Bindi Designs: Simply Forehead Decoration? Not Quite.

In many cultures across India and the World, a bindi has its own significance and use. The word bindi itself originates from the Sanskrit word bindu which means a spherical dot, drop or a mark. Traditionally, a bindi is worn by Hindu women on their forehead, just at the centre of their eyebrows. It adds to the beauty of the face and used more often as a traditional way to decorate the forehead – but also has a deeper significance illustrated in scriptures and mythological records, the very essence of Hindu culture.

Bindi In Ancient And Mediaeval Ages

The history of the usage of bindi goes a long way. In ancient and medieval times, the bindi featured equally in both men and women’s daily routines. The idea was to wear a bindi or tika after bathing and before offering prayer to gods and goddesses. This morning ritual was known as Visesakachhedya, and involved a variety of leaves of various shapes used to paint the forehead.

According to mythology, the bindi also worships the intellect as it is placed right above our pituitary gland and controls all of our chakras, enlightening us from within. It was also adorned by both men and women as a part of a wedding ceremony – where the groom would apply a drop of his blood onto the forehead of the bride to sanctify their wedding rituals. Pretty gory, eh?

The Modern Interpretation

In the modern variations of these texts and scriptures, the bindi holds is a signifier of the hidden wisdom that is centred between the eyes. It is placed in a sacred part of the head, which is why most deities, gods and goddesses have a third eye. This third eye is also known as the eye of wisdom, a sixth sense that sees and understands above conscious sensory levels.

The most common colour of bindi is red. It is believed that red symbolizes power and strength, as well as emotions like love and passion. It is also a symbol of a married woman, with the red bindi on her forehead and the sindoor placed between the centre parting in her hair. The ritual of wearing a red bindi by a married woman is to protect her husband, as per Manusmriti scriptures.

But it is not an accepted norm across all cultures and religions of the world. In fact it is predominant in Hinduism and its sub sects such as Sikhismm, Buddhism, Jainism, Shaivism, Vaishnav culture, etc. The concept of wearing a bindi is absent and out of convention in religions such as Islam, Christianity, Judaism, etc.

Nowadays, the bindi is used as a fashion symbol more than anything else. It comes in various varieties and styles nowadays and can be found in diverse colours as well as options such as self adhesive types which you can just put on and you are good to go without the fear of the bindi getting smudged or faded.

The Bindi And Its Modernization

The usage and significance of a traditional bindi has gone through several changes through the change of times and lifestyle. The modern take on this decorative item is particularly popular only with women, and the significance of bindi attached only with the marital status of women is also lost or shredded.

Nowadays, a bindi is more of a decoration that is used by both married and unmarried women for adorning their foreheads. Though its use is limited now to the female population, variations are abundant. You can find bindis that come in various colours and designs.

In present times, varieties of sticker bindis have captured the market. The ease of use, variety of designs and forms, and decorative additions make them an easy buy. Readymade bindis are free of smudging or getting spoiled in any way. All you need to do is remove it from the pack and stick it on your forehead and you are ready to go. The decorations that are used to adorn and glorify these bindis include shining stones and sequins, beads glitters, pearls, etc. The list is endless.

Here is a list of bindi designs that you can choose from – for any and all occasions and use cases to complement your look and outfit.

1. The Vermillion Bindi

One of the most common ways of wearing a bindi is by using vermillion powder and the tip of your ring or ring finger. It is drawn in a circular motion and to master this type of bindi one needs a bit of practice and time. One also needs practice to place the bindi just at the centre of the forehead, right between the eyes, in a precise manner.

2. Stone Bindi

A variety of the self-sticking type of bindis which are then further decorated with shiny stones that sparkle when light fall on them. The number of stones and colours of the stones can also vary from one kind to the other. Most often, women prefer shiny silver stone bindis for parties and occasions.

3. Bollywood Inspired Bindi

Quirky and colourful bindis in abstract designs and forms are considered Bollywood inspired bindis because they are often flaunted by the stars and actresses in movies or award functions. They are often paired with designer clothes and accessories to fully suit the attire.

4. Coloured Bindi

Self adhesive bindis also come in different colours. They may have a single colour like red, black, blue, green, etc or they can also be dual toned or even multicoloured. You can choose from the styles and designs of these colourful bindis and match them as per your attire.

