Bindi (decoration)

For other uses, see Bindi (disambiguation).
"Pottu" redirects here. For the 2019 Indian film, see Pottu (film).

Hindu woman in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh wearing a bindi

A bindi (from Sanskrit bindú meaning "point, drop, dot or small particle")[1][2] is a coloured dot or, in modern times, a sticker worn on the centre of the forehead, originally by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists from the Indian subcontinent.

A bindi is a bright dot of some colour applied in the centre of the forehead close to the eyebrows or in the middle of the forehead that is worn in the Indian subcontinent (particularly amongst Hindus in India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka)[3] and Southeast Asia among Balinese, Javanese, Sundanese, Malaysian, Singaporean, Vietnamese, and Myanmar Hindus. A similar marking is also worn by babies and children in China and, as in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, represents the opening of the third eye.[4] In Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism the bindi is associated with the ajna chakra, and Bindu[5] is known as the third eye chakra. Bindu is the point or dot around which the mandala is created, representing the universe.[6][7] The bindi has a religious, historical and cultural presence in the region of India and with the Hindu, Indian diaspora around the world.[8][9]

  1. ^ "History and Etymology for bindi". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 16 January 2022. borrowed from Hindi bindī, literally, "dot, mark" (or a cognate Indo-Aryan word), going back to the Middle Indo-Aryan and Sanskrit stem bindu- "drop, spot," it's worn by Hindu, Buddhist, Jaina and some Sikhs
  2. ^ "Bindi etymology". Etymologeek. Retrieved 16 January 2022. English word bindi comes from Hindi बिंदी
  3. ^ Khanna 1979: p. 171
  4. ^ Xiaoou, Yu (10 September 2014). "Guidelines for school entrance in ancient China". ChinaCulture.org. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  5. ^ Mercier (2007). p. 267.
  6. ^ Swami Ranganathananda (1991). Human Being in Depth: A Scientific Approach to Religion. SUNY Press. p. 21. ISBN 0791406792.
  7. ^ Shakya, pp. 82–83
  8. ^ Southeast Asia: A Historical Encyclopedia, from Angkor Wat to East Timor, by Keat Gin Ooi p. 642
  9. ^ Hindu-Buddhist Architecture in Southeast Asia by Daigorō Chihara p. 226