Tilak and neck beads are necessary for every devotees, because no spiritual function can be successfully performed without them. Some tilak markings are made with ash, some with clay or soil, some are red dots with kum kum, or dyed rice flour, or red dots with additional applications like a few grains of rice stuck to it.

Tilak and neck beads are necessary for every devotees, because no spiritual function can be successfully performed without them. Some tilak markings are made with ash, some with clay or soil, some are red dots with kum kum, or dyed rice flour, or red dots with additional applications like a few grains of rice stuck to it. ‪Some tilak appears as three lines of ash going horizontally across the forehead that indicates one is a Shaivite, or a small triangle on the nose with a "V" shape rising vertically up on the forehead from between the eyebrows, which indicates one is a Vaishnava.
"Yajna dana tapo homa svadhyaya pitr tarpanam
Vyartham bhavati tat sarva my urdhva pundra vina krtam"
~ "Without applying the lamp flame tilak mark on the forehead, no religious or spiritual function can be performed by anyone. Be it performing a sacrifice, giving charity, performing austerity, studying the scriptures, worshipping the deity or offering oblations to the forefathers, because if they are performed without wearing the tilak mark on the forehead, they remain fruitless or award less result"
Hari Om Tat Sat Namah Shivaya ~ Bum Bum Bhole!