page_title: Urdhva Pundra
section_title: Nimbarka sampradaya
hierarchical_section_title: Urdhva Pundra / Different forms / Nimbarka sampradaya
caption_attribution_description: English: I created this image from scratch using computer programmes.
context_page_description: The Urdhva Pundra is a tilak worn by Vaishnavites to show that they are devotees of Vishnu. It is generally worn on the forehead, but may also be worn on other parts of the body. The markings are made either as a daily ritual, or on special occasions, and denote which particular lineage, or sampradaya the devotee belongs to. The different Vaishnava sampradayas each have their own distinctive style of tilak based on the siddhanta of their particular lineage. The general tilak pattern is of two or more vertical lines resembling the letter U, which commonly represent the feet of Vishnu.
context_section_description: In Nimbarka Sampradaya, the tilak is made of Gopi-Chandana (the clay from Gopi Kunda lake in Dwarka, Gujarat), as described in the Vasudeva Upanishad. It starts at the bridge of the nose and continues as two vertical lines to the top of the forehead. This is said to represent the temple of God. Within these lines, between the eyebrows is a black dot, made from the slate found in Barsana, Uttar Pradesh, the sacred birthplace of Radha. This is said to represent God as Radha and Krishna together. This tilak personifies the tenets of the Sampradaya, that God is Radha and Krishna together, none else. It is supposed to have been first given to Nimbarka at the time of his initiation by the sage, Narada. The tilak is first given to an initiate by their guru at the time of initiation, and after this, daily the devotee will remember his guru before he adorns the tilaka on his head.
caption: The Nibarka tilak between the Shankh and Chakra
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