Also, you will always have people ridicule you and some who love you. How about anyone can wear whatever they want and everyone else can chill out? Everybody is looking for something to be upset about all the time. Who cares?
My forehead looks empty. My mother never wastes a minute to put the bindi after bath. Whenever I went on trips with my friends and relatives in India, none of the girls found bareforehead. They even carried packets of very tiny bindi. It feels personally better whenever other race women sport a bindi, whatever significance do they assign. It is worn even by babies. The red line in the part of the hair represents being married.
The third eye bindi corresponds to the pineal gland, our connection to the spiritual realm, and to Lord Shiva, Tryambakam. Yours is the most interesting comment on this thread.
My take, I think it represents the different kinds of ways that people think. Those who wear it would never ridicule it, and those who ridicule it would never wear it. For bindis that are decorative, usually worn with lengas and sarees to functions, do those have cultural significance as well?
And if so, can someone please explain to me what it is? Hi, I have a question. Is it still cultural appropriation if you wear a bindi as a spiritual practice to bring your focus on the third eye?
I am not Hindu nor South Asian, although I do enjoy wearing bindis for their spiritual significance. I look forward to hearing your perspectives. As for me, it is not wrong for writer that is not have any relation with Hindu to write this article.
This is just her opinion. As a Muslim, I think that wearing bindi is just like wearing hijab. It is about religion. If I see someone is wearing hijab and her intend is for making jokes, I will feel upset of course! There are also few non-muslim pupils in my college that wearing hijab when celebrating Eid Fitr. We are all glad to see her in hijab. In Islam, there is saying that every doings is based on someone intention. Black Americans, black people, Africans, Afro people … we go through this every day with every little single thing.
From the way we physically look, our dance, hair, language, everything. One of the worse comments i ever read was that black features are beautiful but black people are ugly.
My point is they do it to everyone and there is nothing we can do about it. Their ignorance is their leading excuse. There is a big misunderstanding here. Male priests of the greek goddess Hecate would literally castrate themselves and live the rest of their lives as women, just to honour her. Most cultures throughout history had tattoos, scarification, many had facial piercings in many cultures it was a means of growing up, you became an adult when your face was pierced, you gained favour by the gods for inflicting pain on yourself similar to bloodletting.
I also have a 13 inch statue of Kali on my alter, and a huge tapestry of Saraswati, so I do work with multiple gods from Hindu traditions. In the end, the gods do not believe in the concept of your skin colour, they do not care where you were born, they do not care what culture you grew up in, if you are drawn to them, they will teach you, they will speak to you, and they will give you gifts, placing them upon your path.
Ethiopia n womem and african women have since the beginning of time wore jewelry or paint on their foreheads.. It all began with what scientists proved were the first people on the earth…Im ok if everyone wants to use it.
People do not have to be of the indian race to practice Hindu beliefs. The nose ring and ear piercing is also of african origin and africans dont seem to care if india shares the beauty. Now, I have only worn a bindi in Canada a few times, for special occasions.
I absolutely do have the culture in mind, as I have spent many months of my life living in India, learning from an Indian teacher, and having him anoint my forehead at celebrations. I occasionally wear bindis that I bought when I was in India. In fact they were happy to be sharing their culture. I was raised in a Buddhist household and was taught the significance of a bindi from an early age.
My mom would put one on me made of ash from herbs to help me meditate. I was taught to respect the culture and people as we should for all. I have felt such a connection to the tradition and meaning of the bindi that I actually had my third eye position pierced with a micro-dermal implant.
Just a tiny, clear crystal that is always a reminder to keep me pure, thoughtful, and kind to all. Just like a meaningful tattoo. Many cultures around the world have them, and they my show their own personal, cultural, and aesthetic meaning. How do you know what race or culture someone is based on skin color? Would it change anything if I had dark skin, hair and eyes and wore one?
As much as I adore the aesthetic appeal of bindis I will not be purchasing any. I am in India now and Hindu women are trying to sell white, foreign females sparkly bindis. Also after having my Ayurvedic massage in a nontourist area of Kochi a few days ago the ladies did my make up, hair, asked if I was married and did the appropriate bindi, people were friendly on the street on I went and had dinner like it and no one seemed unhappy.
