[Ed-Keenan25542]

You are right that it is called tilak, which is different than the red dot worn by a woman. The red dot on a woman’s forehead is called ‘bindi’ and signifies that she is married (only if red) and is a replacement for what is called kumkum, which was and still is a red line that many women apply to the part of their hair, also to signify that they are married. This kumkum tradition was also a replacement for an earlier tradition, in which when a warrior defeated other warriors for the hand of a lady, he would smear the blood of the defeated party on the part of her hair, to signify that he had won her as his wife. The tradition of the red dot is supposed to warn men not to cast lustful glances upon a married woman, which is a sure way for the married woman to cut down on unwanted come-ons. Tilak is altogether different. It has more to do with the spiritual school that one follows and can be worn by men or women. Some tilak is red, which normally indicates that the person is a worshipper of Shakti or Durga, the mother (demi-)goddess. Another form of tilak with 3 horizontal lines on the forehead made from sandalwood paste indicates that one is a worhsipper of Siva, one of the primary demigods of India. Another form of tilak is a U-shaped talk drawn between the brows, and includes an upside ‘Ace of spades’ shape on the nose. This indicates that one is a devotee of Lord Krishna, or God.

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Name : Ed-Keenan25542, City : New York, State : NY, Country : United States, 

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