While the pottu is an obvious identity marker for Tamil women, it is also a point of misunderstanding, ridicule and stereotype. The pottu is also representative of an internal personal journey—being excited to wear it as a child, rejecting it in school, reluctantly wearing a small one when being forced to and finally embracing it, whatever the size and colour. It is also a signifier of when and where I choose to exert my identity as a Tamil woman. (Anuja)

The pottu symbolized the skin of indian-ness that I would don to appease my grandma, and remove when I wanted to blend in when I went to school or went out with friends. I don't think people realise how symbolic one tiny dot on your forehead can be, when no one around you is wearing it. Not wearing the pottu was me subconsciously wanting to gain common ground with my fellow (mostly Chinese) Singaporeans calling out “see I'm just like you. I'm not Indian, I can relate to you" which is messed up. It became the symbol of me putting my Indian-ness aside to appear more palatable and relatable to the majority, minimizing the chance of them seeing me as an Other. (Asha)

When I think of sticker pottu, I also think of how bedroom or toilet mirrors become a permanent gallery of sorts for used ones. (Angelina)