In the beginning of the fourteenth century, a very successful ascetic sect was founded by Ramananda: the Ramananda Sampradaya, popularly known as the Ramanandis.
Nowadays, because of its dominant position, it is regarded as a separate organization, but officially it is still part of the Shri Sampradaya, for Ramananda started his ascetic career as a member of this sect. He remained loyal to the philosophy of its founder Ramanuja, but he choose Rama and Sita as personal gods, and made devotion to them the central feature of the sect's religious practices.
Generally speaking, almost all Vaishnava sadhus are Ramanandis.
Bhagwan Das' elaborate facial painting marks him as a devotee of Lord Rama.
There are quite a few different Vaishnava sects and they can be distinguished by the symbols painted on the forehead, but within a sect the marks are seldom entirely identical.
Most sadhus give it a personal touch. And some make more extreme variations on the fundamental theme.
The result can be quite impressive, as is shown by Hanuman Hari Das (right), but it does not necessarily imply a higher status. Nor does it, by itself, reflect a higher degree of spirituality.
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