tilaka
Sign in to savethumb|A woman with a tilaka on her forehead In Hinduism, the tilaka, colloquially known as a tika, is a mark usually adorning the forehead at the point of the ajna chakra (third eye or spiritual eye) and sometimes other parts of the body such as the neck, hand, chest, or the arm. The tilaka may be applied daily for decorative purposes, as a symbol of religious affiliation, for rites of passage, or other special spiritual and religious occasions, dependent on regional custom. It is also used to honour and welcome someone upon arrival.
Article
10 sectionsContents
- Variations and meaning
- Vaishnavite tilakas
- Shaivite tilakas
- Other Hindu denominations
- Other traditions
- Relationship to bindi
- References
- Bibliography
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|A woman with a tilaka on her forehead In Hinduism, the tilaka, colloquially known as a tika, is a mark usually adorning the forehead at the point of the ajna chakra (third eye or spiritual eye) and sometimes other parts of the body such as the neck, hand, chest, or the arm. The tilaka may be applied daily for decorative purposes, as a symbol of religious affiliation, for rites of passage, or other special spiritual and religious occasions, dependent on regional custom. It is also used to honour and welcome someone upon arrival.
Tilakas come in an assortment of styles or shapes and are adorned using various substances such as "ash from sacrificial fire or cow dung, sandalwood paste, turmeric, clay, charcoal or red lead."