Expert: Jennifer - 9/30/2008

Question
Hi, I was just reading about Fuxi and Nuwa of the Chinese Mythology in wikipedia. In this picture which wikipedia says was unearthed in Xinjiang (in ancient time), I can clearly see a dot on the forehead of Nuwa. This seems similar to the dot Indian women have on their forehead. Is there a connection?

Do you know how old this ancient painting displayed in wikipedia is, I know that women in the Tang Dynasty also wore this dot for decorative purposes, but I am not sure of the date of this painting. If it was done in the Tang dynasty I think it may have been used ordinarily in such a display. But if that is not the case then is there a deeper connection of this 'dot tradition'?

Thanks Jennifer.

Answer
Hi K,

Yes, you are correct in your observation; there is a connection. Buddhism gained widespread acceptance in China during the Tang dynasty. If you observe the pictures of Buddhist deities, such as Buddha or Guan Yin, you would notice that they have a dot on their head. Indeed, it is similar to that seen on the painting of Nüwa. In my opinion, Nüwa probably originated from the period when nature worship was ubiquitous (probably Shang dynastry or earlier). Even in those days, certain deities would have dots on their head. Sometimes, it's because they were set apart or possess special power.

Not all Indians wear dots or bindi. Usually, Indians, and even Chinese who are Hindus do. It has religious roots to it and it is a form of blessing, auspicious, but nowadays, simply fashionable, just like the time in the Tang dynasty.