Sadhu, the follower of Shiva. Photo courtesy Pierre-Emmanuel BOITON
Hindus regard the forehead as a pure part of the body and many of them wear a colourful mark there. Such marks are especially important for members of different religious communities. Each sect has its own marking by which its member can be easily identified. Followers of Vishnu use mainly vertical marks. It can be just one vertical line or more usually there are two parallel lines with a black dot or open circle between or under them. The dot represents the deity, the circle is a unit of perfection, without beginning or end.
Follower of Vishnu painting a mark on his forehead. Photo courtesy Gary Romanuk
Followers of Shiva use mainly horizontal or upward-curving semicircular marks. Most common are three lines, open or closed at the ends. A red dot over, under or centred on the lines can be added depending on the particular sect. Other Shaivite symbols include the triangle, a crescent moon with a dot above or a trident. There are more than 70 varieties of sectarian forehead marks in India.
Red markings are painted on with red sandalwood paste, yellow with a substance from the bark of another sandalwood tree or of the turmeric plant. A white paste is mixed from chalk and rice powder or ash, and charcoal is used for black pigments. Orthodox Hindus prepare a special composition for their marks made from ashes of burnt cow-dung cakes mixed with milk, gum and water.