Wearing a bindi

[Ashoka]

I've seen a lot of online rage over the cultural appropriation of the bindi. What are your thoughts? I can see if someone were to get angry over another person wearing it as fashion, but what about a non-Indian Hindu who wears a bindi? (such as myself). Is it still cultural appropriation?

Namaskar

 

[Vinayaka]

It's not. You're a Hindu. It's part of your tradition. I know several Caucasian Hindus who wear them. I choose not to wear mine (not as fashion, but after temple) around in public because with men, its less common, and I just don't need stares and questions and hate looks.

 

[Jainarayan]

I feel the same way. I have thought about wearing it, but I only see older (and I do mean older) Indian men wearing it, and women of of any age. If I wore one it would be of a more decorative kind. Even then, depending on where I am, I could be in for having a can of Whoop-*** opened on me. I have thought about learning to apply tilak for going to temple. But by the time I leave temple, with all the kumkum, vibhuti, sandlewood paste and what-not I apply from each puja, I look like someone took a Louisville Slugger to my forehead. :biglaugh:

 

[Maya3]

I don't wear it either.
Very few do it at the temple, but it is there if you want. (I assume that's how it is at every temple?)

I also feel that I don't want people to stare, but more that people wouldn't think I was serious. I rather that if a Hindu speaks to me they are pleasantly surprised because of our conversation, and not that they begin speaking to me because they see it and then have the wrong impression from the get go because they don't think I'm for real.

I always wear a small OM and that's it, I assume people notice it, but people probably think I'm just into yoga.

Maya

 

[Jainarayan]

I had to stop at a convenience store on the way home tonight, so I wiped off the tilak. I'm not ashamed or embarrassed, but as I said, the combination of kumkum, sandalwood paste and vibhuti makes it look like I took a header, or that I have a raging infection in the middle of my forehead. :biglaugh: Of course I could easily use the same answer if I have to stop somewhere wearing a dhoti: "Hindu temple"... and then hear "but you're not wearing a turban".

 

[Madhuri]

I think it's actually racist to think that a non-Indian Hindu shouldn't wear them.

Other than that, I have no personal issue with the use for fashion. It shouldn't change the meaning of the bindi for actual Hindus. Who cares if other people use it for different reasons?

 

[Sumit]

I feel the same way. I have thought about wearing it, :biglaugh:

Men wearing bindi?? Is it bindi or tilak??

 

[Vinayaka]

Men wearing bindi?? Is it bindi or tilak??

Depends on where you are in India. I call it pottu.

 

[Jainarayan]

I've read that the words are used interchangeably these days. I have seen a few older men at work wearing a large red one. Not to be funny, it looks like it was made with a red lipstick. I have also seen men wearing a small dot. To me that is bindi; tilak to me is either the U and tulsi leaf shape for Vaishnavas or the horizontal lines for Shaivas, or dabbing the kumkum, vibhuti or sandalwood paste on the forehead in temple. I would love to find a pre-made decorative Vaishnava tilak that sticks on. Of course I could simply order some gopichanda and learn how to apply it. But that might be too easy.

 

[Aquitaine]

Out of curiosity what is the "issue" with wearing a Bindi, why would it get you funny looks or hostility?

I only ask because I know absolutely nothing about Hinduism.

 

[Vinayaka]

Some people are afraid it might be considered cultural appropriation, like wandering around with a feather headdress. And indeed, by some Hindus it might be. Bit those would be rare. I know a white Hindu (female) who has worn a bindu in a Catholic run hospital and hasn't ever had a problem. I think it may very well vary on where you live.

 

[bp789]

Slightly off topic, but what do you guys think of Bangladeshi Muslim women wearing the bindi? Apparently there are many women that still wear it, and they say it's not a religious thing, but that it's just part of their culture. I think the reason they still wear it is because Bangladesh was founded on the basis of being Bengali, not necessarily Muslim, although I think the trend is slowly changing though.

 

[Vinayaka]

Slightly off topic, but what do you guys think of Bangladeshi Muslim women wearing the bindi? Apparently there are many women that still wear it, and they say it's not a religious thing, but that it's just part of their culture. I think the reason they still wear it is because Bangladesh was founded on the basis of being Bengali, not necessarily Muslim, although I think the trend is slowly changing though.

I think it's just hanging onto the past, without fully knowing the original implications of that past. This idea is by no means unique to this situation. "You can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy."

 

[BSM1]

Has the bindi been relegated to the same importance as the crosses on necklaces? Is the intention there but not the significance?

 

[Vinayaka]

Has the bindi been relegated to the same importance as the crosses on necklaces? Is the intention there but not the significance?

In part, yes. As an adornment, it has no religious significance. But the true bindi, a mark of religion, still exists. Generally the religious one is kumkum applied by hand and isn't all that fancy. So you practically would have to ask the individual who is wearing it.

It used to say, "I'm a Hindu." flat out, as nobody else would wear it.

 

[Maya3]

It used to say, "I'm a Hindu." flat out, as nobody else would wear it.

This is probably the real reason I don´t want to wear one.
I don´t like displays that is too obvious. To me religion is private, if it comes up in conversation then I´m happy to talk about it.
But it is this outward showing of I belong to THIS group that just makes me feel a little... I don´t know how to describe it, proselytizing is the wrong word for this but it is a little like that somehow.

I have a really cool temple t-shirt that is made so it looks like a Ramones shirt, but it has the temple name and Shiva, Ganesha and Radha on it instead of the Ramones and band members.
The temple has several shirts like this, they are humorous and great, but I still feel like if I wore a shirt that said JESUS! on it.

Maya

 

[Jainarayan]

I have ॐ on my left deltoid, which is visible only when I wear a sleeveless t shirt or am shirtless (beach, etc.). Few people notice it or even know what it is; they probably think it's a Chinese character that is oh-so-fashionable to have. However, one young guy at the gym saw it and said "why you have that?" I don't know if he was Hindu, or even Indian, but he looked south Asian. I said "well, uh... because I am Hindu". He said "why?" I said "because it's right for me". He had a sort of mocking grin on his face. Ahimsa notwithstanding, I'd have bench pressed him had he given me grief.

Another time a young Indian cashier at the supermarket saw my pendant. It is not unlike my avi, but it is not those colors. Rather is it is copper and silver, with a black inscription on a gold chain. She said "oh that is so beautiful! are you... ?" and stopped short. I smiled and said yes, and we chatted. She said she knows so little about it (the faith).

If someone sees my neck beads or pendant (I tend to be decorated like a Krishtmas tree) peeking out of my shirt, all well and good. They usually don't know what they are anyway, especially white people. Only occasionally I'll wear my pendant outside a pullover shirt only because... well, it's pretty.

 

[Vinayaka]

In India I wore it all the time. Veshti too. It was refreshing. Never a negative expereince, except the odd nasty stare from a you-know-who. Here I always go to and from temple in the car in veshti and forehead smeared. But I toss a pair of jeans into the car, in case for some odd reason I get stopped. It's a hassle to change at the temple, but it would bring a new meaning to cold if, when it's -40 I got a flat tire.

But I really agree with Maya that it's like advertising if you wore it into a mall, or even just saying, "Hey, look at me, everyone!" Just immature.

 

[Jainarayan]

...it would bring a new meaning to cold if, when it's -40 I got a flat tire.

Especially if you went totally native and wore a kaupina. And it was a rainy cold. Wind and rain are like puppies being housebroken... they always find a way to get into where they shouldn't be.