Tripundra (Sanskrit: त्रिपुण्ड्र tripuṇḍra "three marks") is a Hindu Shaivite tilaka, worn by Shaivas as an indication of their affiliation with Shiva. It is also one of the tilakas worn by Smarta Hindus.[1] It consists of three horizontal lines (and sometimes a dot) on the forehead, usually made with sacred ash, and has spiritual meanings in the Shaivite traditions of Hinduism.[2] The Vaishnava counterpart of this tilaka, consisting of vertical lines, is called the Urdhva Pundra.[3]
- ^ "Tilak".
- ^ Rigopoulos 2013, pp. 182–183.
- ^ Lochtefeld 2002, p. 724.