Madhwacharis

Madhwacharis a division of the Vaishnava sect of the Hindus, founded by Marlhwacharya (q.v.). They have their headquarters at Udipi, where their founder erected a temple, and deposited an image of Krishna. Their appearance is thus described: "The ascetic professors of Madhwacharya's school adopt the external appearance of the Dondis, laying aside the Brahmanical cord, carrying a staff and a water-pot, going bare-headed, and wearing a single wrapper stained of an orange color with an ochrey clay; they are usually adopted into the order from their boyhood, and acknowledge no social affinities nor interests. The marks common to them and the lay votaries of the order are the impress of the symbols of Vishnu upon their shoulders and breasts, stamped with a hot iron, and the frontal mark, which consists of two perpendicular lines made with Gopichandana, and joined at the root of the nose like that of the Sri Vaishnavas; but instead of the red line down the centre, the Madhwacharis make a straight black line, with the charcoal from incense offered to Narayana, terminating in a round mark made with turmeric."