The Bindian Question

If you are an Indian woman travelling abroad, get prepared to answer the most frequently asked question. You would probably have never given the subject due consideration prior to being the unofficial representative of your culture abroad. Just in case you thought that you could escape that, be advised—-you are expected to know a lot about the traditions of your culture. As a necessary complement to the Lonely Planet guide on your destination, pick up a copy of The Idiot’s guide to being an Indian. Nothing secures your ‘Indian’ credentials better than being able to answer questions that foreigners invariably ask. None of it will be current affairs. You are lucky if you enter the AD timeline.

The question that tops the list —in terms of frequency and irrelevance, is the significance of the Bindi. Before I try and explain why I do not wear a bindi, even in India, I spend a good fifteen minutes trying to sound like an authority on Hindu tradition . In the previous millennium, I did not claim any such authority, because I had not delved into the subject and was not well-informed. The past decade or so, as a result of years of reading , and talking to a lot of ‘experts’, I rarely let such opportunities pass me by. Especially given the fact that my explanations are never questioned :)

More importantly, having answered all the ‘historical’ and ‘traditional’ questions I like to bring my new friends full circle to talking about modern India and dispel quite a few myths there as well. Where myth, reality and tradition have achieved a unique level of interplay and interdependence; nothing about culture is truly ‘definable’. The history of the bindi is no exception. The significance of connecting the bindi, which could be sandalwood, turmeric or vermillion, to the sixth chakra between the eyebrows, is to control the focus point of inner wisdom—the third eye. This of course, was never restricted to women. In today’s day and age, most people do not associate the bindi with kundalini energy or chakras, but perhaps that was the origin of the mystic ‘drop’. It is fascinating that shortly before heading to the final chakra inside the brain, the kundalini energy can be controlled from this chakra—between the eyebrows

Depending on the context, the bindi or tilak had different meanings. In most communities in India, it has come to symbolize marriage, and could have been derived from the mythology of Shakti, the divine energy, always a female form and a conduit for prosperity and success. Perhaps women followed the mythological forms of Goddesses where the vermilion was used as an adornment and mentioned in scriptures, and this symbolism is the most prevalent practice in present day tradition. It came to be viewed as a sign of wedlock, much as a newly married woman was considered ‘Laxmi’, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, although it is unlikely this was the origin of the bindi. But it is perhaps the reason why most married women continue to uphold this tradition. It gives them a sense of security and respect. Much like the mangalsutra.

The tilak form of the bindi, is also prevalent as a religious affirmation and does not have any marital or gender connotations. It is believed to protect and is widely used as a symbol of auspiciousness and an affirmation of Shakti. It could be vermilion, turmeric or sandalwood paste—all considered harbingers of success.

Of course, in modern India, the bindi is a fashion statement in itself. Most Indian women feel incomplete without this adornment. Especially when they wear Indian outfits. The bindi is an industry in itself. One for every occasion and budget. It is an indulgence that most Indian women would not like to give up. Even though they do not attach any religious significance or traditional importance to it. Bindis are fun and feminine. When the average Indian woman thinks of a bindi—she is thinking of adornment. The historical symbolism is not something that is given much consideration. Having shared my own knowledge I find myself wondering why it acquires such an importance in a pardesi mind.

To alleviate my stress from the recurring bindian question, I carry packets of the funkiest bindis I can find in South-Extn market, every time I travel. Once I have rambled long enough, —I pull out a few bindis and stick them on foreheads where the crease of curiosity has been removed by enlightenment. Most appreciate its funk and feminine value.