So, the Lord, in the disguise of a sage, with sacred ashes smeared all over his body, came to Nayanar's house.
She had to remove the kunkumam or the vermilion mark on her forehead, and was required to smear her forehead with the sacred ashes.
To him Siva and his devotees, adorned Rudraksha and sacred ashes represented only truth,absolute Truth, and all the rest of the world was straw.
In the mosque he maintained a sacred fire which is referred to as a dhuni, from which he gave sacred ashes ('Udhi') to his guests before they left.
His final request was for his body to be cremated and his sacred ashes to be immersed in the holy waters of Mother Ganga.
Finally, I offer this, the sacred ashes of our home world.
The gurus wear ochre robes, smear their forehead with sacred ashes or vibhuti, and worship God for many hours every day.
There are holy relics and the sacred ashes of our dead.
Most Brahacharanam are worshippers of Shiva, and they cover their forehead with sacred ashes.
In Hinduism, sacred ashes or Vibhuti are used to smear, anoint or mark devotees.