Tilak (Vaishnava)
Tilak is a special symbol that the Vaishnava people wear on their forehead. It's made up of two parts: the big circle in the middle and the smaller lines coming out of it.
The big circle represents the eye of the god Vishnu, who the Vaishnavas worship. It's like a special sign that shows everyone that the Vaishnavas love and respect Vishnu very much.
The lines coming out of the circle are called U-shaped marks. There are normally two or three of them, and they represent different things.
The first U-shaped mark represents the god Narayana, who is another form of Vishnu. The second U-shaped mark represents the goddess Lakshmi, who is the wife of Vishnu. The third U-shaped mark, if there is one, represents the sage Markandeya, who was blessed by Vishnu.
Overall, the tilak is a way for the Vaishnavas to show their faith and love for their god Vishnu, and to identify themselves as members of the Vaishnava community.
The big circle represents the eye of the god Vishnu, who the Vaishnavas worship. It's like a special sign that shows everyone that the Vaishnavas love and respect Vishnu very much.
The lines coming out of the circle are called U-shaped marks. There are normally two or three of them, and they represent different things.
The first U-shaped mark represents the god Narayana, who is another form of Vishnu. The second U-shaped mark represents the goddess Lakshmi, who is the wife of Vishnu. The third U-shaped mark, if there is one, represents the sage Markandeya, who was blessed by Vishnu.
Overall, the tilak is a way for the Vaishnavas to show their faith and love for their god Vishnu, and to identify themselves as members of the Vaishnava community.