Everything You Should Know About Bindis

An intriguing forehead bindi decoration for women

Bindi is definitely one of the most visually fascinating forms of body decoration. This ornamental mark is usually worn on the forehead between the eyebrows since that spot is considered to be a major nerve point in human body. It can be just painted or worn as jewellery on the forehead.

Bindi literally means "dot" or "point", which is derived from the word "Bindu" in Sanskrit. It's usually painted as a dot on the forehead, although it can be also done as horizontal or vertical lines, in different colours. It used to be worn only by married women, or for religious purposes, but it's now become a fashion accessory or a symbol.

Still, there’s much more to it than just grabbing the first bindi you find and placing it on your forehead. If you’ve decided to wear a bindi, make sure you keep reading in order to find answers to all of your questions about this intriguing body decoration, worn as forehead jewelry.

Although it's been popular among Hindu women in South Asian countries on Indian sub-continent, the practice and appeal of this decoration has gradully spread to other parts of the world.

As a red dot on forehead, bindi decoration is traditionally worn by Hindu and Jain women.

How to Apply a Bindi?

Bindis come in different shapes, worn as forehead jewelry.

Bindis are actually quite easy to apply and all you need is a little bit of practice. Bindis have sticker-like backs which means all you have to do is stick it between your eyebrows.

Even if you don’t get it right the first time, (unlike jewelry) you can easily peel it off and try to apply it once again.

When it comes to the positioning of your bindi, there’s really no correct way to do it. It’s up to you to find a place for your bindi you feel most comfortable with.

Can Bindis Be Reused?

If you find a bindi you really like, you’ll probably want to use it again. The good news is - bindis can be reused. Some of them might have great holding power, which means you’ll be able to stick it securely several times. More commonly, the natural oils from your face will remove the sticky background of your bindi and cause it to fall off. In this case, you’ll have to use glue in order to be able to wear it once again. Luckily, today there are many types of glue that are safe and gentle enough for skin.

Modern bindis can be worn as forehead jewelry decoration

Can Bindis Be Worn Somewhere Else?

Bindi can be combined with other forehead and head jewelry, for more effect.

90% of frequent bindi wearers choose to place their bindis between their eyebrows. But there are also some other spots on your body that might just be perfect for a bindi.

Eye bindis are something that’s becoming more and more popular. These are usually placed in the corners of the both eyes.

If you can have your bindis specially created, you can also make some for your nose and nails. A bindi can be a great alternative for belly button piercing as well.

What Does a Red Dot Represent?

In southern India, girls can choose whether they want to wear a bindi but in other parts of India, wearing a bindi is the prerogative of all married women. A red dot between the eyebrows is an auspicious sign of marriage. It’s also used to show true love and prosperity.

In some parts of India, the bride has to step over her husband’s threshold while wearing a red bindi that will grant her a place as the guardian of the family's progeny and welfare.

Classical ornamental forehead mark is worn between the eyebrows, which is considered to be a major nerve point.

Where to Buy a Bindi?

Unfortunately, hardly any big store keeps a large variety of Bindis. Even if you do manage to find bindis in supermarkets, most of these will probably be old-fashioned and old stock. That’s why the best option is to buy bindis online. There are many online stores in USA and Canada that you can find bindis at.

If you live in Australia, you can also buy bindis online. Most of these online stores offer you trendy and popular bindis which might just be what you were looking for.

With some imagination and right bindi jewelry, you can come up with clever and creative ways of decorating your forehead.

If you’re fascinated by this beautiful body decoration, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t get some bindis for yourself. Even though it started as a Hindu marriage tradition, wearing a bindi is today open for anyone, no matter what your age and background is.

All above images courtesy of Creative Commons

Author:

A guest post by Diana Smith, a full-time mom and freelance writer.

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