Kumkuma Rajarajeshwari Devi

[Guest guest]

Dear Suvasiniarchitapriya Bandhavas,

 

 

 

 

 

 

'Bindi' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'bindu' or a drop, and suggests the mystic third eye of a person. In ancient India, garlands were an important part of the evening-dress of both men and women. This was often accompanied by 'Visesakachhedya', i.e., painting the forehead with a bindi or 'tilaka'. In those days, thin and tender leaves used to be cut into different shapes and pasted upon the forehead. These leafy bindis were also known by various names — 'Patrachhedya', 'Patralekha', 'Patrabhanga', or 'Patramanjari'. Not only on the forehead, but also on the chin, neck, palm, breast and in other parts of the body, sandal paste and other natural stuff were used for decoration.

 

 

The vermilion, traditionally used exclusively for bindis, is called 'sindura' or 'sindoor'. It means 'red', and represents Shakti (strength). Rajarajeshwari Devi is called Sindhuratilakaanchita which means one who has a sindhur-tilaka on Her forehead

It also symbolizes love — one on the beloved's forehead lights up her face and captivates the lover. As a good omen, 'sindoor' or 'kumkuma' is placed in temples or during celebrations along with turmeric (yellow) that stands for intellect especially in temples dedicated to Shakthi.

 

Kumkuma in Scriptures'kumkuma' is of special significance on special occasions. The practice of using 'kumkum' on foreheads is mentioned in many ancient texts (Puranas), including Lalitha Sahasranamam and Soundarya Lahari. Our religious texts, scriptures, myths and epics too mention the significance of 'kumkuma'.

 

(Radha Rani in deep reverie for Krishna)

(Draupadi wiping off her kumkuma!...Rajaravi verma painting)

Legends have it that Radha turned her 'kumkum' bindi into a flame-like design on her forehead, and in Mahabharata, Draupadi wiped her 'kumkum' off the forehead in despair and disillusion at Hastinapur.

 

 

(Bengali style Kumkuma application)

Many people associate the red bindi with the ancient practice of offering blood sacrifices to appease the Gods. Even in the ancient Aryan society, a bridegroom made a 'tilak' mark on the bride's forehead as a sign of wedlock. The present practice could be an extension of that tradition. Significantly, when an Indian woman has the misfortune of becoming a widow, she stops wearing the bindi. Also, if there is death in the family, the women folks' bindi-less face tells the community that the family is in mourning.

 

(Asishwarya Rai--Tulu Brahmin)

 

(Sundaramma-Havyaka Brahmin)

(Both these Southindian brahmins are beautiful in their Bindis!)

The Kumkuma bindi is arguably the most visually fascinating of all forms of body decoration. Hindus attach great importance to this ornamental mark on the forehead between the two eyebrows — a spot considered a major nerve point in human body since ancient times. Also loosely known as 'tika', 'pottu', 'sindoor', 'tilak', 'tilakam', and 'kumkum', a bindi is usually a small or a big eye-catching round mark made on the forehead as adornment.

South Indian Tradition

 

In southern India, girls choose to wear a bindi, while in other parts of India it is the prerogative of the married woman. A red dot on the forehead is an auspicious sign of marriage and guarantees the social status and sanctity of the institution of marriage.

 

 

The Indian bride steps over the threshold of her husband's home, bedecked in glittering apparels and ornaments, dazzling the red bindi on her forehead that is believed to usher in prosperity, and grants her a place as the guardian of the family's welfare and progeny.

Spiritual significance.

The area between the eyebrows, the sixth chakra known as the 'agna' meaning 'command', is the seat of concealed wisdom. It is the centre point wherein all experience is gathered in total concentration. According to thetantric cult, when during meditation the latent energy ('kundalini') rises from the base of the spine towards the head, this 'agnya' is the probable outlet for this potent energy. The red 'kumkum' between the eyebrows is said to retain energy in the human body and control the various levels of concentration. It is also the central point of the base of the creation itself — symbolising auspiciousness and good fortune.

 

 

(Sarvamangala Rajarajeshwari Devi of Chennai, SouthIndia in all Her glory)

 

That is why in Sarvamangala Rajarajeshwari Devi temple in Nanganallur one has a tradition of offering Kumkuma in a hundi and when Swami Rajagopala does the archana he knows what the devotee has asked and satisfies if it is a plausible desire.

Also outside kumkuma is not accepted and a kumkuma specially energised with mantras is kept and archana is done with it. One need not bring any kumkuma and one just needs to drop the kumkuma packet in a hundi and take the sugar candy in the temple and offer it for naivedya. The preist who has kumkuma with him will do the archana and give the sugar candy and kumkuma as prasada with flowers.

Only flowers and ghee is allowed in the temple. This temple does not have the tradition of breking coconuts etc and all is done as per ancient srividya manuals and as ordered by Amba Sree Rajarajeshwari Devi.

How to Apply

 

Traditional bindi is red or maroon in color. A pinch of vermilion powder applied skillfully with practiced fingertip make the perfect red dot. Women who are not nimble-fingered take great pains to get the perfect round. They use small circular discs or hollow pie coin as aid. First they apply a sticky wax paste on the empty space in the disc. This is then covered with kumkum or vermilion and then the disc is removed to get a perfect round bindi. Sandal, 'aguru', 'kasturi', 'kumkum' (made of red turmeric) and 'sindoor' (made of zinc oxide and dye) make this special red dot. Saffron ground together with 'kusumba' flower can also create the magic!

Fashion Point

 

 

 

(Sticker Bindi)

I still remember as a small child me watching my mother putting her kumkuma. She used to take great care it comes out correct.It was so beautiful!

