Why Do Indians Have A Red Dot?

[Lost In India]

I have seen so many women and sometimes men wearing a red dot on their forehead and would like to know why they do that. Is that makeup or does it have some cultural significance of some kind?

To complicate things further I have some times seen a dot that is creamish in color and some times they even have a few grains of rice stuck to their dots. Can some one please solve this mystery for me?

 

[samfad55]

Yes, I have always been curious about it too, I would also like to know why Indians wear a red dot on their foreheads I see it a lot in the movies, I guess it must has to do with tradition or beliefs. Someone should please come and explain to us.


Admin note : "I" is always capital.

 

[Tanmaya]

Men wear those red dots for religious reasons, after praying at the temple or at home it is customary to wear a red dot or what we call a "tilak" or "tika". Both men and women wear those after praying and it is mostly Hindus who do this. Women can be seen wearing "bindis" which don't have much to do with relegion or prayers but more of a fashion thing. There are different kind of bindis available in shops.

 

[Ilivewhereistand]

Bindis are like jewels you put between your eyes? I think people copied some of the Indian styles of fashion when they started doing different types of dermal piercings on their face.

 

[Elaine Lat]

This also aroused my curiosity because Indian women are stereotyped wearing red dots on their foreheads. If it's just a fashion thing then people cannot be mad for women of other cultures to have red dots on their foreheads too. I've already seen so many hate comments towards women who like to dress up in garb that is not usual for their own culture. I always thought that by doing so, we are promoting the original culture it came from.

 

[pravish]

The so called "Red dot" is called Bindi. It is derived from a Sanskrit word is a special mark for women and young girls in India. It is traditionally made of Vermillion powder. A woman wearing a Bindi in India, means that the woman is married and it signifies the happiness and wealth within the family. A widow would wear a black Bindi which signifies her loss. On the other hand the young girls are free to wear any colored Bindi. The round dot is which women wear is called a Bindi and the line which men wear in India is called a Tilak. Usually Men and woman wear Tilak/Bindi after a religious ceremony or after a prayer to remind themselves to stand by their oath to be true and Just when they see others wearing it.

 

[TiaraSy]

I read an article online about the red Bindi and it stated that this custom has different meaning which are simultaneously valid from a sign of marriage to the mystical reasons that were beyond my comprehension. I think your explanation makes more sense, though, Pravish.