People travel a lot and are actually probably more educated on cultures than you think, being a foreigner in America I would imagine you would be aware of this and be more open minded to people adapting and embracing other cultures. My friend is from Chandigarh and every time she comes to visit England she brings me the most beautiful bindis. As a Hindu she has more right to wear one than me admittedly but is not offended by others sharing her cultural heritage and openly embraces it.
Personally im offended by Selena Gomez wearing one or anyone doing it because they think its cool. You should tread softly in this world and with reverence. Everything should be undertaken with a pure and open heart. Im an artist, a market trader and a mental health support worker. I sell incense and all sorts of goods from around the world.
Today im wearing a beautiful gold bindi I bought from my Indian wholesalers…. I would first like to state on behaf of my self and other liked minded caring individuals, I truly respect your culture. I am sorry and saddened to hear that you and other women have been at the end of crud jokes and disrespect. Im 25 years old and find such beauty in your culture as well as the Bindi. I would also like you to know not all westerners wear the Bindi or are contemplating wearing then, as I have recently been, are intending, nor do we mean any disrespect.
I have personally been going through an incredible spiritual transformation and with the Bindi as representation of the third eye, I feel a pull to the idea of wearing one in significance of my enlightened journey.
I feel it is a souful expression and I respect those who wear them in the same embrace, as well as other cultural reasons. I find it magical. I hope this message is clear, I mean no disrespecy to anyone.. All humans and all cultures are beautiful. What about Wiccans? It is widely used and accepted in Wiccan society. It is worn at or near the third eye. It wards off bad luck and reminds of the sacred nature of each person.
Is this offensive towards those of the hindu culture? I wish to ask some advice. She was 12 years old at the time mind you. My father is from Hyderabad. Trinity my daughter embraces the culture, loves being part Indian although not immersed in the Hindu culture with my white Christian husband who by the way has taught her to cook South Indian cooking. I am frankly hopeless in the kitchen. She feels the bindi is a sign of beauty and wards off some bad juju.
So my question is — do you think she is ok to express her love of her coolest and most beautiful roots in her words? I have to say I do get much flack in India when I go being half and half — and when I was a kid I was called alot of derogatory names for being Indian — but I have taught my kids to LOVE everything about Inida and their background. I would love to hear and respect your opinion on this.
Thanks you, Jyoti. I really enjoyed your Blog! I found it very insightful, and meant as a way of educating and sensitizing people about the issues of non-majority groups in the US. Western countries have a white majority that have never experienced racism or oppression unlike ethnic minorities. You will have never been mocked or discriminated against for wearing high street or designer clothing.
Whereas black people who have dreadlocks, Asians who where bindis, henna etc have all been discriminated against. That is why it is so disrespectful and hurtful to see white people who get white privilege wearing these things as a fashion statement and being praised for it.
I had no idea that non- Indian or non- Hindu people were making this a trend. Thia is very informative. I know we have missionaries in Africa that where their traditional outfits when they visit the US but again, is different. They live there and have for 4 years and they care for 50 plus children, aging from newborn to These kids are from Africa with no parents. They are doing this out of respect. Getting the news out and educating people on what is not offensive is good.
I would not want to disrespect anyone concerning their culture and religion anymore than I would want them to disrespect me.
I care about all people regardless. God commanded us to Love one another. We all should do that whether you believe or not. Just a good way to be. It will forever be a mystery to me. But hopefully this helped, have a good day. The browser froze. Oh, well. Namaste The Divine within me recognizes, and bows, to the Divine within you :D everyone! Peace and much love. I soo dislike Christianity. Even if we do not agree with what someone believes in, we must always respect it.
I hope that the people who are complaining about this article do understand this, and be more supportive towards the whole cultural appropriation idea. Tired of all the crybabies with no right to tell people what to do. Including the ignorant, the bad mannered or disrespectful … like the author of this ridiculousness. Why is a muslim woman getting angry about bindis? One would say she is appropriating an issue that has nothing to do with her: what right does she have to appoint herself the moral guardian of Hindu culture?
As a Black female I can relate. When I wear my natural hair in braids, of wrap my hair. I am questioned. Shamed And ridiculed. But let a celebrity do it. I can completely relate. I am Dutch and Southeast Asian. Yeah, that means my skin is very pale. But I enjoy bindis and their association with the Third Eye and warding off bad luck. I do not want to offend anyone by wearing them.
I am torn between wearing them nearly daily or not at all because of the comments I may get from those who believe I am too light skinned. It frustrates me very much because I am interested in my heritage and feel it is my right.
Any advice would be appreciated. Wear your bindi. I am completely Caucasian, and I truly love and respect the Hindu culture. I am married and meditate daily, I wear a bindi daily to represent my marriage and my third eye. I too get strange looks all the time for it, I live in a small country town where it is not accepted. However, I still believe it is essential for me to wear one. I completely understand where the author is coming from, but there has to be exceptions. Just as I also wear a pair of deer hide moccasins an old fiend made for me in the winter.
There are good and bad people of this world. My skin is also very fair, however I have always respected my Indian heritage. I have my left nostril pierced only after careful research, for my union. Many people have the nostril piercing for fashion but i wear mine without fashion in mind, it is a symbol. I am very intrigued with body modification, and am planning my bindi implant. I know I will get a lot of comments.
I like honoring heritage and religion. I choose to where my bindi on my fair skin with my head held high. I guess the author of this article must hate George Harrison. He also used his platform as a celebrity to organize the Concert for Bangladesh.
I wear what I want and think everyone else should.. Let people live and enjoy each others ways , foods, spirit ,and so on.. I have a question. I would like to wear bindis as a representation of my third eye and for luck. Would it be offensive if I were to wear a bindi? I ask because I would hate to offend a culture that I have tons of respect for. I feel you have every right being that 1 parent is South Asian. I am not, but I am Hindu. I have been wearing different types of bindis lately.
Such as the crystal beaded ones, the different colored felt ones and just kumkum. I get stared at, especially by children and a few times I have been laughed at by teen girls. This just shows the ignorance and lack of knowledge people have. I am half Indian and half Norweigian, and I feel like im on both sides of this argument and can take neither. My grandmother have me bindis as a child and told dm there were a symbol of beauty and good luck. Ivd with them all my life since a young age.
Because I look mostly white. I wear Bindis for cutural and spiritual purposes. Bindis also can be found in ancient Kemet aka egypt. There is a lot of history not being added in the article and how or where the Bindi originated. Western existence is based on taking everything from non westerners and ideolizing it for profit!!!!!!!
Westerners have been developing and progressing the world for the past few centuries. Khem you are correct and hit the nail right on. I was thinking that the Bindis was also worn in Egypt. I am hindu. I am christian and I dont say people who wear clothing or jewelry with a cross on them appropriating my religion even though i always use the sign if the cross for things on a daily basis.
Excuse me? Please do your research before this. Hindu is a religion not a culture. Easily offended and easily judging people! Overall you seem very uptight, judgemental and ignorant. Hi, I have a few questions here. I just want to see if my use of a bindi would be considered cultural appropriation. So I was born into a Christian family, but did not practice the religion at all, in fact I spent more time studying my dreams and connecting with nature.
I studied the chakras, astral projection, and meditation. I felt connected to Hinduism, but also connected to other religions, cultures and philosophies. Many of them share the same morals, and those I live by. I have actually had dreams where Ganesh and Saraswati appeared in them, and Green Tara. Dance is my main form of meditation, and I study classical Indian and belly dance.
When I wear a bindi, it is for a performance, for a song that has deep spiritual meaning. When I do counselling, I wear a bindi, and also during moon ceremonies. So I would like to know if this is offensive? I know what a bindi is. I am white. We are all citizens of this planet, this time around. While my culture is not South Asian this time around, I know that I have had at least one lifetime as an Indian man as I had a spontaneous regression.
I believe in reincarnation, and I believe that we will be a part of many different cultures and both sexes, throughout our lifetimes on Earth. It goes both ways. I will be sensitive to you, but to say that marking the forehead belongs to only your group, is xenophobic. No one says you have to live in Asia to be a certain religion, so why do you have to live in India to be hindu. I love my country. I alone genetically share DNA with people from approx 15 different countries. As a result of my ancestors migration to this country which is made up of many many different cultures I do not have just one influence or tradition.
