Tilak redirects here. For the Indian nationalist leader see Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak (बाळ गंगाधर टिळक ( July 23 1856 - August 1 1920) was an Indian nationalist For the village in Bangladesh, see Tilak, Bangladesh.

Man with tilaka

In Hinduism, the tilaka or tilak (Sanskrit: तिलक tilaka)^[1] is a mark worn on the sole of the foot and other parts of the body. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical Tilaka may be worn on a daily basis or for special religious occasions only, depending on different customs.

Significance of tilaka

The tilaka is decorative and is also an identifying mark. Worn by a priest, ascetic, or worshiper it shows which Hindu tradition he follows. It may be made with sandalwood paste, ashes (vibhuti), kumkum, sindhoor, clay, or another substance. for the film industry in India see Cinema of Karnataka Sandalwood is the name for several fragrant Woods and their Essential Vibhuti ( Sanskrit:sa विभूतिः vibhūtiḥ is a word that has several meanings in Hinduism. Kumkum (Sanskrit कुङ्कुमम् kuṅkumam, Tamil குங்குமம் kungumam)- is a powder used for social and religious markings in Hinduism Sindoor is a red powder which is applied as a full line along the dividing part of a married woman’s hair or as a dot on the forehead The pastes are applied to the forehead and in some cases to the upper part of the head. Tilakas are also discussed in the Vasudeva Upanishad. For the Kushan king see Vasudeva I. For the book by Narendra Kohli see Vasudeva (book. The Upanishads ( Devanagari: उपनिषद् IAST: upaniṣad also spelled "Upanisad" are Hindu scriptures that constitute the core teachings

Terminology

A Nepalese man and woman with large Tika on their foreheads

The word is pronounced "tilak" in Hindi, and is often written that way.

In Nepal, Bihar and other regions, the tilak is called a tika(टिका), and is a mixture of abir, a red powder, yoghurt, and grains of rice. Nepal (नेपाल) is a Landlocked country in South Asia. Bihar ( Hindi:बिहार Urdu: بہار bɪhaːr) is a state in eastern India. Abir (or abeer) is a Dye common in India. It is used during the Holi festival which is also called the festival of color when people throw

Varieties of tilaka

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

• Saivites typically use ashes and draw their tilakas as three horizontal lines (tripundra). Shaivism, also spelled "Saivism" names the oldest of the four sects of Hinduism.
• Vaishnavas apply clay from a holy river or place (such as Vrindavan or the Yamuna river) which is sometimes mixed with sandalwood paste. Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or its associated avatars principally as Rama and Vrindavan (alternate spellings Vrindaban or Brindavan) or Vraj in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh, India is a town on For the goddess of the river who is sometimes called Yamuna see Yami The Yamuna (Sanskrit यमुना for the film industry in India see Cinema of Karnataka Sandalwood is the name for several fragrant Woods and their Essential 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. Ocimum tenuiflorum (also known as Ocimum sanctum, Tulsi, Tulasī (तुलसी‌ in Sanskrit and Hindi, ( Their tilaka is called the urdhva-pundra.
• Ganapatya use red sandal paste (rakta candana). Ganapatya is a denomination of Hinduism that worships Ganesha (also called Ganapati as the supreme God. ^[2]
• Shaktas use kumkuma, or powdered red turmeric. Shaktism ( Sanskrit: Śāktaṃ sa शाक्तं lit "doctrine of power" or "doctrine of the Goddess") is a denomination of Turmeric ( Curcuma longa) is a Rhizomatous Herbaceous Perennial plant of the Ginger family Zingiberaceae They draw one vertical line or dot.
• Honorary tilakas (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.

Use by women

Indian woman with tilaka and bindi

Hindu women have been using Tilaka for many millennia. The tilaka are worn as a beauty mark by women of all faiths, with no adherence of Hindu belief. They generally use dots (bindi) rather than the lines and larger marks worn by men. "Red Dot" redirects here For other uses see Red Dot (disambiguation "Bindee" redirects here The term "Bindi" seems to be more often used for beauty marks.

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. Sindoor is a red powder which is applied as a full line along the dividing part of a married woman’s hair or as a dot on the forehead Kumkum (Sanskrit कुङ्कुमम् kuṅkumam, Tamil குங்குமம் kungumam)- is a powder used for social and religious markings in Hinduism

Married Hindu women may also wear additional Tilaka between the parting of the hair above forehead. This mark serves to indicate marital status.

Notes

References

See also

• Tilak (Vaishnava)
• Bindi (decoration)

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
• tilak according to swaminarayan sampraday