The Srivaishnava Urdhva Pundra (Alternatively referred to as ''Thiruman'', ''Sricharanam'', or ''Namam'') is the

tilak In Dharmic culture, the ''tilaka'' ( sa, तिलक) () is a mark worn usually on the forehead, at the point of the Ajna chakra, or sometimes another part of the body such as the neck, hand, chest or arm. ''Tilaka'' may be worn daily or for ...

worn by the adherents of

Sri Vaishnavism Sri Vaishnavism, or the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya, is a denomination within the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism. The name refers to goddess Lakshmi (also known as Sri), as well as a prefix that means "sacred, revered", and the god Vishnu, who ...

. The figure drawn is representative of the feet of

Narayana Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is co ...

with the goddess

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...

featured in the middle.

Form

The original tilak

The two Iyengar denominations, the

Tenkalai Sri Vaishnavism, or the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya, is a denomination within the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism. The name refers to goddess Lakshmi (also known as Sri), as well as a prefix that means "sacred, revered", and the god Vishnu, who ...

and the

Vadakalai Sri Vaishnavism, or the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya, is a denomination within the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism. The name refers to goddess Lakshmi (also known as Sri), as well as a prefix that means "sacred, revered", and the god Vishnu, who ...

, wear the namam with slightly altered designs. The namam for the adherents of the Tenkalai tradition includes a white bow that extends to the bridge of the nose, shaped like a Y. A red line runs down the middle of this design. This particular tilak is believed to have its origin in the

Pancharatra ''Pancharatra'' (IAST: ''Pāñcarātra'') was a religious movement in Hinduism that originated in late 3rd-century BCE around the ideas of Narayana and the various avatars of Vishnu as their central deities.Samasrayanam. The original forms of the naamam are depicted in the gallery below. File:Thengalai_thiruman.jpg, As an emblem. File:Iyengar Vedic students 1909.JPG, Iyengar Vedic students in

Tanjore Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Gr ...

, sporting the Thenkalai Sricharanam. Source:''The National Geographic Magazine'', Nov 1909 File:Alasinga Perumal.jpg,

Alasinga Perumal Alasinga Perumal (1865 – 11 May 1909) was a propagator of Vedanta and an ardent follower of Swami Vivekananda. Born in an orthodox Vaishnavite family at Chikkamagalur of Mysore, he took his education in Madras. After obtaining a B.A. degree ...

, a famous supporter of Swami

Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda (; ; 12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta (), was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the introd ...

wearing the Thenkalai Sricharanam. File:Vadagalai Tiruman.JPG, The

As an emblem. File:BKS Iyengar.jpg, BKS Iyengar wearing the Srichurnam in its more casual, abbreviated form.

The abbreviated form

The abbreviated namam is more commonly worn by Bhagavathars, Iyengars, as well as all denominations of Sri Vaishnavas, and Pandaris in daily life. It consists of a single thin, vertical red or yellow line worn in the middle of the forehead. This abbreviated namam has become commonplace in religious as well as secular events.

Etymology and meaning

The Parashara Smriti gives a very detailed explanation on the Thiruman: where, when, and how to wear it, as well as what should be chanted while wearing the same. Srichurnam is the yellow/red line in the middle of the white marks. The white marks are called Thiruman in Tamil. The word Srichurnam is often referred with the Thiruman and is called as Thiruman Srichurnam (or Oordhva Pundram). Particularly for the followers of Sri Sampradayam Srivaishnavas, Sriman Narayana (Vishnu) is always seen as being inseparable from his divine consort, Lakshmi, and hence the marks on The etymology of Srichurnam is as follows:

Sri Shri (; , ) is a Sanskrit term denoting resplendence, wealth and prosperity, primarily used as an honorific. The word is widely used in South and Southeast Asian languages such as Marathi, Malay (including Indonesian and Malaysian), Javanes ...

refers to Lakshmi, while churanam literally means powder. The Srichurnam - the red/yellow line in the middle - represents Lakshmi. Thiruman (tiru = holy, man = clay) represents the feet

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

Composition

Apart from the main ingredients described below, several auspicious substances are added, such as

Tulasi ''Ocimum tenuiflorum'', commonly known as holy basil, ''tulsi'' or ''tulasi'', is an aromatic perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and widespread as a cultivated plant throughout the Southeast Asian ...

, rice, turmeric, camphor, flowers.

Thiruman

The white powder in Thiruman is derived from decayed

schistose Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock showing pronounced schistosity. This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a low-power hand lens, oriented in such a way that the rock is easily split into thin flakes o ...

mica Micas ( ) are a group of silicate minerals whose outstanding physical characteristic is that individual mica crystals can easily be split into extremely thin elastic plates. This characteristic is described as perfect basal cleavage. Mica is ...

. It is found, among other places, in

Melukote Melukote in Pandavapura taluk of Mandya district, Karnataka, in southern India, is one of the sacred places in Karnataka.It is built on rocky hills, known as Yadugiri, Yaadavagiri and Yadushailadeepa, overlooking the Cauvery valley. Melukote ...

Shrichurnam

The yellow mark is worn using turmeric. The red mark is made of turmeric mixed with lime.