Those who come here from other places need to be informed this is a new birth of a nation. We all bring something to the table and a new culture will arise in time. Anyone can be any religion they want, but people are born into a culture. There is a difference between religion and culture!
I know of the Penal gland the third eye also the culture I am white. Am I being disrespectful? Fantastic article.
It annoys me to see my religion being turned into a fashion statement. But when I see groups of girls my age wearing them, it just makes me cringe. If anything, as a Hindu I would welcome anybody who embraces my culture.
I think its funny that this article was written by a muslim, a culture where the bindi is forbidden. I love wearing my bindi because I feel it connects me to the women in my family, my grandmothers and ancestors. It certainly makes me feel LESS self-conscious and more free to express my religion and heritage in america. Lol yes I totally agree with u Poornima!! I love u for what u said! My Muslim Fijian Husband and I laughed at this article!!
You stole the words right out of my mouth! U go girl!! Thank you mrs khan, thank god there are some practical and not-tediously-politically-correct people left in the world. Wow, thank you so much for this response. I personally love India and Indian culture although I am a 17 year-old Mexican-American and currently living in Mexico.
I am going to wear a Sari for my high school graduation coming up and I wanted to go full out with the Bindi and henna tattoo, but I had to do my research and know exactly what a Bindi represents before wearing it and that was what brought me here.
I can say I was so discouraged! As a Mexican, I love seeing when people from other cultures wear our typical Mexican dresses and see people wear charro sombreros. Sometimes we are mocked just like all cultures are mocked but I do not condemn these people for being ignorant, it happens. We are all ignorant in one way or another but I am thankful for articles and insights like these. I absolutely love America as a nation its not mine but i think its telling that the people disparaging the article are clearly neither hindu nor indian with the exception of the lady below.
Thanks for breaking it down, I was feeling greatly discouraged by the article. I want to wear a sari for a special event and I wanted to try wearing the Bindi but in no means of disrespect or to ridicule Hindu or Indian culture. I am a white British woman and religious studies student and I have converted to Hinduism.
I wear a bindi almost everyday as a symbol of my religion, just like my Grandmother wears a cross as a symbol of her religion. You are Hindu so why would you even ask that???? Also it has nothing to do with color so why even take it there?
Are you trying to pick a fight? What about our products and lifestyles? Yet no one cries foul …or worries about it. These are growing trends in South Asia and among Indians residing all over the world. Many people wear bindis without understanding the cultural significance behind them, and claim them as fashion statements.
Since bindis carry a very strong history in India along with cultural and religious implication to millions of people, this should not be disregarded in favor of fashionable trends. This leaves us to wonder whether non-South Asian celebrities should be allowed to profit off of a religious symbol originated from the Indian culture. Avani is an avid reader and a lover of learning.
She enjoys writing and seeks out new adventures everyday. Her passion is representation and equality for people all over the globe. This cultural practice actually has a number of health benefits! These benefits stem from the fact that the bindi is worn at the point in between the two eyebrows.
This point has tremendous significance in the ancient healing arts. This chakra plays a major role in yogic meditation; many meditation techniques require you to focus on this point.
The pranayama technique of Brahmari , meaning bee breath, is focused solely on opening up this chakra. Apart from yoga, the ancient Chinese practice of acupressure also places great stock in this point. Ladies, you've probably noticed that it takes you that long to put on your bindi — you place it, adjust it a little and then press it down firmly to make sure it stays in place.
According to acupressure, pressing this point for a few seconds can relieve a headache almost instantly, because a number of key nerves and blood vessels converge at this point.
The trigeminal nerve, which is responsible for sensation in the entire face, passes through this area. This nerve is the largest of the cranial nerves and it has three branches, as you can probably tell from the name. Stimulating this nerve helps reduce the swelling and congestion in your sinuses. The supratrochlear nerve also passes through this area.
This nerve is a branch of the frontal nerve, which in turn is a branch of the ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve. It is connected to all the muscles around the eyes, so stimulating this nerve is believed to improve vision and eye health.
Stimulating this nerve helps keep your skin young and your facial muscles strong. The trigeminal nerve is such a key nerve that the medical community is now researching ways to stimulate this nerve with very low intensity electrical shocks in order to treat depression, epilepsy and post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD.
By pressing this nerve for a few seconds every day, you can prevent these conditions in the first place!
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