Is the red dot…blood?

The Bindi (originally known as the Bindu) or in my language known as Pottu is that red dot that Indians wear on their foreheads. However, i’m pretty sure most of us are unaware of it’s significant meanings and usually wear it to look pretty or match our salvas/saris (i included). So, since there’s been so much hype on ‘cultural appropriation’ as well as a resurgence of a two particular memories, i thought it best to search what the real meaning of the bindi was.

First of all, let me begin by recalling two specific memories associated with the bindi.

Memory number one: I was in South Africa and an older girl (chechi) had a pallet of different paint colours that could be applied as a bindi. I remember not liking it because i could never paint the perfect round dot (still can’t) thankfully society recognized my and numerous other women’s struggles and so the sticker was invented!

Memory number two:  I don’t remember exactly how this conversation came to be, but a girl told me that she used to think that Indians achieved the red dot  by carving out a circle on their forehead and the blood formed the red bindi! I think i almost died that day from laughing so hard. That poor girl honestly thought that half the population of Indian women scraped their skin off! I mean we are crazy but we ain’t psychopaths! I then calmly explained to her that it’s actually a sticker. Yet, i still did not know the meaning behind this ‘sticker’.

So, the Bindi or Bindu was actually worn by both men and women which has now became a ‘women only’ thing. The red dot is originally made from vermillion powder and is applied inbetween the eyebrows. Interestingly, it’s application has more than one significance. One of these, is that, it shows that a women is married, similar to  the purpose of a wedding ring. Therefore, widowers do not wear one, whereas, young children can wear any colour they want. Although, this practice is not widely practiced.

In the Hindu culture, the Bindu represents the third eye that reminds us spiritually of one’s purpose of ‘self-realisation’. During this research i seemed to stumble upon a significant research that indicates that the middle of the forehead converges nerves, hence, in times of stress, this point is often massaged whether in Ayurveda or Chinese meditation. What was even more fascinating is that before vermillion powder was used as a Bindu, sandalwood and ash were used before. In terms of science, sandalwood and ash helps the body to keep cool as well as conserve its complete energy.

Fast forward to now, and we only use a sticker thats only purpose is to decorate. Therefore, if a Bindi is worn outside of the Indian Context, is it cultural appropriation?

Lots Of Love,

CurryScentedBitch