page_title: Tilaka
section_title: Terminology
hierarchical_section_title: Tilaka / Terminology
caption_attribution_description: Impression of an Indus Valley seal, showing an "Indus script" string of five characters (British Museum, 2005 photograph)
context_page_description: In Hinduism, the tilaka is a mark worn usually on the forehead, sometimes other parts of the body such as neck, hand or chest. Tilaka may be worn daily or for rites of passage or special religious occasions only, depending on regional customs.
  The term also refers to the Hindu ritual of marking someone's forehead with a fragrant paste, such as of sandalwood or vermilion, as a welcome and expression of honour when they arrive.
context_section_description: It is also called tikli or sheether harr in Bengali, tika,  or tilakam or tilak in Hindi; Sanskrit: तिलक tilaka; [t̪ɪˈlək])
  In Nepal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and other regions, the tilakam is called a tikā/teeka (टिका [ʈɪkaː]), and is a mixture of sindoor, a red powder, yoghurt, and grains of rice. The most common tikkas are red powder applied with the thumb, or sandalwood (chandan) paste, in a single upward stroke.
caption: similar pictography from Indus Valley Civilization
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