BINDIYA CHAMKEGI....

There are so many Bollywood songs about Bindi/Bindiya. For us Indians, the bindi has always been part of us. For the older generation, it’s our culture; for the younger generation, it’s aesthetic and ethnic. Whereas the western world has always been intrigued by this adornment. We Indians believe in our age-old traditions. It’s not wrong to say that the traditions we follow are mostly based on some sort of scientific basis. Therefore, the same goes for Bindi as well. In the Vedas, seven chakras are described, which are the areas of concentrated energy that run along the center of our body. The sixth chakra, which is the Ajna chakra, or as we call it, the area of the third eye, is where Bindi is placed. Ajna means "command" or "comprehend", so the third eye is considered an eye of intellect and intuition. Therefore, the purpose of Bindi is to amplify the power of the third eye.

In this day and age of fashion, we certainly have twisted this Vedic idea of Bindi. We use matching coloured bindis of different shapes and sizes with our dresses and sarees. For a more festive look, we use pearl bindis and diamond bindis, and the more we go, the more designer it becomes. But the colour of Bindi plays a vital role in Indian Hindu culture. As we all know, red is the traditional colour of Bindi, worn by married ladies as a sign of love and also a sign of sacrifice to gain the blessings of the Gods. Bindi of Chandan (Sandalwood) helps to relax our minds and improves our concentration. Then, Bindi of Bhasma (ashes) reminds us that the end is inevitable and our bodies will turn into ashes after all. A black bindi made of kohl or kajal is traditionally worn by unmarried girls or infants to keep away evil spirits.

In ancient times, our society was demarcated by Varnas. Bindis of varying colours were also used to differentiate men concerning their role and place in society.

A Brahmin wore a white tilak made of sandalwood. Brahmins were the teachers, and white, being the colour of purity and divinity, suited this distinction.

Rajput men used to wear a red tilak on their foreheads. They belonged to Kshatriya Varna because they were kings and warriors, and red is the colour of passion and courage.

Vaishya Varna's men were businessmen and used to wear yellow tilak. This was made up of turmeric and sandalwood. Yellow is the sign of practicality and prosperity.

The black tilak was worn by the Shudra Varna, which was the service class of society. The colour black has more to do with availability and is inexpensive for the peasant class.

Today wearing a bindi creates a statement of fashion not only in India but in the western world as well. Designers and makeup artists are inventing new styles every day. The famous singer Usha Uthup made a big round-shaped bindi a fashion statement. A few years back a serial Shanti became popular. Bindi worn by the protagonist enacted by Mandira Bedi became trendy. Not only in India but International stars also made the Bindi popular. In 1990 Gwen Stefani of the band No Doubt popularised Bindi. Katy Perry, Jessica Simpson, Ashley Judd, Natalie Portman, Madonna, and Miley Cyrus are a few of the names who made Bindi a vogue in the international fashion trends as well. Though Bindi looks beautiful with traditional Indian attire, now it looks equally good with western and fusion outfits depending on how you tweak its style.