 

Nowadays, with changing fashion, women try out all sorts of shapes and designs. It is, at times a straight vertical line or an oval, a triangle or miniature artistry ('alpana') made with a fine-tipped stick, dusted with gold and silver powder, studded with beads and crusted with glittering stones. The advent of the "sticker-bindi", made of felt with glue on one side, has not only added colors, shapes and sizes to the bindi but is an ingenious easy-to-use alternative to the powder. Today, bindi is more of a fashion statement than anything else, and the number of young performers sporting bindis is overwhelming even — in the West.

 

 

 

(Western woman wearing Bindi..guess who this is?)

 

 

 

(Azafran Saffron is the highest quality saffron available in the world

Literally in sanskrit Kumkumuma means saffron . For our use ,it is the vermillion used on the forehead of Sumangalis to indicate their Soumangalyam. This is one of the five items(entities ) used to refer to their SoumAngalyam or auspicious wedded state . The other four are Manjal/pasupu(turmeric) ,Ear Rings, Bangles and Thali ( Mangala Suthram ) . A Sumangali is never without tilakam on her forehead .

 

 

Rajarajeshwari Devi is called Nitya-Sumangali and She is the most auspicious of all women in the universe according to the ideeka and it is said if something bad happens to that Symbol on her forehead then ill will doom upon universe.

 

Kumkuma in south India is prepared using turmeric and sunnambu(Sunnam in Telugu) along with herbs and heated together. Kumkum and sindhura. Please note they are not synonyms.

Kumkum is a powder made of turmeric and sea shell powder (calcium salts) with oil, coconut oil is used where I grew. The exact proportion of these ingredients are unknown to me.

 

 

The combination is supposed to have a cooling effect on the person wearing it. It is commonly applied over the glabellas (bhruukuTi - the space between eye brows).

 

 

This corresponds to the 'aajnaadhaaraka chakra' - one of the ruling area described in praaNaayaama. Anatomically this chakra is close to/ probably same as hypothalamus - center for controlling all autonomic nervous system. The person wearing Kumkum this way is supposed to be calm, patient etc.

 

 

All Hindus are supposed to apply Kumkum daily. Somehow its use now, is limited to women. That too, many do not!! There is a misconception that only married women should apply Kumkum. That is not true. Girls wear them before marriage. There is no written evidence in our holy books prohibiting widows applying it.

 

 

Sindhura is applied on the frontal area- on the hair line. It is one of the symbol of marriage in some community. It is offered to Lord Ganesh and Hanuman

 

(Pancha mukhi Sindhoor Hanuman)

 

(Sindhoor coloured Ganesha)

The effect of sindhura on person probably the same as that of Kumkum.

 

Bindi is derived from the Sanskrit word "Bindu" or a drop, it is supposed to signify the mystic third eye of a person and therefore, when properly marked, becomes the central point of the base of the creation itself. It is a symbol of auspiciousness, good fortune and festivity.Some scholars have seen the red colour as a symbolism for blood. We are told that in ancient times, in Aryan society, a groom used to apply his blood, on his bride's forehead as recognition of wedlock that their bloods have merged. The existing practice among Indian women of applying a round shaped red Tilaka called Bindiya or Kumkum could be a survival of this.It denotes the woman's married status in most of the North Indian communities but in South India it is a prerogative of all girls to wear a bindi. The bridegroom's make-up is incomplete

without the Tilaka

 

 

 

The decked North Indian bride steps over the threshold of her married home, resplendent with the red bindi on her forehead. The red color is supposed to augur prosperity for the home she is entering. The mark makes her the preserver of the family's welfare and progeny.

 

Significantly when an Indian woman has the misfortune of becoming a widow she has to stop wearing this mark. In a woman's case a Tilaka is a sign of her being in wedlock. Among men, the Tilaka has been traditionally interpreted as a good luck charm. Since the main aim of life is to progress spiritually, every religion gives various tools for it. Thus, while popular belief is that the red spot on a woman's forehead indicates that she has good fortune or husband, the spiritual significance is much more:

 

 

(A rare photo of Kundalini Chakras and the placement of various Gods and shakthis)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The spiritual significance is to activate the agnya chakra. The agnya chakra is the seat of the penultimate level of consciousness in the spiritual energy system (Kundalini) as the spiritual energy makes its journey to the sahasrar chakra, seat of the final state of consciousness.

 

 

 

 

 

The color red is auspicious. Hence, vermilion mixed with water is applied on the forehead to transmit positive frequencies to the adnya chakra and thus, assist in activating it.

 

 

 

 

 

In earlier eras Satyayuga, the average spiritual level of people was much higher (60%) than what it is today (20%). Hence, marriages would often constitute spiritual union with the wife being evolved enough to be a disciple and the husband her guru. Married women would especially don the kumkum mark to denote the activation of the adnya chakra by their husband-Gurus.

 

 

 

 

 

The powder Kumkum has a lot of spiritual power in it. It protects the seekers who adorns its. Most negative thoughts enter a person through the area in between the eyebrows, hence adorning the kumkum protects the individual from these negative thoughts.

A Hindu woman with a large bindi

68th way of wearing vermilion Some women first apply the sandal-wood paste and then apply the vermilion (There are many ways of wearing vermillion)

 

 

(Lalitha sashasranama Kumkumarchana---saangharchane! Saanghajape!)

 

 

Kumkumaadi lepyai Namonamaha!

Kumakuma Haarathi Maa Amma Rajarjeshwari ki!

Yours yogically,

Shreeram Balijepalli

 

 

 

 

Purity, Powers, Parabrahmam...

 

 

 

 

Click to join Rajarajeshwari_Kalpataru

Start your day with - make it your home page