BINDI : A traditional as well as a scientific fashion symbol
Years ago, people were so narrow minded about the bindi, because of not knowing the scientific reason, and also it is difficult to make understand the traditional thing in a scientific manner. Nowadays bindi is more than a traditional, symbol of religion or a fashionable statement. The term “Bindi” comes from the Sanskrit word bindu which means a particle or a drop. It is also known as kumkum, sindoor, teep, tikli and bottu.
In the ancient Vedas, the rishi-muni had described the chakras as the existence of areas where the energy is being concentrated. There are seven main chakras termed as the Root Chakra, Sacral Chakra, Solar plexus chakra, Heart Chakra, Thorat Chakra, Third eye chakra, and Crown chakra.
Generally, bindi is placed between and above the area of eyebrows is the place of the sixth chakra which is also the place of the third eye (which we have seen in Lord Shiva’s picture). The sixth chakra correlates to the mental abilities, psychological skills, and how we evaluate beliefs and attitudes. So if we put the bindi in the same place then it retains and strengthens the concentration. It also improves health and psychological stability. The red color in Hinduism represents honor, love, and prosperity so generally the bindi comes with the red color which also enhances the beauty.
The sixth chakra is also called the Agya Chakra which is the most powerful chakra in the human body. We can make this powerful by doing Meditation, Yoga, and other spiritual practices. If we do meditation then the goal is to concentrate and to focus on the region of the sixth chakra (the point where the bindi is placed). It would be beneficial if the bindi is placed at the region which equals to sometime of doing of the meditation.
Hindu tradition holds that all people have a third inner eye. The two physical eyes are used for seeing the external world, while the third focuses inward toward God. As such, the red dot signifies piety as well as serving as a constant reminder to keep God at the center of one’s thoughts. We can also correlates this concept to the Tilak which is applied after pujas.
In modern times, however, the bindi’s symbolism is no longer strictly adhered to. Bindis now come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and are largely used as beauty accessories.
Written by: Ishani Sheth (Instagram: @ishani_710)
Vociferous Writers (Instagram: @vociferouswriters)
