Logos of India

KHANDA The Khanda is the emblem of Sikhism. It consists of three objects: a solid circle, two interlocked swords and one double-edged sword in the centre. The twin edged sword (which itself is known by the name Khanda), circled by the solid circle known as a Chakra. The right edge of the Khanda symbolises freedom and authority governed by moral and spiritual values. The left edge of the double-edged sword symbolises divine justice which chastises and punishes wicked oppressors. The twin edged sword at the centre of the Khanda also symbolises disintegration of false pride and vanity and demolitionof the barriers of caste and other inequalities. The Chakra being a circle without a beginning or an end exhorts the Sikhs to make the whole creation as the object of their compassion and activities. The ‘Amrit’ which is used at the time of baptism is stirred with the Khanda. The original Khanda with which Guru Gobind Singh stirred the baptismal waters on March 30, A.D. 1699 is now prese...

RAMADASA BHATTA PARIVARA TILAK Ramadas Bisvas was a Kayastha by caste and employed by the government. He was also a lecturer on Kavya Prakasa. When Tapan Misra's son, Raghunatha Bhatta and his attendant, were on the way to meet Lord Chaitanya, they met Ramadasa Bisvas along the way. Ramadasa was a devotee of Rama and a great scholar, who was deeply attracted to Vaisnavism. Ramadasa began to serve Raghunatha Bhatta with devotion, which embarrassed Raghunatha. In the course of their journey they discussed various subject matters related to scriptures and at last arrived at Puri. When they finally arrived at Nilacala, Raghunatha spoke to Lord Chaitanya about Ramadasa. But the omniscient Lord did not shower His grace upon Ramadasa immediately as He knew that within his heart Ramadasa still possessed some vanity due to his learning. Ramadasa then settled at Puri and taught the sons of Pattanayaka ‘Kavyaprakas’. Tilaka of the sect is a modified ‘V’ shaped white lines with a dot of...

GOPALA BHATTA PARIVARA TILAK Shri Gopala Bhatta Goswami was the son of Vyenkatta Bhatta, a brahmana resident of Shri Rangam, who was initiated in the Shri Sampradaya. Vyenkatta Bhatta was a member in a branch of the Ramanuja Sampradaya known as Vadagalai. Lord Chaitanya once stayed four months in his home and converted the family to Gaudiya Vaisnavism. The son of Vyenkatta Bhatta was later known in the Gaudiya Sampradaya as Gopala Bhatta Goswami and he established the Radha-ramana temple in Vrindavana. In corroboration with Sri Sanatana Gosvami he compiled the book, Hari-bhakti-vilasa explaining the ritual and devotional practices of the Gaudiya Vaisnavasampradaya. He also wrote Sat-kriya-dipika and the outline for Sri Jiva Gosvami's Sat Sandarbhas. The followers of his sampradaya use the ‘V’ shaped  white line with a stroke of ‘Srichurnam’ in middle.

SHYAMANANDA PARIVARA TILAK Sri Gopala Guru Shri Shyamananda Prabhu was born in Utkala, in a place called Dharenda Bhadura Pura. His father's name was Shri Krishna Mandal. His mother's name was Shri Durika. Shri Krishna Mandal, who was in the dynasty of the Six Gopas, had sired many sons and daughters who had passed away before this son took his birth. Because of the great misfortune which had befallen his family, Shri Krishna Mandal named the boy Dukhi. Everyone said that the boy would become a great person, a Mahapurush. On an auspicious moment on the full moon day of the month of Chaitra, he appeared within this world by the mercy of Lord Jagannatha. He travelled all through Bengal and Orissa spreading Gaudiya Vaishnavism. The followers of his sect display this tilaka and they are called Shyamanada Parivara.

