Ek chutki sindoor ki keemat tum kya jaano Ramesh babu, Does that dialogue ring a bell .

I feel all those who have penchant to watch Bollywood, have yelled. yes its the iconic dialogue from the Movie Om Shanthi Om .

Sindoor , Thilak , Kumkum, Vibhuti all have played a key role in customs and traditions of our nation . It has been one of the symbols and identity of Indians world over. These practices have been part of our civilization.

If not for a valid reason, it would not have started as a tradition and being handed over for generations in excess of 5000years down the line but now it appears to be getting lost in the Cluttered illusion of so-called modern thoughts, liberal minded and coolness by the new generation.

Sindoor and Kumkum have found reference in our Itihaas , Draupadi too wiped her sindoor to  protest the manner she was  treated in the court  . Lord Hanuman enquired Sita the reasons for applying sindoor. On being told that it was for long life and well being of Lord Ram , the  ardent devotee  Hanuman started applying sindoor all over his body and that practice continues even now in Hanuman temples.

Socially besides symbolizing a married women , Sindoor , Kumkum had their own way be it during Karwa Chauth , Navratri , Sumangali Pooja etc .In addition to the  Religious and Social customs, there is reason for applying it closer to the Aagiya Chakra .

Scientific experiments have proved that this point is associated with the pineal and the pituitary glands, which control various functions of the body. When sindoor is applied the point on the mid-brow region is pressed and this activates the energy point. Applying sindoor, opens the channel of intuition and it prevents energy loss. It transfers the energy towards the higher self which liberates, while the lower self entangles. In temples the pranic energy created is  channelized into the body through these energized chakras. It also helps in improving concentration and helps in improving blood supply to face muscles.

However, in a space of few decades the whole idea and concept is getting unclear and thus getting lost. The essence and relevance of this practice is being lost in a structured manner and it does not appear to be coincident but conditioned.

In the past the natural Kumkum was more homemade or locally made in small scale which was replaced with a Mass scale industrial productions thus reducing the retail costs. Little did people know that it was nothing but a Chemical composition and all used it innocently thus killing the local industry.

Later products came as Liquid which stuck on the foreheads for the whole day with the similar chemical composition .To avoid the clumsiness in usage of liquid, a smart technology was introduced. A sticker bindi in various colors and various shapes. This set a trend with various colorful and odd shaped bindis as a fashion statement and thus the culture and tradition  had to take a bow out . Little did the ladies realize by using these stickers mix with those glues and other elements were virtually sealing of the energy center at the forehead, its better they keep forehead bare, rather have a  sticker  sealing it .

Thanks to the Industrial sindoor and these sticker bindis , women had skin irritation due to which many stopped using it .

Parallelly the mind was conditioned by the media, society, school that wearing bindis were patriarchal oppression and liberated women had to move out of the age old oppression and to keep the forehead free. Those campaign were further strengthened when the ladies in the ads and the movie starlets bared their forehead.

Once the women stopped sporting a bindi and we now see a reverse trend in movies where invariably the villains sports a nice tilak or women with loose morals smacked with Kumkum .

Within a few decades , our identity is slowly waning away and being uprooted . we are falling victim to become rootless wonders without our knowledge.

It is time to wake up. As Ek chutki sindoor ki keemat tum kya jaano .

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