Tripundra

Sectarian mark of three horizontal lines,
most commonly applied to the forehead
but which can also be applied to the
back, heart, shoulders, arms, and legs.
The tripundra marks the person wearing
it as a devotee (bhakta) of the god Shiva,
and although this mark is most commonly worn by renunciant ascetics,
householders also wear it. According to
one interpretation, the three lines represent the three prongs of Shiva’s trident;
according to another, they symbolize
Shiva’s third eye. The three lines are
drawn by dipping the first three fingers of
the right hand into a sacred ash known as
vibhuti (“power”) and then drawing
them across the forehead. In earlier times
vibhuti was made from wood ash that
had been sifted through cloth until it was
as fine as talcum powder. This is still done
today, primarily by ascetics who usually
use the ash from a dhuni, or smoldering
ascetic fire, which has sacred characteristics; vibhuti can also be bought in stores
selling religious supplies.