Fancy Bindis

Bindi is derived from the Sanskrit word 'bindu' or a drop, and suggests the mystic third eye of a person. In those days, thin and tender leaves used to be cut into different shapes and pasted upon the forehead. These leafy bindis were also known by various names 'Patrachhedya', 'Patralekha', 'Patrabhanga', or 'Patramanjari'. Not only on the forehead, but also on the chin, neck, palm and in other parts of the body, sandal paste and other natural stuff were used for decoration. An Indian woman can be clearly identified by the colorful marking called the bindi is placed almost in the center of her forehead right above the meeting point of the eyebrows. The popularity that the bindi is currently enjoying in Indian fashion cannot be matched by any other cosmetic. A majority of the female population-whether young or old, modern or traditional wears either the traditional blood red bindi or colored ones to match their outfits. Even in India it is only the Hindus who follow this practice of applying kumkum or wearing the bindi which plays a very significant role in their lives. The kumkum plays a very auspicious role in India. In north India, as part of the wedding rites, is the ritual of applying sindoor on the bride’s forehead and on the top of her head, where she parts her hair. The History of the Indian Bindi: