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facial markings

Various facial markings are used in India to denote

sectarian affiliations or to serve other ceremonial

purposes.

The most common Vaishnavite (see VAISH-

NAVISM) forehead marking is a large U-shaped

mark with a vertical dot or line placed precisely

in its center, not touching the bottom of the U.

Variations include a more square U, and different

placement of the center vertical line (which is

sometimes made of a series of dots). Some Vaish-

navite markings show only two parallel, vertical

lines with or without a center dot, or three parallel

vertical lines, sometimes with a dot placed on the

middle line, or just above or below it.

Shaivite (see SHAIVISM) facial markings are

most commonly three, equidistant, parallel lines

on the forehead in varying patterns.

A dot or line of red saffron or ash might be

placed on the forehead by anyone after a PUJA

to mark an enhanced devotional state, or by a

GURU or teacher at all times as a sign of devo-

tion. In either case, the dot represents the open-

ing of the third eye, which indicates heightened

consciousness.

Women in India often wear a dot on the fore-

head, sometimes as a conventional decoration,

but sometimes as protection from the evil eye. It

might also be interpreted as a recognition of the

existence of the third eye of consciousness.

Some women in North India put a mark of red

saffron on the part of the hair to signify that they

are married.

Further reading: Eva Rudy Jansen, The Book of Hindu

Imagery: The Gods and Their Symbols (Havelte, Holland:

Binkey Kok Publications, 1993).

fasting See VOWS.

Foundation of Revelation (est. 1970)

In 1968, a young American woman, Charlotte Wal-

lace (no b. date), attended the Spiritual Summit

Conference in Calcutta (Kolkata), India, and there

met an unnamed Indian beggar. Enamored by his

knowledge of life, Wallace and some of her friends

followed the holy man home to his native village

of Gorkhara to stay with his family and learn his

teachings. The holy man was born in 1913 into a

Brahmin family. As a youth he spent many years

studying modern knowledge but deemed this

study limited and illusory. On January 14, 1966,

F