Also called Tikli, Pottu, Kumkum
A mark placed between the eyebrows, traditionally of kumkum or sindoor, now often a felt sticker.
The position corresponds to the ajna — the point classical texts associate with concentration and inner sight. Red is customary for married women in many communities.
Called pottu in Tamil and Malayalam, bottu in Telugu, tikli in Bengali. Shape and size vary enormously by region and era.
Solah Shringar is a cultural tradition rather than a requirement — lists differ by region, and including or omitting any item is an ordinary family choice.