Why do Hindu women wear the dot on the forehead? Not only women, but Hindu men also wear a dot on the forehead, indicating their third eye. The pottu is a very auspicious symbol, reminding those who ear it of their spiritual heritage and ideals, wherever they may be. It also serves to identify a Hindu among the members of all other religions. Muslim girls often cover their face with a veil. Christian girls wear a cross. Jewish boys wear small leather cases holding scriptural passages. Men and women of a particular faith often wish to identify themselves to each other, and they do so by wearing religious symbols which generally are blessed in their temples, churches and synagogues. In many cases a dot on the Hindu woman's forehead is similar to a beauty mark, just as European women used to wear a black dot on their cheek as a beauty mark. An unmarried girl wears a black dot, and a married girl a red one. Nowadays the dot's color complements the color of a lady's sari. "Wearing a dot on the forehead is largely a cultural symbol or a beauty symbol." This may be a good answer to this question if the person who asked the question is a little shallow and possibly antagonistic.

The dot has a mystical meaning, for it represents the Third Eye or spiritual sight which Hindus seek to awaken through yoga. Today, only the most traditional men observe this, but women continue to follow these traditions.

There are many marks other than the dot that we Hindus use. Each mark represents a different sect or denomination of our vast religion. We have four major sects, Saivism, Vaishnavism, Saktism and Smartaism. By these marks we know what a person believes, and therefore know how to begin conversations.

Hindus are not ashamed to wear the the dot on thier forehead in the United States. Naturally, they don't want to flaunt their religion in the face of others. They observe that Christian boys and girls take off or conceal their crosses in the corporate business world.

The above Information is Courtesy of Gurudeva Sivaya Subramuniyaswami at:Gurudeva@HinduismToday.kauai.hi.us

PS.HINDUS RESPECT ALL OTHER FAITHS,BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT ALL RELIGIONS LEAD TO GOD. GOD MAY HAVE DIFFERENT NAMES, BUT THERE IS STILL ONE GOD.