The devotees of
Lord Vishnu are called Vaishnavas. They also worship two chief avatars of Vishnu -
Lord Ram and
Lord Krishna, along with their wives.
There are no clear evidences about the origin of Vaishnavism in India, but its development from the medieval period has been rapid and remarkable.
Vaishnavites usually wear a special ‘V’ shaped mark in the middle on their forehead and sometimes on their forearms. The mark is drawn in white with a vertical red or yellow stroke. The marks on the forehead represent the feet of Vishnu, which indicates complete submission. Variations in this mark distinguish northern from southern sects of Vaishnavites.
