Bindi
The dot worn between the eyebrows, once a sign of marriage and now of beauty.
Also: pottu, tikli
The bindi is a dot worn at the centre of the forehead, between the eyebrows, a point many Hindus call the place of inner sight. It was once a mark of marriage, in red, and later became a decorative accessory in many colours and shapes, with stick-on versions in felt and jewels. Girls and unmarried women wear it too, and in many families a first bindi is part of a girl's coming of age. Outside India it has been worn as fashion by people of all backgrounds, though some Hindus ask that it be treated with its meaning in mind.
Region: South Asia