Background Information about the Bindi and Tilak

The Tilak and Bindi are integral symbols of Hinduism. Men used to wear the Tilakam, which was usually made of vibhuti and sindoor. Today, some men wear the Tilakam on religious occasions, but very few men wear it on a daily basis. However in the past, before the 1700s, men used to wear the Tilak on a daily basis. For example, Aryabhatta, one of the greatest mathematicians/physicists of India, wore the Tilak on a daily basis. Other kings and knoweldables like Chanakya, Shivaji maharaj, and Rajendra Chola also wore the Tilakam.
The Bindi, on the other hand, is worn by Hindu women, and is still worn today. Historical Hindu women like Rani Laxmi Bhai, Padmavati, and Rudrama Devi wore the bindi with sindoor. In the past, the Bindi was worn with sindoor to have a connection to the spiritual chakras. But as time progressed, the definition of the Bindi changed. Our grandmothers today usually wear a big Bindi sticker on their forehead to represent their marriage. My mother, instead of wearing a big bindi, puts sindoor on the tip of her head, almost touching her hair—this also represents marriage. Many other women around the world wear a small black bindi sticker on their forehead—my friend wears a black bindi sticker on her forehead everyday.