The parents of a nine-year-old British Hindu boy, who was withdrawn from his primary school in London after it objected to him wearing a tilak on his forehead, have initiated legal proceedings in the UK High Court.
“Our son was just an ordinary little boy who enjoyed learning and spending time with his friends. His religious marking did not hurt anyone or prevent him from being a good pupil. “This case goes beyond one child or one school. The family alleges that, after the school objected to the marking, the boy was repeatedly questioned by staff about his religious practice and restricted from participating in certain school activities. The school has disputed the allegations of discrimination, maintaining that it acted sensitively, recognised the family’s religious beliefs and offered alternative arrangements, which the parents did not accept.
The boy, who belongs to the Swaminarayan faith tradition, had attended Vicar’s Green Primary School in west London since 2021 and worn his religious marking, known as the Tilak-Chandlo, without difficulty. However, the school objected to the practice in late 2025, triggering a dispute that eventually led his parents to withdraw him from the school and pursue legal action.
“He had worn his Tilak-Chandlo to school for years without difficulty, and we never imagined that something so sacred to our family would become a source of distress,” they said. It raises important questions about religious freedom and equality in British education,” said Ambrish Limbachia, director of Ashray Law.
