India, Sept. 5 -- As the festive calendar fills up, minimalism is making way for a little more sparkle. The bindi, once the finishing touch to an Indian look, is now demanding to be the look itself.

Think metallic flowers clustered above the eyebrows, crystals tracing the forehead, sculptural spirals curling along the bridge of the nose and ornate pieces crafted from pearls, brass and semi-precious stones. The face is becoming a canvas, and the traditional bindi is being reimagined as jewellery for it.

The shift is not about abandoning the bindi's cultural roots. Rather, designers believe a younger generation is becoming more confident about playing with Indian forms, while festive maximalism is creating the perfect setting for their re...