GOPALA GURU PARIVARA TILAK Sri Gopala Guru Goswami was a disciple of Sri Vakreshwara Pandit. He was a brahmana from Utkala. From early childhood, he stayed with Vakreshwara Pandit under his care and guidance. Under the authority of Sri Svarupa Damodara and Raghunatha Dasa Goswami, he was instructed in the system of rasa and attained expertise in the rasik principles. At the place where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu stayed at the house of Kashi Mishra, Vakreshwara Pandita later stayed. After Sri Vakreshwara Pandit passed away, Gopal Guru Goswami stayed at that place, where he installed the deities Sri Sri Radhakanta. He founded the tradition of Vakreshwara Pandita and Gopala Guru Parivara. The tilaka of this sect is has a ‘U’ shape mark applied with sandalwood paste.

GANGAMATA PARIVARA TILAKA Gangamata Parivara is one of the ten main Gaudiya Vaishnava parivars and the originator is Gangamata Thakurani. The line of Gopala Bhatta is also a vamsa-parampara descending from the brother of Gopinatha Pujari, one of the original sevaites of Radha-ramana. Saci Devi was the only daughter of King Naresanarayana of Puntiya in the district of Rajsahi. Saci Devi was a disciple of Haridasa Pandita. She was initiated in Radha Krsna mantra from Haridasa on the thirteenth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Chaitra and thereafter devoted herself fully to the service of guru and Govinda. Lord Jagannath  brought the Ganges, under His feet, in order to enable Saci to take a bath in the Ganges as she desired. Since the bath she has been called as Gangamata Thakurani. The tilaka of this sect is a ‘U’ shape supported by a single short stroke at its bottom in sandalwood paste.

GANGANARAYANA CAKRAVARTI PARIVARA TILAK Sri Ganga Narayana Chakravarti, a renowned brahmana, took initiation from Sri Narottama Dasa Thakura into the fold of Gaudiya Vaisnavism. The king, the smartas and the Sri Rupa Narayana went to challenge and conquer the Narottama Dasa. Ganga Narayana Cakravarti and Ramacandra Kaviraja felt disturbed upon hearing of the imminent attack against their gurudeva. Disguising themselves as a potter and a betel nut vendor, they opened shops in a neighboring village. Both the potter - Ramacandra Kaviraja and the pan walla - Ganga Narayana spoke pure Sanskrit with the students. The smartas, King and his pandit joined the furious debate. The two vendors quickly silenced the opposition. When he learnt about them, the King told the smarta pandits, "If you can't even defeat these two common ordinary disciples of Narottama Dasa Thakura, how will you ever defeat Narottama Dasa himself?" That night in a dream Durga Devi told King Narasimha, ...

NAROTTAMA THAKURA PARIVARA TILAK Narottama Dasa Thakura (1466), also known as Thakura Mahasaya is a Gaudiya Vaishnava saint who was responsible for spreading Vaishnava bhakti throughout Orissa in and outside of Bengal in India. Narottama dasa was the son of King Krishnananda Datta and Narayani Devi who resided in Gopalpur Pargana of the Rajsahi district of Bangladesh. Fifty years after the disappearance of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Narottama organized annual festivals in Bengal, which served to keep the Gaudiya philosophy unified. Narottama Thakura parivara members sport a tilaka similar to Gaudiyas and in place of tulasi they have leaf of neem tree.

ADVAITACHARYA PARIVARA TILAK Advaita Acharya (1434–1539), born Kamalaksha Bhattacharya, was a notable disciple and companion of the founder of the Gaudiya Vaishnava sect, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and guru of Haridasa Thakur. He was born at Navagrama-Laur village in the present-day Sylhet District of Bangladesh in 1434, some fifty years before Chaitanya. He spent most of his adult life in the town of Shantipur with his wife and family (Advaita Acharya had six sons, Acyutananda, Krsna Misra, Gopala dasa, Balarama, Svarupa, and Jagadisa) teaching the philosophy of Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata Purana and promoting Bhakti Yoga. Followers of Advaita Acharya – Advaitacarya parivara sport a tilka similar to Gaudiyas and in place of tulasi they have leaf of banyan tree.