button exposure has lead to the creation of belly button bindis in trendy avatars. Fashionistas are finding belly button bindis a stylish way to sparkle up the navel. There are no rules for this one and one either purchase special belly button bindi or get creative and make her own using a collection of bindis.
Face Bindi: Beauty experts are looking for more interesting places of wearing bindis apart from the centre of the eyebrows. Get imaginative and make your own style statement.
Bindis Price Range:
Price of Bindis varies tremendously depending on the intricacy of the design, finish and the materials used to decorate it. The price of ordinary sticker bindis range from Rs2 to Rs15 for a pack while pearl studded, stone and diamond embedded, enamel encrusted bindis are priced anywhere between Rs50 and Rs75 for about 8 to 10 bindis that come in one packet. Semi-precious kundan and meenakari gold plated bindi have found way into jewelry shops and are priced between Rs500 and Rs2000. Bottles of special glue are sold along with these bindis to allow re-use, as the sticking capacity wears off after a couple of uses.
Buying Bindis Online:
Traditionally, women have been shopping from bindi from cosmetic shops, or shops that specialize in selling only bindis or from the kiosks in local markets but in the present technologically advanced age, one can shop for bindis online. Various bindi manufacturers and designers have set up their own bindi shopping sites where one can select bindis by browsing through the catalogue.
