KATSEYE's Lara Raj reveals her Bindi book collection "makes her feel protected" and is "third eye of conscience" of a woman

Highlights:

• Lara Raj describes her bindi as a sacred part of her Hindu identity.
• She keeps bindi books filled with designs collected from India and family.
• She uses the bindi as both cultural symbolism and part of her stage style.
• Raj says she was teased for wearing cultural symbols growing up.
• She wants younger South Asian girls to feel proud of wearing them.

For KATSEYE member Lara Raj, the bindi is not simply another detail in a stage outfit. It is connected to her Hindu faith, her Indian heritage and her family.

Raj has become known for wearing a bindi with many of her looks, both onstage and at major events. In a Teen Vogue interview, she explained that her approach to fashion was influenced by her mother, who combined traditional Indian jewelry with Western clothing.

“My mom loves to wear her traditional wedding jewelry with American clothes, which I always thought was so cool growing up,” she said.

That blend of cultures has become part of Raj’s own identity. Her bindi, along with her Om necklace and other Indian-inspired accessories, allows her to bring that identity into the global pop world.

Lara Raj’s Bindi collection comes from her family

In a GQ interview, Raj offered a closer look at her personal collection of bindis. She described having numerous packs, including ones that came from India through her grandparents and from her own trips.

She compared the collection to a sticker book, explaining that she has so many different bindis that she keeps them together like a book.

For Raj, the bindi also has a deeper spiritual meaning.

She explained that it represents the opening of the third eye and the chakra associated with that part of the body. She described it as something that can bring clarity and light while also serving as a form of protection.

For her, the meaning is closely tied to her religion.

“very deep sacred symbolism of Hinduism, which is my religion,” she said, explaining how the bindi, her necklace and other elements of her appearance connect with one another.

Raj also said wearing a bindi makes her feel protected and connected to her family and Indian culture.

Why she wants the Bindi to be seen differently

While Raj uses the bindi as part of her fashion, she does not separate it from its cultural meaning.

She told Teen Vogue that she wanted to turn cultural items such as the bindi and Om necklace into things that could be celebrated rather than mocked.

“I really wanted to make something like the Ohm necklace or the bindi into a fashion statement and something that people could see as, ‘Whoa, that's so sick!’ and, ‘That's so fire!’ And other brown girls, they want to wear it too, as a thing. It's not something to get made fun of for. Because I always got made fun of for it, I really want to change that.”

Her comments reflect an experience familiar to many children growing up between cultures. Raj was exposed to Indian traditions at home while also growing up in the United States.

Rather than hiding those differences, she has chosen to make them visible.

Lara Raj of KATSEYE attends the 52nd American Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 25, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada.Getty Images

From Indian tradition to global pop style

Raj's relationship with the bindi has also evolved into part of her public image.

In the GQ interview, she explained that she often chooses a bindi based on how she feels on a particular day. When KATSEYE has a major performance or event, she considers the bindi alongside her outfit.

She described it as both personal and fashionable.

“use my bindi also as like a fashion statement especially when we're on stage or have like a big event always goes hand inhand with my outfit.”

At the same time, Raj continues to experiment with her overall fashion. She has spoken about exploring more polished styles while maintaining the elements that feel authentic to her.

She has also emphasized that she does not want to be confined to one particular look.

“I feel like I have a style and that's my thing, and it's always black or chrome or something like that, and I want to expand and be a little bit more fashionable.”

For Raj, that experimentation does not mean leaving her Indian identity behind. Her bindi remains one of the clearest ways she carries her faith, family history and culture with her.

Whether she is performing with KATSEYE or appearing at a major event, the small mark on her forehead carries a meaning that goes far beyond the outfit.