March 18, 2009

3 for 5

The famous bargain of yore on Mumbai trains - I am referring to the sticker bindi.

I always favoured small, black and round ones (only with Indian outfits) . For a while, in college, I tried a large coloured one ( depending on the outfit) with a smaller black one on it


Then I went through a phase when I felt that bindis were really not cool and avoided them. (!)

Now I have reverted to small , black and round ones ( only with Indian outfits anyway because that is all I wear, given my girth)

I have sometimes wanted to wear a large round maroon one with a crisp cotton sari but chickened out . And I never could carry off the fancy variety.

Kumkum, kungumam, sindoor, tilak, tikka, tikli, chaandu, pottu, bottu, bindi, bindiya....know any other terms for it?

Here is
some on the significance of sindoor.

16 comments:

IBH said...

"nethikku" :)

Anonymous said...

i don't wear bindis... did for a while when in college..to go with indian wear.... i too hope to be able to carry off the big maroon ones with crisp sarees...someday soon...hopefully!!

Swati said...

try black/maroon long cutwork kinds ..i love those

Niv said...

I went thru the same no bindi phase for a while there.... and then used to sport huge long ones, during the arty phase in my life, have now started wearing small round ones...dont have a forehead to carry off the big round maroon ones....my mom does, shes the complete arty, ethi Indian woman....

DC said...

yeah, my mom keeps the big maroon coloured one.. not too large, but the size of a 5 rupee coin (the new one) - am so used to seeing her with that, that if she changes it to anything smaller I protest big time!

Mama - Mia said...

even i wear bindi with Indian ouitfits (on rare occassions i wear em) and now i like em big. not huge like dolly thakore or something but biggish! i have a big face and it works!

need to buy new ones! :D

cheers!

abha

Mama - Mia said...

oh yeah and i love the crecent moon shaped ones! esp with sarees! very very marathi! :D

VJ said...

OMG !! the "nethiku" comment by TBH above brought back memories !!!!!!
That show it was addressed in our family.

VJ said...

oopsie too many typos in my previous comment..I guess I got too excited reading it.
I meant IBH and thats how it was addressed.

Choxbox said...

chaandlo - gujju word.

i also like them small and black with desi outfits, went through a phase of big red ones with starched cotton sarees.

Niv said...

Hey, DC me too!So used to seeing my mom in a big bindi, that her face looks incomplete, if the size becomes even slightly smaller!

Alan said...

Dots. (Primarily by goras not in the know.)

Keiichi said...

What is a bindi?
Like a Saree?

Have a nice day!

Artnavy said...

my mom does nto particularly fancy wearing a bindi but we r so used to her with it that i object when she does not- she looks so tired wihtout it

alan- :-))

abha- sure u look cute in them

Monika said...

I used to waer bindis all the time for a couple of years after I got married. I kind of grew out of bindis. Now, very occassionally, I wear tiy silves or gold ones, usually with sarees.
I love the maroon ones with a tiny silver dot at the bottom, medium sized. Wore one recently with a maroon crepe saree & loved it.

Anonymous said...

So true about whatyou said about your mom. My amma never takes her bindi off and if its gone by mistake, I am the first one to jump and get her another one.I just hate to see her without a bindi..she appears to be old and tired. I wear a bindi only with the traditional attire, but my appa is dam against it..he says I have to wear one all the time..but he is coping up with me now