Tilaka

"Tilak" redirects here. For the Indian anti-colonial leader, see Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
A Nepali woman with a tilaka on her forehead

In Hinduism, the tilaka (Sanskrit: तिलक), colloquially known as a tika, is a mark worn usually on 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.[1] The tilaka may be worn daily for decorative purposes, as a symbol for sectarian affiliation, for rites of passage or for special spiritual and religious occasions, depending on regional customs.[2][3] It is also used as an expression of honour or to welcome someone upon arrival.[4]

Tilakas come in an assortment of styles or shapes and are adorned using various material such as "ash from sacrificial fire or cow dung, sandalwood paste, turmeric, clay, charcoal or red lead."[5][6][7]

  1. ^ Mittal, Sushil; Thursby, Gene (2006-04-18). Religions of South Asia: An Introduction. Routledge. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-134-59322-4.
  2. ^ Kanti Ghosh, Sumit (2023-05-18). "Body, Dress, and Symbolic Capital: Multifaceted Presentation of PUGREE in Colonial Governance of British India". Textile. 22 (2): 334–365. doi:10.1080/14759756.2023.2208502. ISSN 1475-9756. S2CID 258804155.
  3. ^ Lochtefeld, James G. (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z. Rosen. p. 709. ISBN 978-0-8239-3180-4.
  4. ^ Axel Michaels (2015), Homo Ritualis: Hindu Ritual and Its Significance for Ritual Theory, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0190262631, pp. 100-112, 327
  5. ^ "Tilak | Hindu symbolism". Britannica. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).