“What
is that dot you all wear on your foreheads? Is it a tattoo?” This is a simple
question I receive often from curious strangers and friends. Growing up in
India, I always believed knowledge of the bhindi to be universal. However, I
quickly realized how little Americans know about my culture. As I’ve traveled
and embraced other cultures, I’ve also made it my mission to share my own with
others. This documentary project is part of this attempt to shed light on my
heritage.
In the first
photograph, my mother wears her bhindi and a saree, a traditional Indian
garment worn by women. The bhindi represents the third eye and is placed in the
area between the eyebrows which contains religious significance. In Hinduism,
this region of the face symbolizes the sixth chakra, where negative energy
escapes. The bindi reminds Hindus of their spiritual eye which allows them to
see beyond the daily physical world. Only by using this eye do Hindus reach God. My mother also wears a sari, an icon of Indian culture. Although saris have slowly become
fashion statements, they retain a certain degree of religious and cultural
significance. Hindu goddesses are usually only depicted wearing sarees and
Hindu children often have a ceremony during their childhood in which they wear
a saree for the first time. During the ceremony, friends and family come
together to celebrate and pray. The red saree is worn in a traditional Hindu
marriage, while white sarees are worn during funerals. While modern Indian
women have begun to leave behind traditional garments due to the increasing
influence of Western culture, many still proudly wear their sarees and bindi’s
on a daily basis. For my mother, each saree contains a special significance,
from the sarees of her younger years, to her marriage saree, to the sarees
passed down from her mother. Thus, for her as for many other Indian women, the
saree transcends its current role as a fashion statement and remains a reminder
of their culture.
The brightly-colored bangles adorning my mother’s hands
reflect the vivid colors found throughout India. Hinduism, and Indian culture
in general, is an extremely colorful culture, and Indian men and women reflect
this within their clothes and jewelry. Bangles come in a variety of designs,
and colors, and certain bangles are worn during certain occasions. I can still
remember the tears that would fall from my eyes as my mother would painfully
try to push the extremely-small bangles over my wrists as a child.
These three photographs of lamps, called “deepum” in Telugu,
symbolize the importance of light within Hinduism. Before a Hindu prayer
begins, one of the most important steps is to light a candle or have some
source of light. The gods prefer light and such light represents the inner
light Hindus feel as they pray. Just as within other religions, light
represents goodness and purity, a savior from the darkness and misery of the
world. If you walk into any Hindu home, you will undoubtedly find a candle lit
somewhere inside. The Hindu festival Diwali, meaning row of lamps, celebrates
the triumph of good over evil with the lighting of numerous lamps with oil.
Later in the Hindu prayer, the priest walks around holding the lamps, and each
individual prays to the candles. For Hindus, light is the personification of
God on earth, and his spirit can be seen within the burning flames of candles
in temples across the world.
After the lighting has been prepared, food and flowers,
along with holy water and scriptures, are brought to the Hindu version of the
altar. Hinduism has thousands of gods, and no one altar will exactly resemble
another. Each individual Hindu finds his or her greatest faith in a certain set
of specific gods, and temples dedicated to each of the thousands of gods exist.
The uniqueness of Hinduism in this aspect also makes the religion more
personal. The religion has no universal ceremonial procedures, no common set of
rules or beliefs. This shrine, made by my mother and grandmother, reflect their
personal beliefs which are a result of their upbringing, region, and own
choices. The incense in the front of the altar are, just as the fruit and
flowers, an offering to the gods.
This may be my favorite image, in which I capture my mom
praying, Most Hindus pray with their eyes closed and hands clasped together.
Unlike in churches, temples rarely have pews or seating, and shoes are not to
be worn near the altar. Most Hindus kneel or sit on the ground to pray. My
mother usually sits completely still as she meditates and prays, and I have
adapted a similar habit. Watching everyone’s habits while praying can reveal a
little something about themselves.
My grandmother shows off her mangalsutra, the equivalent to a wedding
ring. During a Hindu marriage, a man ties a mangalsutra around a woman to
symbolize his promised devotion to her. The thread of love contains three
knots, representing the bride’s devotion to her husband, his parents, and to
God. My grandmother’s nose ring also reflects her status as a married woman. My
mother, although married in India, wears a wedding ring. In modern day,
traditional customs such as the mangalsutra have been replaced by more modern
rituals. However, my grandmother continues to wear her saree, mangalsutra, nose
ring, and other parts of her culture everyday. Although she has lived in
America for many years, she maintains her culture. I hope to do the same as I
grow older
