Bindi Trend yay or nay?

[Wherenextcolumbus]

I have noticed a growing bindi trend of late mostly with white/european people. So I wanted to ask do you find it disrespectful when non Asians/non Hindus wear the bindi for fashion? Personally I don't like it but I think it's better to listen to the people of the actual faith and culture before making a solid opinion. Also what about non Hindus with tattoos of Hindu deities or clothing with Hindu deities?

 

[Sumit]

So I wanted to ask do you find it disrespectful when non Asians/non Hindus wear the bindi for fashion?

I don't think any hindu will find it disrespectful.

 

[ratikala]

dear horrorble ,

I have noticed a growing bindi trend of late mostly with white/european people. So I wanted to ask do you find it disrespectful when non Asians/non Hindus wear the bindi for fashion?

mostly they will I assume be wearing a fashion type of bindi , which is not worn for any religious segnificance even by asians , so I see no harm .

Also what about non Hindus with tattoos of Hindu deities or clothing with Hindu deities?

now this to me is quite a different matter , concidering that ones clothing gets put in some rather dissrespectfull places like in the washing machine with other dirty clothes , .....not a good idea ! not the best way to show respect for any form of divinity !

 

[Jainarayan]

Also what about non Hindus with tattoos of Hindu deities or clothing with Hindu deities?

I can't really speak on the bindi part, thought considering the way body jewelry is worn today, what's one more item?

If the tattoo means something to the non-Hindu person, and it's done in a tasteful and respectful manner, I don't think it should be condemned. For example, before I fully accepted Hinduism I had ॐ tattooed on my right delt. Granted, I always had Hindu leanings. When Hindus saw it, they were amazed and liked it. As for clothes, I think the same thing applies. If it's tasteful and respectful and it means something to the wearer, go for it. When clothes are old and worn out there must be a way to dispose of them respectfully. I'm sure that the garments of the temple murthis are somehow disposed of when they become soiled or damaged from use in dressing the deities.

 

[Jainarayan]

...concidering that ones clothing gets put in some rather dissrespectfull places like in the washing machine with other dirty clothes , .....not a good idea ! not the best way to show respect for any form of divinity !

If I had a clothing item with any religious symbol on it, I would make sure to wash it separately from other soiled laundry, and treat it with as much respect as possible.

 

[Wherenextcolumbus]

If I had a clothing item with any religious symbol on it, I would make sure to wash it separately from other soiled laundry, and treat it with as much respect as possible.

Unfortunately I don't think many people who wear it for fashion actually have respect of the image or what it means in the first place, mostly it's just a pretty picture.

 

[Jainarayan]

There's not a whole lot we can do about it, either. One or both of two things can happen:

1. The person gets ****** off if we say something, maybe because s/he does know what s/he is wearing and why.

2. The person is embarassed beyond belief and gets ****** off.

It's a no-win situation. I have another tattoo in ancient Greek ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ, (molon lave, "come take them"). It's what Spartan king Leonidas said to the Persians about the Greeks surrendering their weapons. It's a very defiant statement, like "over my dead body".

OK... so I'm in the Greek diner (now that's a redundant phrase, "Greek diner" ) and one of the waiters, Greek of course, sees it and says gruffly "You know what that means?" I said yes, I wouldn't get a tattoo that I didn't know the meaning of, nor it mean something to me. He said "Well... ?" I told him, but I also went into the linguistics of the ancient Greek. It translates literally as "having come take"... ancient Greek said a lot with a little because it was so highly inflected like Sanskrit. Anyway, I'm showing off now. He huffed and gruffed and walked away.

On the other hand, there is a girl who works at the "New Age" shop where I get murthis and incense and things. She showed me a tattoo going down the back of her neck, in devanagari, but vertical, it's sideways. You have to bend your neck to the right to read it. What does it say? Beats the heck out of me, I can't read devanagari. But she doesn't know what it means either! She told the tattoo artist she wanted something "Hindu". For all anyone knows, it could say "yo' mama have face like asphalt".

 

[Wherenextcolumbus]

There's not a whole lot we can do about it, either. One or both of two things can happen:

1. The person gets ****** off if we say something, maybe because s/he does know what s/he is wearing and why.

2. The person is embarassed beyond belief and gets ****** off.

It's a no-win situation. I have another tattoo in ancient Greek ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ, (molon lave, "come take them"). It's what Spartan king Leonidas said to the Persians about the Greeks surrendering their weapons. It's a very defiant statement, like "over my dead body".

OK... so I'm in the Greek diner (now that's a redundant phrase, "Greek diner" ) and one of the waiters, Greek of course, sees it and says gruffly "You know what that means?" I said yes, I wouldn't get a tattoo that I didn't know the meaning of, nor it mean something to me. He said "Well... ?" I told him, but I also went into the linguistics of the ancient Greek. It translates literally as "having come take"... ancient Greek said a lot with a little because it was so highly inflected like Sanskrit. Anyway, I'm showing off now. He huffed and gruffed and walked away.

On the other hand, there is a girl who works at the "New Age" shop where I get murthis and incense and things. She showed me a tattoo going down the back of her neck, in devanagari, but vertical, it's sideways. You have to bend your neck to the right to read it. What does it say? Beats the heck out of me, I can't read devanagari. But she doesn't know what it means either! She told the tattoo artist she wanted something "Hindu". For all anyone knows, it could say "yo' mama have face like asphalt".

Hehe! "I want something Hindu" oh dear... Some people just don't get it do they? How funny would it be if it said something insulting to the girl, I don't want to say what I'm thinking just incase it goes against the rules and I get banned

 

[Jainarayan]

I can recognize the Maha Mantra in devanagari, but that was definitely not it. I wanted to take a picture and have someone translate it, but some things are better left alone. That which is seen cannot be unseen.

 

[DanielR]

I think Madonna started this trend in the West when she released her Hindi inspired album Ray of Light in 1998!

 

[Andal]

The bindi is more a cultural thing than a religious one. If Asians, Europeans, Americans, Africans, or anyone else want to adorn themselves with the beautiful mark of a bindi then I see no problem with it.

Now if they were wearing tilaka for fashion (that probably will never happen lol) then there would be a respect issue not because of ethnicity but because they aren't Hindu. If they are Hindu then it's all good.

Deities on clothes doesn't really sit well with me. I can't verbalize exactly why but I think part of it is disrespect and another part is there is a bit of an orientalist undertone to it.

Tattoos are fine as they tend to be meaningful to the person. We have a number of different tattooing traditions in Hinduism. The only injunction really that I know of is that images and sacred symbols should not be below the waste.

Aum Hari Aum!

 

[Wherenextcolumbus]

I think Madonna started this trend in the West when she released her Hindi inspired album Ray of Light in 1998!

...oh dear. This just reminded me of a funny but cringe rom com I watched recently called music and lyrics and it has a pop artist who has Hindi inspired music, and she barely wears anything and wears a bindi and thinks she is Buddhist even though she doesn't understand it. It's a guilty pleasure

 

[Wherenextcolumbus]

:drool:

Now if they were wearing tilaka for fashion (that probably will never happen lol) then there would be a respect issue not because of ethnicity but because they aren't Hindu.

Oh dear, I typed in "tilaka" in google and saw an image of Agnes deyn a model wearing it in a fashion photo

 

[Andal]

:drool:

Oh dear, I typed in "tilaka" in google and saw an image of Agnes deyn a model wearing it in a fashion photo

definitely face palm worthy... wow didn't think I'd ever see a tilaka of any sort as fashion...

Aum Hari Aum!

 

[Gaura Priya]

Fashion bindis are merely just for that: fashion. If non-Asian girls wear it, I have no qualms with it!

The marriage bindi, or the infamous red dot, which is made of deep read kumkum powder (or used as a sticker) is an indication of marriage. I would never see any non-Asian woman wear such unless she was a Hindu and married, lol.

Tilaka are mainly only used by Hindus... they're not as ornamental, and made of sacred clay (chandan) or ash (bhashma).

I've worn fashion bindis, the red dot bindi (for curiosity, but my boyfriend likes it anyways, lol) and tilaka in public. I always get stared at since I have Philippine heritage, but sometimes I'll just mention that my family is 'Manipuri' and that usually gets them to let go. XD