tilak
Hindu brow dot
A tilak is a mark worn on the forehead by Hindus, typically applied with colored paste, powder, or ash.
The mark signifies religious devotion, sectarian affiliation, or blessing.
Different shapes and colors indicate different traditions—Shaivites often wear horizontal lines, Vaishnavites vertical ones.
A tilak may be applied during worship, ceremonies, or as part of daily practice: The priest applied a tilak of sandalwood paste to each devotee's forehead.
Forehead decoration worn traditionally
- vermilionVivid red-orange pigment
- sandalwoodAromatic wood from tropical trees
- vibhutiConsecrated ash for worship
- ashCombustion's powdery remains
saffron · turmeric · dot · paste · powder · forehead · application · smear
Hindu worship ritual
- worshipReligious reverence and praise
- blessingPrayer seeking divine favor
- auspiciousIndicating future success
- sacredWorthy of reverence
ceremony · initiation · coronation · ordination · anointing · consecration · darshan · offering
Marriage rite and feast
- brideWoman getting married
- groomBetrothed man; stable worker
- vermilionVivid red-orange pigment
- nuptialsVows and rings
betrothal · engagement · ceremony · auspicious · blessing · mehndi · rituals · adornment
bindi
Forehead decoration worn traditionally
- vermilionVivid red-orange pigment
- sandalwoodAromatic wood from tropical trees
- vibhutiConsecrated ash for worship
ash · saffron · turmeric · dot · paste · powder · forehead · application · smear · streak
puja
Hindu worship ritual
- worshipReligious reverence and praise
- blessingPrayer seeking divine favor
- auspiciousIndicating future success
sacred · ceremony · initiation · coronation · ordination · anointing · consecration · darshan · offering · invocation
wedding
Marriage rite and feast
nuptials · betrothal · engagement · ceremony · auspicious · blessing · mehndi · rituals · adornment
Hinduism
Ancient Indian spiritual tradition
faith · guru · mantra · meditation · moksha · enlightenment · chakra · yoga · Vedas · divinity
heritage
Inherited cultural legacy
- traditionCustom passed through generations
- cultureCollective social practices
- ancestryFamily line of descent
lineage · customs · ethnic · symbolic · sectarian · community · caste · varna · denomination · affiliation
- IndiaDelhi, Ganges, Mumbai, Taj Mahal, Punjab
- Indian cultureHinduism, Diwali, sari, Holi, saree
- HinduismVishnu, Shiva, Krishna, Ganesh, Ganesha
- Hindu sacredOm symbol, mala, Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita
- Indian Itemssari, bindi, bangle, bangles, mehndi
- Indian traditionspuja, namaste, mehndi, bindi, aarti