I decided to wear tilaka today.

[Gaura Priya]

It's been months since I've worn Vaishnava (urdhva-paundra) tilaka, so I decided to wear it today. It feels nice... and although I have doubts of any inherent shakti, it certainly makes me feel more spiritual, especially when applying the chandana with the appropriate mantras all over my body (Om Keshavaya namah, Om Madhavaya namah, Om Narayanaya namah, etc.)

Heck, I even made one round of japa, after months of neglect!

Do y'all wear any tilaka markings at temple time, or every day? If you've tried wearing tilaka for the first time, how does it feel?

 

[Andal]

I am very happy to hear you wore tilaka and felt that spiritual feeling ( I know what you mean). In my sampradaya not everyone wears it, usually just priests and sanyasi/ sanyasini. I'm not even sure if women are allowed to wear it. Regardless I wear it when I am conducting puja. If I am acting as priestess in my home then it pleases me and I hope Sri Narayana to wear it.

I like tilaka. It makes me feel protected and blessed . I see it as an outward sign of devotion to God and Sri Lakshmi. Also it is very pretty

Aum Hari Aum!

 

[Maija]

Id like to get a tilak stamp and some powder too. What type of powder do you use? ive only ever worn it during a dance ceremony and i didnt want to wash my face. when i do get some i will apply on me and my toddler for puja

 

[ratikala]

dear gaura priya ,

It's been months since I've worn Vaishnava (urdhva-paundra) tilaka, so I decided to wear it today. It feels nice... and although I have doubts of any inherent shakti, it certainly makes me feel more spiritual, especially when applying the chandana with the appropriate mantras all over my body (Om Keshavaya namah, Om Madhavaya namah, Om Narayanaya namah, etc.)

Heck, I even made one round of japa, after months of neglect!

:namaste

Do y'all wear any tilaka markings at temple time, or every day? If you've tried wearing tilaka for the first time, how does it feel?

to me it is the first sign of humility before entering the temple , and an honor , I do feel that the simple act itself has a great power , and the gopi chandan it self coming from vrindaban(or for each tradition a different holy place or ritual )to me connects one as it is the true dust of krsnas feet I also wear the red dot reprsenting radha ,
I dont tend to wear it outside of the temple , as it can appear a fraction affected to some here who do not understand it .
if I were in india I would wear it all the time , but as I am not , I prefer to quietly get on with my prctice , sometimes I put on just the faintest trace , I know it is there but others canot see it , this I do realy feel has a protective quality that takes one outside of the mundane world .

to me it is very special :namaste

 

[Maija]

is the red that you use vermillion..kumkum? i read that one of them was not very good for your skin,depending on how its made..lead or something. dnt quote me on this just yet i think ill start wearing some for kirtan and meditatn/puja nights

 

[Andal]

I haven't heard that about kumkum or sindoor I have heard the traditional black eyeliner has lead as well as the Holi powder.

Aum Hari Aum!

 

[Jainarayan]

Id like to get a tilak stamp and some powder too. What type of powder do you use? ive only ever worn it during a dance ceremony and i didnt want to wash my face. when i do get some i will apply on me and my toddler for puja

There is a powder or clay called gopichanda, I believe it is called. It comes from the Ganges River banks. It's a whiteish-putty color. The Vaishnava priests at the temple wear it in the U shape with the tulsi leaf shape on the bridge of their noses. I suppose you could cheat and use another substance of the same color, but that would be... well... cheating. :slap: Other temple-goers just dab the red and/or orange paste on, then the ash from a Mahaganapati or Sri Shiva abhishekam. The first few times I went to temple and applied the powders and pastes, I looked like someone took a Louisville Slugger to my forehead. :biglaugh:

 

[Jainarayan]

I haven't heard that about kumkum or sindoor I have heard the traditional black eyeliner has lead as well as the Holi powder.

Aum Hari Aum!

Holi powder is even worse now because it's all primarily chemical based, not vegetable based as in the past. My Gujarati coworker was telling me about it. For that reason, he said, they don't bother with it.

 

[Andal]

Wow I had no idea the Holi powder is so bad!

That's interesting Jai that your priests wear the Gaudiya tilaka being that your temple is southern.

Aum Hari Aum

 

[Jainarayan]

The presiding deity is Sri Guruvayurappan... Vishnu. The priests, at least one, may very well be Gaudiya.

 

[Andal]

The presiding deity is Sri Guruvayurappan... Vishnu. The priests, at least one, may very well be Gaudiya.

Gaudiya tend to be very strict Radha Krishna devotees. In that system, if I'm not mistaken, they see Vishnu as a lower expansion of Krishna. Vishnu is in charge of Vaikuntha which is lower than Krishna's Goloka. Of course it doesn't really natter. I am just surprised about the tilaka

Aum Hari Aum!

 

[Jainarayan]

Well, it seems anything goes at this temple. Consider that the Shaiva priests also do Vishnu pujas and abhishekams and lead the Sri Vishnu Sahasranama, and the Vaishnava priests participate in Shaiva pujas and abhishekams. It's One Big Happy Hindu Family.

 

[Gaura Priya]

I am very happy to hear you wore tilaka and felt that spiritual feeling ( I know what you mean). In my sampradaya not everyone wears it, usually just priests and sanyasi/ sanyasini. I'm not even sure if women are allowed to wear it. Regardless I wear it when I am conducting puja. If I am acting as priestess in my home then it pleases me and I hope Sri Narayana to wear it.

I like tilaka. It makes me feel protected and blessed . I see it as an outward sign of devotion to God and Sri Lakshmi. Also it is very pretty

Aum Hari Aum!

In Gaudiya siddhanta, it seems that women wearing tilaka isn't a problem, but it could be a modernism. Since women are encouraged to take diksha (not me though, lol!), I suppose that wearing tilaka automatically follows!

I am very sure that Sriman Narayana would be pleased. It may be that Indian culture may perceive that women shouldn't wear sampradayika tilaka, but in Hindu culture we should be allowed to! Virashaivites are the only Shaivas I know where women wear the tripaundra tilaka.

One man asked online because his wife suddenly felt the desire to wear the Shaiva ash, and no one could come up with shastric injunctions not to!

We are told that the mark of Narayana on our foreheads, the tulasi neckbeads and our japa-mala are paramount to devotion to Radha-Krishna (or Lakshmi-Narayana). I'm so happy that I'm wearing it again today. >:^)

 

[Gaura Priya]

Id like to get a tilak stamp and some powder too. What type of powder do you use? ive only ever worn it during a dance ceremony and i didnt want to wash my face. when i do get some i will apply on me and my toddler for puja

I don't use a stamp, lol. I just use my right ring finger to put it on. I use the gopi-chandana material and make the Gaudiya Vaishnava tilaka marking. :rainbow1:

I know that in shastra there are many blessings in wearing tilaka, so do not hesitate to wear!

 

[Gaura Priya]

if I were in india I would wear it all the time , but as I am not , I prefer to quietly get on with my prctice , sometimes I put on just the faintest trace , I know it is there but others canot see it , this I do realy feel has a protective quality that takes one outside of the mundane world .

to me it is very special :namaste

Me too! Although I have tried wearing it in public before, and generally I'll get stares time to time, but not too much. In my city, we have alot of Sikhs and Muslims (and Muslimahs) who are very visible of their faith. Because of this, it does not make me feel so bad!

To place the dust of the gopis and the mark of Krishna's feet and to place them on one's head is just so humbling and sweet! :angel2:

 

[Gaura Priya]

is the red that you use vermillion..kumkum? i read that one of them was not very good for your skin,depending on how its made..lead or something. dnt quote me on this just yet i think ill start wearing some for kirtan and meditatn/puja nights

Teehee, yes, I would reckon it is some kind of kumkum, but generally it is only given after pujas at the temple as a dot for women, or a tear drop shape for men.

Real natural kumkum found in India can be healthful... it's the stuff that is marketed and packaged that you have to watch out for. Just like what Jainarayan said about holi powder, store-bought kumkum can be harmful to your health too, so be careful!

I would never wear kumkum or sindoor regularly unless I was married! :flirt:

 

[Andal]

In Sri Vaishnav kumkum is worn in the middle of the tilaka to represent Srimata Lakshmi. It is won't as a straight line. Given what others are saying about store bought kumkum and sindoor I am glad I don't wear it too often!

Aum Hari Aum

 

[Yogi1054]

I always find it so hard to apply tilak - when I go to the ashram I apply the sacred ash to my body and meditate on Lord Shiva. I found it interesting that even in the same sects there are different ways of applying tilak - the followers of Ramanuja have two ways of applying it and I read somewhere the Madhava would brand the marks of Lord Vishnu on his body ouch!!!!

 

[Andal]

I always find it so hard to apply tilak - when I go to the ashram I apply the sacred ash to my body and meditate on Lord Shiva. I found it interesting that even in the same sects there are different ways of applying tilak - the followers of Ramanuja have two ways of applying it and I read somewhere the Madhava would brand the marks of Lord Vishnu on his body ouch!!!!

Yes there are two different ways of applying tilaka in Sri Sampradaya. The difference indicates which subsect one belongs to. We also have a branding tradition. Sudarshan and Vishnu's conch, one on each shoulder. I'm not sure it's practiced so commonly these days though.

Aum Hari Aum

 

[hari]

Dear All,

I myself and my wife smear tripundra bhasma (after mixing with water) on our forehead, neck, chest, each upper arms, each middle arms, each fore arms, each wrists, abdomen, left and right back upper parts(vertically) and left and right back lower parts (horizontally) during our shiva pooja daily in the morning.

It is very auspicious and my colleagues who do somvar vrata now have started smearing bhasma like this and they say they feel very much happy while doing so.

Thanks
Regards