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T i l a k
Of all the 16
ornaments which came to be known as sola shringar in folk songs
and classical art, the tilak or vermilion and the jewelled tika
worn by women in their hair parting are considered the most
important. A woman, it is said, is auspicious by birth. Therefore,
she is given the tilak of luck almost at birth and she continues
to wear it till she dies. The original tilak was made from the
paste of fragrant saffron.
Later, as the word kumkum suggests, the substance used for tilaks
was turmeric, which had a special significance as a purifying
spice in India. It is recorded that the tilak was worn by
non-Aryan women even before the advent of the Aryan civilisation.
The Aryans equated a woman with the earth mother because they
believed that both the earth and a woman could miraculously create
life.
The earth mother was worshipped each harvesting season with an
offering of blood which dripped into the soil from a sacrificed
animal. This same blood was then smeared on a woman's forehead by
her husband to invoke all creative forces. Later, when animal
sacrifices stopped, a red substance made from lead-oxide, turmeric
and oil and saffron or sandal were used for tilaks.
With the Aryan patriarchal culture penetrating India, the tilak
became a symbol of the marital status of a woman. Women wore
tilaks of gold, gems, mica and other luxurious substances in
addition to the original natural ingredients. The shape of a tilak,
round to begin with, also took many new forms, with the motifs of
the sun or moon symbolising everlasting fortune. Colours
were used, different patterns adorned new brides, symbolic designs
indicated religious denominations and personal preferences.
Additionally, a jewelled tika too became part of a bride's
adornments. It hung on a gold or beaded chain from her hair
parting onto her forehead and made her face lustrous and
beautiful. It gave a certain symmetry to a well-proportioned face
with high cheekbones, dark brows and almond-shaped eyes. The tilak,
being an auspicious symbol of good fortune, became an imperative
adornment for women on all religious occasions.
Betrothals, weddings, naming of children, birthdays,
anniversaries, long journeys, festivals, pujas and an exchange of
goodwill - all called for a tilak on a woman's forehead. By and
by, most people forgot the real significance of the tilak and
turned it into a `beauty mark', a mere item of physical adornment.
In truth, the tilak is worn by everyone in the centre of the brow,
which is considered the seat of higher intelligence and the power
to discriminate.
Touching that precise spot of the forehead every morning awakens
the power of the mind, the energy of the spirit and promotes the
intuitive reach of human wisdom. The tilak, because of its long
cultural history and its spiritual significance, is the first and
most commonly used adornment in the sola shringar series.
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