Face should represent what is felt in our heart because face is the index of one’s mind. Everyone wants to be happy always, love others, be loved and feel at peace. Thiruman represents love and  peace and hence joy.

Detailed Explanation: People wear a variety of things on their foreheads. Sri Vaishnavas apply a red line surrounded by white lines. SOme people apply vibhuti as horizontal lines. And nowadays there are a variety of decorations for the forehead in varying colors.  Face should represent what is felt in your heart because face is the index of one’s mind. Everyone wants to be happy always, love others, be loved and feel at peace. Thiruman represents love and  peace and hence joy.

 A base with a root  is drawn with white color (representing peace) in between the palce between the eyes. From there onwards, 2 white lines proceed upwards uptil where the hair touches the forehead. A red tilak representing love starts between the eyes and goes upwards as well. Peace and love results in joy .

Detailed Explanation: Everyone wants to be happy and love each other in a peaceful environment. WE want peace to be the foundation and joy to progress. Colors are also important in representing these emotions. 

In thiruman, a place is identified as the beginning of this journey . The journey begins between the eyes. The reason being eyes show the external world. It’s the beginning of knowledge. White represents peace and is also the foundation for joy. So a base is drawn in between the eyes with a strong root which will not be shaken at any point of time. From there it progresses upwards on two sides uptil where the hair touches the forehead. A red tilak is drawn in the middle representing love. It also proceeds upward from the middle of the eye and is drawn uptil the point where the hair touches the forehead. The root of the base starts from a place called na:sika mu:lam which is identified as the middle point of nose as identified by scriptures. 

When one believes in Maha Vishnu and surrenders to his feet to get His grace, then out of love we like to keep his feet on our head. Hence thiruman is said to represent his divine feet (thiruvadi).

Detailed Explanation: When one believes in Maha Vishnu and surrenders to his feet to get His grace, then out of love we like to keep his feet on our head. Ahzvars also keep singing that “I keep your feet on my head” – “thalaiyalla:l kaima:ru ille:n’. Hence thiruman is said to represent his divine feet (thiruvadi). Its not literally putting his feet on our head but out of love we symbolically do so. The white represents the divine feet of the Lord and the red represents Mahalakshmi or Sri: Hence the red powder is known as Sri: chu:rnam. Sri: is a personification of love and hence she is also called tha:ya:r or mother. 

Sri: Chu:rnam represents Maha Lakshmi personification of love. And the divine feet of the Lord represents peace. When these symbols represent peace and love, it can adorn the Lord’s divine face to show us that this is the way to adorn it. It’s not literally taken as Vishnu and Lakshmi pa:dam (divine feet). It’s adorned on perumals head as a symbolic representation of peace and love.