Ha.. ha... I am not the voice for 78% of Indian Christians but only for myself.
So when I started to get bothered over my blank forehead that had a lot of space, I realized that I better be ahead of the bus to understand why Hindus wear Bindi, though I know it's no use like how they claimed about "drugs" in name of sastram.
Why Hindu women keep Bindis or Sindoor?
Both are different, as they say, is based on the location, and probably, the type of material to colour it. It is placed on the forehead at the center spot between the two eyebrows.
It's fashion these days! But is more of a cultural and signature for women and its Hindu tradition!
Benefits:
Bindi relieves headache.
Bindi clears sinuses in the forehead.
Bindi improves vision and eye health.
Bindi rejuvenates the facial skin to look young.
Bindi has an aroma because of the material used and it also relaxes because of the acupressure thereby preventing depression.
Bindi improves hearing.
Bindi will help to reduce stress, eye strain, fatigue, and insomnia.
Bindi boosts memory and concentration.
Bindi improves intuition and awareness.
Well, now coming to the point of why Christians do not keep Bindi?
Simple.
It's mostly a Hindu tradition that Christians do not want to follow as it has religious significance.
They should have adopted by observing the women missionaries who came to India spreading the word of God who is not used to wearing Bindis.
Bindi is removed in widowed women and is part of the patriarchal societal system. But in Christianity women do not lose their significant position in society, for if you remember Jesus has fought for a prostitute to all the men who threw stones at her and have healed many women. Single women were also common. For God marital status was insignificant. God kept women on par with men. This is why he made Eve from Adam's rib and not the tarsals of his ankle. So the death of a husband is not stigmatized and ritualized against her to isolate her socially. Widows are allowed to remarry. So Bindi is not worn not to differentiate women based on her marital status.
Some of my Christian friends have discussed this when I was in college - I have always asked them to shut up and stop bothering me as I have a better business - they told me that is because of the cross that is blessed during baptism and every Holy Communion. They think it is not right to have something applied, especially because they have related it to Hindu culture and God, on top of God's blessing in the form of the Cross, on which Jesus died for us.
Ask me why I don't wear it? Because my mother doesn't wear one.
Beyond that, I cannot tolerate it spreading and slipping on my face or have the patience to spend time placing one on my forehead. I don't want that material to give me the confidence and a beauty appeal to my face.
I have worn this stuff on my head on a few occasions - when I staged for Bharatanatyam as a child, then during my farewell at school when my sister's friend wanted to have her final touch on me, and lastly when I staged for dramatics as a Brahmin girl at college. But I always think, if I had continued my Bharatanatyam classes, I would have danced without Bindi to experiment especially for Christian Carnatic compositions.
Above all, if you ask me to keep Bindi, I will say a "Please, No, thank you!" Basically because I don't find a need to dress up myself with that extra stuff on my forehead!
