In Hinduism, the tilaka (pronounced tilak) is a mark worn on the forehead and other parts of the body. It is commonly seen between the parting of the hair on married women, and on the third eye region of the forehead on Hindu priests and other Hindus. Tilak may be worn on a daily basis or for special religious occasions only, depending on different customs. Hinduism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... 17th century representation of the third eye connection to the higher worlds by alchemist Robert Fludd. ... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ...

Man with tilak

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (720x1080, 56 KB) Man in Varanasi with red tilak on his forehead By Steve Evans. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (720x1080, 56 KB) Man in Varanasi with red tilak on his forehead By Steve Evans. ...

Significance of tilaks (tilaka)

The tilak is decorative and is also an identifying mark. Worn by a priest or an ascetic, it shows which Hindu tradition he follows. It may be made with sandalwood paste, ashes (vibhuti), kumkum, sindhoor, clay, or another "cooling" (per Ayurveda) substance. The pastes are applied to the ajna chakra, a concentration of spiritual energy on the forehead between the eyebrows. The tilak is also considered to bestow spiritual comfort and protection against demons, bad luck, and other evil forces. The earliest reference to a tilak is said to be found in the Rigveda. The hymn describes Lord Surya's wife, the goddess Usha (or dawn), as wearing a bright red dot on her forehead, symbolic of the rising sun. Tilaks are also discussed in the Vasudeva Upanishad. The branches of a young sandalwood tree found in Hawaii Sandalwood (Chandanam) is a fragrant wood, and the name may be applied to any of a number of woods. ... Vibhuti is the name for sacred ash used in religious worship in Hinduism, especially connected with Lord Shiva. ... ... Sindoor is a red powder used by married Hindu women. ... Shirodhara, one of the techniques of Ayurveda Ayurveda (Devanagari: ) or Ayurvedic medicine is a practice in use primarily in the Indian subcontinent, which advocates argue assists with health and healing. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Rigveda (Sanskrit: , a tatpurusha compound of praise, verse and knowledge) is a collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns dedicated to the gods. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Usha was a city in the Western part of Galilee. ... Vasudeva is one of the many names of God in Sanatana Dharma. ... The Upanishads (Devanagari: उपनिषद्, ; also known as and ) are part of the Vedas and form the Hindu scriptures which primarily discuss philosophy, meditation and nature of God; they form the core spiritual thought of Vedantic Hinduism. ...

Different Hindu traditions use different materials and shapes to make the tilak.

• Saivites typically use ashes and draw their tilaks as three horizontal lines (tripundra).
• Vaishnavas apply clay from a holy river or place (such as Vrindavan or the Yamuna river) which is sometimes mixed with sandalwood paste. They apply the material in two vertical lines, which may be connected at the bottom, forming either a simple U shape or with an additional marking in the shape of a tulsi leaf. Their tilak is called the urdhva-pundra.
• Shaktas use kumkuma, or powdered red turmeric. They draw one vertical line or dot.
• Honorary tilaks (Raj Tilak and Vir Tilak): They are usually applied as a single vertical red line. Raj Tilak will be used while throning kings or inviting prominent personalities. Vir Tilak is used to anoint victors or leaders after a war or a game.

Indian woman with tilaka and bindi

• Hindu women have been using Tilaka for many millennia. They generally use dots, or bindi, rather than the lines worn by men. The bindi can vary from small to large. Sometimes the terms sindoor, kumkum, or kasturi are used, by reference to the material used to make the mark. Married Hindu women may also wear additional Tilaka between the parting of the hair above forehead.

The tilaka is also worn as a beauty mark, by women of all faiths, with no adherence of Hindu belief. The term "bindi" seems to be more often used for beauty marks. Saivite: of Saivism; belonging to Saivism, the Hindu denomination that worships God Siva as the Supreme God. ... Vaishnavism is the branch of Hinduism in which Vishnu or one of his avatars (i. ... Vrindavan, in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh is a town on the site of the original forest of Vrindavana. ... Not to be confused with Jamuna River. ... The branches of a young sandalwood tree found in Hawaii Sandalwood (Chandanam) is a fragrant wood, and the name may be applied to any of a number of woods. ... Binomial name Ocimum tenuiflorum L. Synonyms Ocimum sanctum L. The Tulsi (also known as Tulasi) plant or Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum) is an important symbol in many Hindu religious traditions. ... A Shakta, pronounced shaakt, is a follower of a sect of Hinduism which worships the Mother Goddess, or Shakti, in any of her various manifestations. ... Binomial name Curcuma longa Linnaeus Turmeric (Curcuma longa, also known as tumeric) is a spice commonly used in curries and other South Asian cooking. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (720x1080, 67 KB) (C) Steve Evans aka babasteve Southern Indian woman taken on 21 July 2005. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (720x1080, 67 KB) (C) Steve Evans aka babasteve Southern Indian woman taken on 21 July 2005. ... Aishwarya Rai as Paro in Devdas with applied Sindoor Sindoor is a red powder used by married Hindu women. ... ... Indian woman with bindi Collection of modern bindis A bindi (Hindi: meaning dot) is a forehead decoration worn in South Asia[1] and Southeast Asia It may also be called a pottu or a tilaka. ...

In Nepal, Bihar and other regions, the tilak is called a "tika," and is a mixture of abir, a red powder, yoghurt, and grains of rice. For other uses, see Bihar (disambiguation). ...

See also

• Vaishnava tilak
• Bindi (decoration)

Maha-Vishnu depicted as resting on the causal ocean, with countless universes emanating from his skin pores. ... Indian woman with bindi Collection of modern bindis A bindi (Hindi: meaning dot) is a forehead decoration worn in South Asia[1] and Southeast Asia It may also be called a pottu or a tilaka. ...

References

• Entwistle, A.W. Vaishnava tilakas: Sectarian marks worn by worshippers of Vishnu (IAVRI bulletin). International Association of the Vrindaban Research Institute, 1981. ISBN B0007BNJJ6

External links

• Vasudeva Upanisad
• On Tilak: Urdhva Pundra Vidhi
• Preparing for Worship
• Vaishnava Tilaka
• How to put on Tilak
• Tilak, by Swami Shivananda
• General view on tilak

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