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We examine the impact of the current colonial-racist discourse around Hindu Dharma on Indians across the world and prove that this discourse causes psychological effects similar to those caused by racism: shame, inferiority, embarrassment, identity confusion, assimilation, and a detachment from our cultural heritage.

Puṇḍra

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Puṇḍra literally means ‘religious mark’.

Popular scriptures like the sectarian Upaniṣads and the purāṇas ordain that every person must wear a puṇḍra or a religious mark on the forehead and also on other parts of the body. This puṇḍra may be tiryakpuṇḍra[1] like the bhasma or vibhuti or urdhvapuṇḍra like the nāma worn by the Vaiṣṇavas[2] or even just a tilaka.[3]


References[edit]

  1. Tiryakpuṇḍra is worn crosswise.
  2. They are the followers of the Viṣṇu sects.
  3. Tilaka means circular mark.
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

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