Many of the Hindu men wear a decorative mark on their forehead with sandal wood paste, vermillion or holy ashes. The Vaishnavites or devotees of Lord Vishnu put a mark in the shape of the alphabet ‘U’ in English where as Shaivites or devotees of Lord Shiva apply it in horizontal lines. These are called different names in different parts of the country – Gopi, Kuri, Namam, Patta, Thilakam and so on.

Here you see the Tamil Iyengars with namams in Thirukkurungudi Village, Nanguneri, Thrirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu.