Why doesn't Srimati Radharani wear tilak?

by Laxmimoni dasi

I've been told that "tilak" is the name for any mark on the head made of clay and having sacred connotation. So I guess the actual question is why doesn't She wear Gaudiya Vaishnava tilak?

HH Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami told me that the tilak that we wear is "Krishna's tilak," and that Radha wears "Radha's tilak." Traditionally a woman places kunkuma on her forehead, and Radha also does so. In the shastra she is described as having "a dot." This has morphed into bindis, which are pasted on the head for decoration, but this is not the same thing. Maharaja (BVP Swami) said that the kunkuma powder has an effect on the chakras of a woman and makes her peaceful.

Actually, this question is like asking "Why is Krishna blue?" Ultimately the answer is, "Because He is!" All we know of Srimati Radharani is what is described in the shastra. And Her superexcellent qualities are only very minutely described.

More about tilak:

Article: Tilak, the mark of God, by Rohininandana dasa
Video:Why do Krishna devotees shave their heads and wear tilak?, with Ravindra-svarupa dasa
Video: How to put on tilak, with Nityananda Chandra dasa