Tilak question

[WarrenL]

I am not Hindu, and I know next to nothing about Hinduism, except for what I have read. I do not live near a temple, and I know of no Hindus who live in my neighbourhood. The reason why I am on this site is to learn firsthand about Hinduism. Maybe it is the religion that matches my beliefs. I don't know, but I hope to learn.

I've read in the past that only women wear the tilak as a red, round dot. However I was shopping the other day, and I saw a man with a red, round tilak, which looked the color of and powdery like red turmeric or something similar. Small, maybe half a centimeter in diameter, like it was made with a small woman's finger tip. So was my earlier knowledge wrong? Or maybe he wasn't Hindu? Maybe some other faith? Could someone enlighten me?

Thanks.

[WarrenL]

I'm sorry if my terminology is wrong.

I think that I may be answering my own question, but I have another question. If my info is correct, then male Shaktas sometimes wear the red dot tilak. Now, if that is the case, then why is it the same or similar to what some women wear, even if she isn't Shakta?

I apologize if I am asking things which shouldn't be asked. It just seems a little perplexing to me.

[ScottMalaysia]

The small, round dot worn by women on their forehead is not a tilak. It is called a bindi.

The mark you saw was made with a red powder called kumkum, made of either tumeric or saffron. It is used either as a sign that one is Hindu or a sign that one is a devotee of the Goddess.

Tilak marks vary greatly throughout India, and vary also by sect. Those who are devoted to Lord Shiva will mark their foreheads with ash, either three large vertical lines (for men) or one small vertical line (for women, usually applied above a bindi). Devotees of Lord Vishnu wear a variety of tilak marks depending on which subsect they belong to (for more info click here). There are many different tilak marks, but the rule is, if you see someone wearing some kind of mark on their forehead, they're Hindu (unless it's Ash Wednesday, in which case they're probably Christian if you live in the West).

(Since you're unfamiliar about Hinduism, I'll quickly explain about the Hindu concept of God, so as not to confuse you with the above post. Hindus believe in one God who manifests Himself in many different forms. Two of the most widely worshipped forms of God are Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. Shiva's consort Goddess Durga and Their Son Lord Ganesha, who has an elephant head, are also widely worshipped.)

If you have any more questions about Hinduism, please ask.

[Sahasranama]

I am not Hindu, and I know next to nothing about Hinduism, except for what I have read. I do not live near a temple, and I know of no Hindus who live in my neighbourhood. The reason why I am on this site is to learn firsthand about Hinduism. Maybe it is the religion that matches my beliefs. I don't know, but I hope to learn.

Thanks.

You can start by reading this website. I has a lot of information on Hinduism.

http://www.hinduwisdom.info/index.htm

[Eastern Mind]

I am not Hindu, and I know next to nothing about Hinduism, except for what I have read. I do not live near a temple, and I know of no Hindus who live in my neighbourhood. The reason why I am on this site is to learn firsthand about Hinduism. Maybe it is the religion that matches my beliefs. I don't know, but I hope to learn.

I've read in the past that only women wear the tilak as a red, round dot. However I was shopping the other day, and I saw a man with a red, round tilak, which looked the color of and powdery like red turmeric or something similar. Small, maybe half a centimeter in diameter, like it was made with a small woman's finger tip. So was my earlier knowledge wrong? Or maybe he wasn't Hindu? Maybe some other faith? Could someone enlighten me?

Thanks.

Vannakkam Warren: Welcome to Hindu Dharma Forums. I hope you find what you're looking for.

In public, it is most likely that you would see a woman, as the mark in the center of the brow is also ornamental in some places. For men, it would be more common, immediately after they have attended a temple, as that is one of the sacraments they may have received.

Hinduism is extremely vast. So when you pose a question like this, or any question, you are bound to get lots of varying response. There are linguistic, geographical, and philosophical variances. In your reading, you will encounter apparent contradictions, but this just reflects its vastness. Yet there are several things we all hold in common.

Aum namasivaya

[saidevo]

namaste Warren.

Three things which are usually in the powdery form are sacred for Hindus: vibhUti--sacred ash, kumkum--vermilion, and chandanam--sandal power/paste. Hindu men and women wear these things singly or in combination on their forehead for religious identity and spiritual benefits. Hindus belonging to the shaiva sect use the vibhUti; those in the vaiShNava sect use what is known in Tamil as nAmakkaTTi--pipe clay which is also white. Shaivas wear their vibhUti in horizontal stripes and VaiShNavas in vertical lines (one or three).

The vibhUti is associated with Lord Shiva. Check this article for its significance:
http://www.hindujagruti.org/hinduism...hp?print/id:71

The nAmam--pipe-clay is associated with ViShNu. Check this article for its significance:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urdhva_Pundra_Tilak

The kumkum(am) is associated with Shakti--Devi--Mother Goddess. Check this article for its significance:
http://www.hindujagruti.org/hinduism...n-a-bindi.html

The chandanam--sandal pste, is associated with shrI KRShNa. It is worn by KRShNa devotees who are among the VaiShNava sect for the same reason of sacredness. All the three things--vibhUti, kumkumam, and chandanam--along with turmeric, are among the sacred things used in Hindu pujas.

Here is a brief on some Hindu rituals: http://www.indialife.com/Festivals/rituals.htm

*****

[BryonMorrigan]

Hindus believe in one God who manifests Himself in many different forms.

I may be new to Hinduism, but I know that is an unnecessarily broad generalization, and not representative of all Hindus, either currently or historically. (I have my personal theories that the constant need for modern Hindus to constantly assert adherence to Monotheist belief is a result of Christian and Islamic pressure to conform and Western mistranslations...but that really needs its own thread...)

Just off the top of my head, I know that Ram Swarup and Sita Ram Goel were advocates of Polytheism, and one quote by one referring to the other has always stood out to me:

"...I had an occasion to read the typescript of a book [Ram Swarup] had finished writing in 1973. It was a profound study of Monotheism, the central dogma of both Islam and Christianity, as well as a powerful presentation of what the monotheists denounce as Hindu Polytheism. I had never read anything like it. It was a revelation to me that Monotheism was not a religious concept but an imperialist idea. I must confess that I myself had been inclined towards Monotheism till this time. I had never thought that a multiplicity of Gods was the natural and spontaneous expression of an evolved consciousness." (1)

______________________________________________________________

(1) Sita Ram Goel. (1982). How I became a Hindu. New Delhi, India: Voice of India, 92.

[Shanti]

I often place kumkum on my husband's forehead (and children) after performing puja. I use whatever I have and currently that is what I have. It was given to me by a relative brought from a Durga Temple.

It would also be common if the man has just left a puja at a temple.

Hope this helps and welcome!