Why do Indian women wear a decorative dot on their foreheads?
The appearance of the decorative dot which goes by many names - the bindhi, pottu, tilakam and kumkum - dates back to the second century AD. The decorative mark appears on statues of Buddha and it can be seen in numerous ancient texts.
The mark was traditionally made from sandalwood paste although later versions used red turmeric, an Indian spice. The red was thought to symbolise the blood of past sacrifices and love.
On men, the red dot was referred to as a tilak and was worn during worship or religious ceremonies.
For women, wearing the kumkum signified their married state. In the past, widows would remove their bindhis.
Today the bindhi is worn decoratively by married and unmarried Indian women alike. Even stars such as Madonna, Drew Barrymore and Liv Tyler have appeared at awards ceremonies and nightclubs sporting the round dot.