Indian woman with bindi

Collection of modern bindis

A bindi (Hindi: बिंदी meaning "dot") is a forehead decoration worn in South Asia^[1] and Southeast Asia It may also be called a tilak. Image File history File links Smartwomanwithbindi. ... Image File history File links Smartwomanwithbindi. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2816x2112, 3893 KB) [edit] Summary [edit] Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Bindi (decoration) Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2816x2112, 3893 KB) [edit] Summary [edit] Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Bindi (decoration) Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... Hindi (हिन्दी) is a language spoken mainly in North and Central India. ... This article is about the geopolitical region in Asia. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

Married Hindu women traditionally wear a bindi on their foreheads. The traditional bindi is made with red sindoor powder or perhaps a black ointment. It is applied low in the center of the forehead, close to the eyebrows. This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... Aishwarya Rai as Paro in Devdas with applied Sindoor Sindoor is a red powder used by married Hindu women. ...

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 Shakira, Gwen Stefani, Madonna, and Shania Twain have been seen wearing bindis. Hinduism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is a new religious movement based on Bengali, or more specifically Gaudiya, Vaishnavism founded by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, referred to by followers as His Divine Grace, in New York in 1966. ... Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (born February 2, 1977), known simply as Shakira, is a Colombian Latin pop singer-songwriter. ... Gwen Stefani (born October 3, 1969) is an American pop, rock and dance singer-songwriter, fashion designer, and occasional actress. ... Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16, 1958), better known as Madonna, is a five-time Grammy award winning American pop singer, songwriter, record and film producer, dancer, actress, author and fashion icon. ... Shania Twain, OC (born August 28, 1965, Windsor, Ontario) is a very successful singer and songwriter in the country and pop music genres. ...

Altenative names of bindi

A bindi can be called:

• Pottu in Tamil
• tilak in Hindi
• Bottu or Tilakam (in Telugu)
• Teep (meaning "a pressing") (in Bengali)

Sometimes the terms sindoor, kumkum, or kasturi are used, by reference to the material used to make the mark. Tamil (Thamizh) is a classical language of the Dravidian language family. ... Hindi (Devanagari: हिन्दी or हिंदी; IPA: ), an Indo-European language spoken mainly in northern and central India, is one of the official languages of the Union government of India [1][2]. It is part of a dialect continuum of the Indic family, bounded on the northwest and west by Punjabi, Sindhi, Urdu... Telugu (తెలుగు) is a Dravidian language in origin, primarily spoken in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, where it is the official language. ... Bengali or Bangla (বাংলা, IPA: ) is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from Prakrit, Pāli and Sanskrit. ...

Religious significance

The area between the eyebrows (where the bindi is placed) is said to be the sixth chakra, agni, 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. [1]. It is also said to protect against demons or bad luck. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Tantra (Sanskrit: loom), tantric yoga or tantrism is any of several esoteric traditions rooted in Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. ... Kundalini ( ) is a Sanskrit word meaning either coiled up or coiling like a snake. ...

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.

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. This article is about the geopolitical region in Asia. ...

References

1. ^ .Hindu-Wearing

External links

• Bindi and its significance

See also

• Tilaka