Ah ha! Then the temple is using the red sandalwood paste. Apparently one night someone watered it down, and another night they let it dry out. I think the yellow is used to make the U shaped tilak ala Srila Prabhupada. I saw it done in a YT vid.
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Bindis
- Thread starter MochaRadha
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Ah ha! Then the temple is using the red sandalwood paste. Apparently one night someone watered it down, and another night they let it dry out. I think the yellow is used to make the U shaped tilak ala Srila Prabhupada. I saw it done in a YT vid.
Maya3
Well-Known Member
I personally don't like to wear too many outward showing signs of my faith.
I wear a small OM but that's it.
One of the reasons is that I work with children and they may be of any faith or no faith and I want to be a neutral presence. If they ask I will tell them of course, but I feel strongly about separation of church and state and that goes for schools and other places too in my opinion.
I don't put tilak on after a puja, at my temple only some people do anyway it seems.
But as someone else said, I'm not Indian and people would most likely stare and wonder what it was if I wore it, I would feel a little uncomfortable.
Maya
I wear a small OM but that's it.
One of the reasons is that I work with children and they may be of any faith or no faith and I want to be a neutral presence. If they ask I will tell them of course, but I feel strongly about separation of church and state and that goes for schools and other places too in my opinion.
I don't put tilak on after a puja, at my temple only some people do anyway it seems.
But as someone else said, I'm not Indian and people would most likely stare and wonder what it was if I wore it, I would feel a little uncomfortable.
Maya
Aw heck, I wear it home. I even forget about wiping it off. I wear a pewter 
m: on a silver chain around my neck. I also wear a braided tulsi kanthi and have the m: tattoo on my right delt. Most people have no idea what any of it is unless they are Indian. Then they get all :danana::clap2:
m: on a silver chain around my neck. I also wear a braided tulsi kanthi and have the m: tattoo on my right delt. Most people have no idea what any of it is unless they are Indian. Then they get all :danana::clap2:
Andal
resident hypnotist
The substance used for Vaishnava tilak is called gopichandan. It's a mix of clay/ dust from the Ganga and Yamuna as well as sandalwood. The sandalwood is not the majority substance in it. Some Vaishnavas will also use kumkum or black/ white ash from the morning homa (depending on sampradaya)
This is different through from the marking you get went you go to mandir which is a type of blessing- a part of prasadam.
Personally, in India or if I'm on my way to the temple here I will wear tilak. What's strange for me though is that I am Sri Vaishnav and women tend not to wear tilak but I go to a Gaudiya temple where everyone wears the U with the tulsi leaf at the bottom. So I just do as they do to be in the community.
As for other outward signs I wear a kevacha around my neck all the time and tulsi beads when I have them.
Aum Hari Aum!
Thanks for the explanation. I saw a couple of YT vids where they were using a block that looked like it was compressed powder. They mixed a bit with water to make a paste and apply it in the U shape, with the tulsi leaf on the nose. This "substance" was a cream/grayish color. That must be the gopichandan?
A couple of our priests make two vertical lines on their foreheads. They may actually be U shaped. I don't want to stare. The lines look white/ash, so they may be from the homam. The other priests are Shaiva with the horizontal lines.
We did receive ash one night. Everyone just put a dab between the eyebrows. We put the red paste/powder combo between the eyebrows when we venerate at the Radha-Krishna shrine. I suppose one would still do that even with the U shaped gopichandan tilak?
Gosh, I'm so ignorant. 
Edit: I think this is it http://vediclifestylepro.com/online-store/gopichandan.html
I saw a couple of YT vids where they were using a block that looked like it was compressed powder. They mixed a bit with water to make a paste and apply it in the U shape, with the tulsi leaf on the nose. This "substance" was a cream/grayish color. That must be the gopichandan?A couple of our priests make two vertical lines on their foreheads. They may actually be U shaped. I don't want to stare.
The lines look white/ash, so they may be from the homam. The other priests are Shaiva with the horizontal lines.We did receive ash one night. Everyone just put a dab between the eyebrows. We put the red paste/powder combo between the eyebrows when we venerate at the Radha-Krishna shrine. I suppose one would still do that even with the U shaped gopichandan tilak?
Gosh, I'm so ignorant.
Edit: I think this is it http://vediclifestylepro.com/online-store/gopichandan.html
Last edited:
Andal
resident hypnotist
Yes that is gopichandan. You can get it in powder or stick form. Depending on the gopichandan and your skin tone it can appear as being anything from muddy yellow to white in color once it's applied.
Yes you can apply the kumkum/ ash/ etc while wearing tilak.
It's a lot to learn, I know, stick with it though I'm always learning something new about our beautiful tradition.
Aum Hari Aum!
Yes you can apply the kumkum/ ash/ etc while wearing tilak.
It's a lot to learn, I know, stick with it though
I'm always learning something new about our beautiful tradition. Aum Hari Aum!
Thanks. There is a certain blooming of the flower from ignorance (actually "unknowledge") to full blossom.
My skintone is so light I'd probably have to get a darker shade eyeliner or eyebrow pencil to draw the tilak.
Hey, you know... hmm... !
My skintone is so light I'd probably have to get a darker shade eyeliner or eyebrow pencil to draw the tilak.
Hey, you know... hmm... !
Andal
resident hypnotist
LOL, I'm very light as well. It usually looks like a mustard color on me If I put a LOT on then it lightens and is more clearly defined (also looks nicer) Remember too, tilak doesn't just go on the forehead for Vaishnavs, we apply it to 12 different parts of the body. You can wear it too without wearing it. Meaning you can use water and still get the same benefit.
Aum Hari Aum!
If I put a LOT on then it lightens and is more clearly defined (also looks nicer) Remember too, tilak doesn't just go on the forehead for Vaishnavs, we apply it to 12 different parts of the body. You can wear it too without wearing it. Meaning you can use water and still get the same benefit. Aum Hari Aum!
