Special Mom’s blog

Image credit; Himesh Mehta @ Pexels

Does this picture inspire you to write something?

For the visually challenged reader, this image shows an old woman with a deeply lined face sitting patiently. She is wearing layers of clothing and a red flowered cloth tied over her head. On her forehead, she is wearing a red ‘bindi’.

Written for Sadje’s picture prompt #What do you see #195?

My paternal Grandmother wore the traditional magenta color Kumkum (bindi) on her forehead. I remember hot summer afternoons, she would be sweating and the Kumkum would flow down her nose along with sweat and she would wipe it off with her saree in the process her cheek becoming pink.

My Mom and my maternal grandma were a bit more modern and switched to a liquid Kumkum. I too was raised to wear the same but was told not to wear black but colors like red or maroon. This was less clumsy and on sweaty days it would not drip like the original version. As I grew these came in different colors and we had fun buying and matching our dresses. I still remember a tiny carousel with multi color liquid bindis, even in yellow color.

Then came the era of sticker bindis. This was much more easy and you can have one in your purse and these came in different sizes, shapes colors and even with stones and so many other decorations. Picking them up on road side shops was one of my favorite pass times and saving money for these luxurious bindis was every girl’s dream.

Once I moved to this country this is one cultural that I got along with me. Even in a Western dress I wear a bindi. But over the years I have learnt that I cannot tolerate the sticky ones and I have settled myself to the liquid ones. In fact, the original Kumkum which is supposed to be made from Turmeric (supposed to protect the girls from various things, the original purpose of wearing one) I started getting itchiness. The only bindi I can still wear without any kind of allergic reaction seems to be the liquid one. But not many wear this kind nowadays. If I get one at an Indian store it is usually dry and I have to add little drop lets of water to make it liquid. My Mom tried to mail this to me once and the courier service rejected it saying it cannot be mailed.

I have been asked what that dot on my forehead was multiple times by many people from parks to malls to doctor offices. One kid at a park asked me why I have a boo boo on my forehead. Yet, I continue to wear this tiny little dot (unlike a quarter size that my grandmothers wore) on my forehead with pride.

The picture of the old lady with a bright red dot on her forehead triggered so many memories. Isn’t she pretty with red dot even with her wrinkles?

If anyone wants to learn more about kumkum check it out here on wikipedia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumkuma