I was getting ready for a party, wearing a pink sari ...and as a habit I started off without a bindi ...My mom interrupted....Hey at least put a small bindi, you will look good!!! Hmm ...actually I like bindis but am not used to it in daily life...some people consider it as a fashion statement and SOME consider it against fashion.

This reminded me ..once during our native village visit most of the ladies were offended seeing me not having the 'Solha singar' and some brave ones even came and advised me to apply bindi and sindoor for the long life of my husband else its a bad omen. Okies....so applying a red bindi can prolong the life of a person!!! wow !! cool ....what about Christians and Muslims, their husbands don't live long or what??

Well ...its not all about this ...atleast I don't belive the religious part of this but the health part and the historical importance associated with it...I respect this ......I believe that our forefathers/ancestors were very intelligent and their time science was much much ahead of us....they knew lot of things which we are not even aware of in today's time..which we might call as miracle ..Since its not explained in the Science books of today....to make the common people understand and follow; the sages of that time used to associate things with religion ....which people followed blindly..But everything has a reason ..so did keeping fast (cleansing body), wearing bindi, wearing ornaments (pressure points)...everything had a scientific reason behind it.

Not going tooo much into depth and making people puzzled on what I wanna exactly say …I’ll keep this blog on one topic - The significance of bindis !!!

The bindi looks like a star on the forehead enlightening the face of a woman. Bindi, a dot worn on the forehead of a woman , is one of the most recognizable items in Hinduism. It is a fascinating mark of the Indian culture. Hindus attach great importance to the ornamental mark on the forehead between the two eyebrows-a spot considered a major nerve point in the human body.

Different names for Bindi - 
Bindi is called by different names according to its traditional uses and the places where it is used. Tilak, tilaka, tilakam, pottu, sindoor and kunkum are the words which refer to bindi.

Historical significance:
In ancient India both men and women adorned their foreheads with a bindi or tilak on special occasions. Sangam literatures of South India which were written 2000 years ago describe that in those days tender leaves were cut in dotted shapes and were pasted on the foreheads as bindi. The mother or the wife of the ancient times marked her son or husband with a tilak on the forehead and sent him to the war front wishing him success. 
Many people associate the red bindi with the ancient practice of offering blood sacrifice to appease the gods. Even in ancient Aryan society, a bridegroom made a 'tilak mark'on the bride's forehead as sign of wedlock. In course of time it has become a religious and cultural symbol of the married women. Nowadays it is used mostly as an ornament of decoration.  But in times of festival, still we apply Bindi on the forehead of our brothers, sons also, in temples, during pooja it is applied to all

Etymological significance:
Bindi" comes from the Sanskrit word bindu which means ‘a drop'. It signifies the basic molecule from which any life starts. Every being starts its life journey from a basic cell. The dot on the forehead of a woman suggests symbolically that she is the Shakti or the strength of every living being and from a woman starts life which is strengthened by her.

The bindi also suggests the mystic third eye of Siva on his forehead which suggests his strength and wisdom.

Scriptural significance:
There are many incidents in Hindu Puraanas which mention the use of bindi on special occasions. Lalitha, Sahasranamaa','Soundarya Lahari' and many other religious texts mention the significance of bindi or kunkum'. Legends say that Radha turned her bindi on the forehead into flame-like design. In Mahabharata Draupathi wiped her kunkum off her forehead in despair and disillusion at Hastinapur.

Mythological significance:
The vermillion, traditionally used for bindi,is called 'sindur' or sindoor' and has a lot of mythological significances. Sindur' means red- a representation of Shakti(goddess of strength) symbolizes love. The bindi captivates the lover whom she always carries in her thoughts. Red stands for fire-fire of passion, fire that has a power to destroy-which can be seen in many legends. It symbolizes the female energy which is believed to protect women and their husbands.

Religious significance:
Hinduism gives great importance to the bindi. A forehead of a married woman without bindi is considered as inauspicious or an ill omen. There are religious ceremonies to wear bindi. As a good omen, sindur is placed in temples along with turmeric (yellow powder that stands for intellect).

Cultural significance:
Bindi marks the vibrant life of Hindu culture. It is the symbol of prosperity. It plays an important role in marriages. Women ,especially married women, have to wear bindi. When a woman dies before her husband her forehead is adorned with bindi for her last journey to the graveyard as her heavenly life begins as a Sumangali'(husband alive).But the bindi removing ceremony from the forehead of the living wife when her husband dies is a heart rending one (Am not for this one!!)

Why bindi is worn on forehead?
Bindi is worn on the forehead between the two eyebrows because it is the seat of wisdom where the sixth chakra known as Agna chakra is exiting. It is he center point wherein all experience is collected in total concentration. According to the tantric cult', when the latent energy rises from the base of the spine during meditation, this Agna chakra is the probable outlet for the potent energy. The bindi is said to retain energy and strengthen concentration.

Bindi in modern society:
In modern times bindi is used by women and girls of all religions irrespective of married or unmarried. It has become more of fashion then faith. Many chemicals, metals, etc. are used in various designs. The round shape has undergone different changes. Nowadays even foreigners take the proud of using it. More and more medical and psychological benefits are exposed through researches.

Bindi is the mark of feminine divinity. It makes a woman adorable. It shields a woman from the ill omens. In general it becomes her Third EYE!!!

(Some of the information has been taken from net and I have no claim on it)