Pooja Article: Sandalwood

Shiva have a custom of using Sandalwood as a part of their daily worship

or during special festive occasions. This 100% pure Sandalwood bar

or stick is the finest Sandalwood procured from the villages of South

India and is extensively used for making ‘Talk’s on the forehead. It

is applied daily after the bath and on special occasions, before or

after ritualistic worship or visit to the temple. Lord Vishnu worshipers

apply a chandan tilak of the shape of “U” and Lord Shiva worshipers

applied a tripundra bhasma on their forehead. This Sandalwood bar is

also used to make a special paste that is then applied to the Shiv-Linga

in your temple or can be applied as a mark of devotion on the Shiv-Linga

in your neighborhood temple too. The chandan which is offered to the

Lord is taken back as prasad and applied on foreheads. The tilak covers

the spot between the eye brows, which the seat of memory and thinking.

It is known as the aajna chakra in the language of yoga.

The tilak is applied with the prayer – “May i remember the Lord.

May this pious feeling pervade all my activities. May I be righteous

in my deeds”. Even when we temporarily forget this prayerful attitude

the mark on another reminds us of our resolve. The tilak is thus

a blessing of the Lord and protection against wrong tendencies and

forces. This unique to Indians and helps to easily identify us anywhere.

Chandan – made from sandal-paste, and placed as a Tilaka or sacred

mark on the forehead. This is a mark of auspiciousness which is placed

at the point where the third eye of wisdom or the spiritual eye is

located. Chandan has a very cooling effect, and great medicinal value.

It can prevent headaches while it lowers blood pressure by reducing

anger and regulating the blood flow. There are three types:

1. Shaiva Chandan – Devotees of Lord Shiva apply Chandan in 3 horizontal

   lines, using Bhasma or ashes.

2. Vaishnava Chandan – the Vaishnavites, or the devotees of Lord

   Vishnu, apply three vertical lines with sandal-paste.

3. Devi Chandan – worshippers of Durga place the dot on their foreheads

   with the red Devi chandan.