GANGAMATA PARIVARA TILAKA

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.