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ThirumaN etc.

From the Bhakti List Archives

bam • September 21, 1995 


Yesterday I was talking to our temple priest here. What I gathered
from the conversation is, it has not been mentioned in any place that
ThirumaN should be applied on the forehead of the Lord. It is only for
us mortals that this is required. Sri Ramanuja did not initiate the
practice of applying ThirumaN on the forehead of the Lord either. It
was much later this practice came into force.

Also during the time of Sri Ramanuja the Thegalai and Vadagalai sects
were not present. The difference in the Thegalai and Vadagalai ThirumaN is
that the Thengalai thirumaN is a little "Y" shaped whereas the
Vadagali ThirumaN is "U" shaped. Our temple in Malleswaram, Bangalore
has witnessed some major fights on account of the pattern of applying
the ThirumaN itself.

Any corrections on this are welcome.

Murli