5. Traditional Round Bindi

This will be your go-to bindi design that you can flaunt any day in any season. It is more of a casual bindi that comes in different colours and can be used for both formal and regular occasions. The look of the bindi is quite simple. The only variation you can get is in terms of colours and sizes which vary from the smallest to the biggest that can cover your forehead.

6. Red Bindi

It is the typical copy of a vermillion bindi with the difference that instead of a vermillion you use a self adhesive kind of bindi in red or dark maroon colour to adorn your forehead. It is the most commonly used replacement of a vermillion bindi and works well for women who do wish to carry off the traditional look but do not want the mess and the smudges from a vermillion bindi that happens most often due to heat, sweat and other conditions.

7. Black Round Bindi

This is one bindi that can be adorned by both married and unmarried women, irrespective of their age and marital status. The round black bindi is an awesome complement for cotton sarees with golden border or salwar kameez that comes in simple looks and designs. The black round bindi also comes in various sizes to suit the occasions and wishes of the wearer.

8. Bridal Decorative Bindi

No bridal make up look is complete without a bindi and that too, which complements with the bridal attire of the bride. A bridal decorative bindi is quite prominent in size and has embellishments such as stones, sequins, glitter, sparkles and studs to make it even prettier. These bindis are elaborately designed to suit the occasion and can be stored in separate containers for months, to be used and re-used.

9. Paisley Designed Bindi

Inspired from paisley designs, these bindis look beautiful for grand occasions when you are really wishing to dress up nicely in your heavy sarees or lehangas. At that point, going plain Jane with your bindi is not a good thing to decide upon. You can choose these perfectly styled and designer paisley bindis that come in various combination of colours and sizes and complete your look perfectly in minutes.

10. The Tika Bindi

The tika bindi is inspired from the roli tika that we get while visiting temples or during any festive occasions in our house involving worshipping the deities. It is applied using a liquid sindoor or a colour pigment, mostly in reds or maroons. First, the dot is placed and then it is trailed upwards towards the forehead for the complete design.

11. Sandalwood Paste Bindi

In many cultures of India, the ritual of using sandalwood paste for bindi and tika application is quite prevalent. Beautiful designs are created on the forehead and the cheeks, the chin, neck and around the shoulder for an elaborate look.

12. Alpona Design Bindi

It is a bindi design that is a must in every Bengali traditional wedding and the application of the bindi is included in the kone saaj ritual. The chandan or rice paste is used to make intricate designs on the forehead and face of the bride for a completly look.

13. Trail Bindi

The elongated design of a self adhesive bindi is called as a trail bindi which is sleek in design and can be styled with both traditional and western outfits, if you are looking a bit of a fusion style. They also come in various colours and shapes and are a must if you;re looking to experiment with various styles.

14. Sparkle Bindi

This bindi design is all about the glitter and shine, the bindi is decorated with really bright sparklers and glittering stones to add that look and drama to the bindi. If you are wearing very heavily worked attire, then you can opt for this bindi design. And if you are wearing something very simple, then you can glam up your look with this one.

15. Marathi Bindi

It is the traditional bindi design that is prevalent in the Marathi culture. The shape of the bindi consists of a crescent shaped moon and a line under it with a dot. The Marathi bindi is a must for occasions such as marriages and celebrations and you can see women flaunting this bindi with yellow saree, nathni and gajra.

16. Colourful Stone Pattern Bindi

Instead of using just a simple stone, this bindi design uses various types of stones in different colours to create a very fancy and shimmery effect. It is a perfect design that is awesome for parties, glamorous outings and other celebrations.

17. Layered Bindi

This layered design of the bindi is created using several small bindis taken together and held up in layers. You can style this bindi for both day and night outings. At the day time, you should stick to different colours only for layering. At night, you can glam up the look a little bit more by adding layers of glitter stone bindis to complete the look.

18. Crescent Shape Bindi

The shape of this bindi is a lot like the Marathi bindi except for the fact that it does not have any line and dot underneath it. It can be drawn or pasted and can come in various colours.

19. Arrow Shaped Bindi

The design of the bindi is in the shape of an arrow. It can come in various colours and sizes, with or without glitters and makes a perfect catch for parties and occasions.

20. Mirrored Bindi

Tiny mirrors are placed on the bindi for added drama and as the light fall on the bindi, it. It sparkles in full glory, reflecting the light and can look awesome when worn with traditional clothing.

Those are our top 20 bindi styles. For more ideas and feedback, leave us a comment below.

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