What is this red mark on your forehead? What does it stand for? Why do you put it on? Are you bleeding?
Those are some of the questions asked by non-Hindus out of curiosity. Hindus also ask some of those fundamental questions themselves. It seems they do not have answers for them or they may get partially satisfactory answers. We ignore this topic as if we have the answers.
According to Brown "boTTu" means "a drop" as in "neeTi boTTu". But the Bottu we refer to is that "kumkuma boTTu" or "tilakam boTTu". Brown explains that "nudiTi boTTu" in the following line --
"A sectarian mark on the forehead, white, yellow, black, or scarlet, long or round."
Hinduism has several tokens of imitation or provisions or signs or indicative gestures which are strictly followed by the practising Hindus. These externally visible indicative gestures are one way highly essential in the Hindu society and do some good. Some of these indicative gestures of Hinduism appear as useless customs but if one applies his/her deep sense of understanding, it will be clear that they are highly benificial to the individual and society, ultimately. Another important aspect of adhering to these indicative gestures is the scientific side.
A commonly seen "nuduTipai tilakamu" (a mark or beauty spot, made on the forehead with black, scarlet, or gold paint) indicates auspiciousness (good omen, happiness, prosperity, good fortune, welfare and overall it is mamgaLam). People wear camdanam (sandalwood powder) or viBooti (ash or calcium salts) or kumkuma (a plant dye mixed with turmeric powder) as boTTu on the forehead. Shivites wear viBooti boTTu. Vishanvites wear camdanam boTTu. Worshipers of Devi and Sakti wear kumkuma boTTu.
Shiva loves the burial ground (SmaSa'nam) and the ash is the only one available there. In fact, our mythology depicts Shiva as one who applies the ash all over his body. Probably this viBooti (ash) has a cooling effect. Shiva is a radiant God with full of energey. In order to cool himself down, he puts on the viBooti. In fact Shiva is the source of all energies. Going back to the science of viBooti, viBooti is nothing but either anhydrous calcium chloride or calcium sulfate. The ash one finds in the burial ground is wood ash mixed with calcium salts from the bones.
In hot summers Indians sweat a lot and this viBooti na'mam or coating on the forehead will absorb the moisture from the sweat and cools the person. On the otherhand Vishnumoorty's camdanam boTTu signifies the peaceful nature of maha'vishNu. camdanam has also body cooling properties. Ugranarasimhamoorty of Simhachalam is cooled year around by applying a thick plaster of camdanam all over the idol and once a year the camdanam that was applied for the entire past year will be removed (done during the camdana ya'tra festival).
The master gland of the human body which regulates the homeostasis and time-keeping is the pineal gland which is also known as the third eye, located exactly behind where Hindus wear the boTTu (nuduru). There may be a direct effect of the compounds present in viBooti or kumkuma or camdanam on the pineal gland in Hindus (positive effects like maintaining the psychological balance). The blood red kumkuma of Sakti or Devi worshipers clearly indicates the omnipotent nature of the Godess they worship. a'Dadi a'diSakti - the saying becomes more powerful when the woman wears a kumkuma on her forehead.
Is this boTTu only restricted to married women? No. Even men put on this boTTu - camdanam or viBooti or kumkuma. Married women (while husband is alive) wear the kumkuma boTTu (prosperity). This is another indicative gesture of Hindu culture. tilakam is a liquid form of red paint that is sold in the market (It is some synthetic dye dissolved in organic solvents. Some times it causes severe irritation of the skin).
Vermilion (simdhooramu or imgiliikamu) is also a well-known agent used as boTTu (simdhooram is nothing but red lead.) Red lead is a heavy metal and is extremely neurotoxic. Who knows what it does at low doses to the brain and nervous system? Are there any benificial effects or red lead simdhooram while applied on forehead as boTTu?. Kings used to mix musk (from deer; for scent and fragrance) with vermilion and put it on the forehead as boTTu - adding musk is the sign of aristrocracy.
Can not Hindu widows wear kumkuma or any kind of boTTu? Why not! They can wear kumkuma boTTu. Our religion does not forbid Hindu widows from not putting on the kumkuma boTTu on the forehead. Remember one thing - boTTu is not an essential item of Vedas or dharma Sa'stra's. The post-vedic ta'mtric period brought boTTu into Hindu religion and culture.
Sivananda Saraswati says "a'~na' cakram is located exactly in the center in between the eyebrows and the tilakam should be put there. This sort application on the a'~na' cakram has tremendous cooling effect. In addition to spiritual fulfilment, camdanam has other benificial effects as boTTu."
Concentration (between the eyebrows - Bhroo) causes enoromous energy dissipation and camdanam is supposed to cool the heat. Tilakam indicates the hidden eye of the human. Shiva has the third eye located in between the eyebrows (Bhroo) and when he opens that third eye all the locas will be destroyed. If Shiva's third eye is closed, all the bondages will be destroyed (the sins will be destroyed). If one wears the tilakam boTTu on the forehead he or she feels "I am the Brahma; I am not different from Brahma and I am a liberated soul."
There are different ways and procedures of putting on the boTTu (tilakam). Shivites draw 3 viBooti lines horizontally on the forehead (aDDa na'ma'lu). Vishnavites wear 3 perpendicular na'ma's (also vRutta'ka'ra tripumDam). Vishnavites also pray to Vishnu saying "Please rescue us from the bad elements" while applying the niluvu na'ma'lu. The pamgana'ma'lu is well known na'madha'raNa in Andhra. There may be differences in the application of nama'lu but there are no differences between Shivism and Vishnavism. The Vishnava boTTu is also called "soga boTTu" or "niluvu boTTu". The Shivite boTTu is called "niluvu boTTu". ta'Li boTTu is another boTTu (mamgaLa sootram) that Andhra married women adore. gaTTi boTTu is nothing but a zero in Telugu. nEti boTTu is a drop of ghee.
One finds the following in Hinduism:1) A forehead without boTTu 2) A mamtra japa without knowing the meaning 3) A head that does not pay respects to great souls 4) A heart without compassion 5) A house without a well 6) A village without a temple 7) A country without a river 8) A society without a leader 9) A wealth without offering donations 10) A teacher without a student 11) A king without an efficient minister 12) A country without justice 13) A wife who does not respect the husband 14) A well without water 15) A flower without fragrance 16) A soul without purity 17) A land without rainfall 18) A wisdom without clear thought 19) A student who does not respect the teacher 20) A body striken with diseases 21) A tradition without purity 22) Praying to God and not being considerative 23) A talk without truth 24) A land without good people 25) A job without salary 26) A hermit without doing sacrifices 27) A pair of feet without experiencing piligrimage 28) A decission without wisdom 29) A knife without sharpness 30) A cow which does not give milk 31) A fishing pole without hook
Should be ignored and relinquished. Look at this list and decide where boTTu stands.
amga'ru is a black boTTu made out of saggu biyyamu or biyyamu. The saggu biyyamu or biyyamu are charred and converted into a black (charcoal colored) paste. Infants are decorated with amga'ru on their foreheads. This is supposed to protect the infants from the disTi. Like everything else now one can get a variety of stickon boTTus. They are different shapes and in different colors. They match with the dress and shoes. They come in packages. You wear one and throw it.
Over the years, boTTu has become an ornament and an ingredient of the makeup. The kumkam boTTu is prepared with turmeric, alum and lime juice. Some times certain natural dyes (seeds with dyes) are also added while making the powder. Safron is well known as kumkumapoojiTTa. Occassionally scents are also added to kumkuma. If wives do kumkuma pooja, the Devi will bless the whole family with good health and a lot of wealth. Whatever the boTTu is made up of, the girl looks beautiful with the boTTu on! kalakalla'Dina kaLa!!!
---PALANA