Description
A bindi is a dot on the forehead, a traditional decoration worn by Hindu women. The word is Hindi for "drop" or "dot" and is derived from bindu in Sanskrit. The decoration is worn because it is believed to protect women and their husbands. The bindi symbolizes the spiritual third eye, or ajna, the forehead chakra. Originally, a bindi was usually vermilion red. Today, there are various types of bindis and they are also worn by non-Hindus, particularly in South Asia. Another word for the bindi is tikka or tilak. Hinduism is the predominant indigenous religious tradition of the Indian subcontinent. Its adherents often refer to Hinduism as Sanātana Dharma, a Sanskrit term meaning "the eternal law that sustains and upholds us." A general typology of Hinduism, attempting to accommodate a variety of complex viewpoints, spans the spectrum from folk and Vedic Hinduism on the one hand to the bhakti tradition on the other. The four main branches are Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. In terms of practices and philosophies, Hinduism encompasses a wide range of laws and regulations of "daily morality," based on the concepts of karma and dharma, and on societal norms such as Hindu marriage customs. Hinduism is formed from diverse traditions and has no single founder. One of its roots is the historic Vedic religion of India in the Iron Age—for this reason, Hinduism is often called "the oldest living world religion." The large collection of Hindu texts is divided into Shruti ("revealed") and Smriti ("remembered") texts. These texts discuss theology, philosophy, and mythology and provide information on the practice of dharma (religious life). Of these texts, the Vedas are considered the most authoritative. Other important scriptures include the Upanishad, the Puranas, and the epic poems Mahabharata and Ramayana. The Bhagavad Gita, a treatise from the Mahabharata, is particularly important.
The Bindi red dot
