A Bindi or tilaka (tilaka means red) is a symbol drawn with clay, ashes (vihuti), or sandalwood on the area in the center of the forehead (in the location of the Ajna chakra), as a mark of devotion to the Hindu deities.
The tilaka has a different design depending on which deity it honors- for example, a tilaka of three stripes and a dot is known as a tripundra (or tiryak pundra), and denotes a Shaivite, or follower of Shiva. A “u” shaped mark surrounding a bindu (dot) denotes a follower of Krishna.
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