Glossary of Indian terms and expressions

a

accha:

"good", "all right", "okay", or frequently "I get it"

Agni:

Vedic God of fire

AIIMS:

All India Institute of Medical Sciences. India's elite medical college, based in New Delhi.

amrit:

nectar of immortality

Ananda:

joy, bliss

Anjaneya:

another name for the monkey god Hanuman.

anna:

coin, a sixteenth part of a rupee; no longer in circulation

Arjuna:

hero of the Mahabharata, recipient of Krishna's teachings of the Bhagavad Gita

Artha:

wealth; pursuit of material gains by lawful means; one of the four goals of a Hindu's life

arti:

worship, prayer, puja

Aryan:

(lit. Sanskrit: "noble"), people who immigrated to the North of India three to four thousand years ago

asana:

seated position (religious connotations, i.e. in Yoga)

ashram:

(lit.: "hermitage") spiritual retreat; home of a religious community

asura / assura:

demon (origin: probably from "Assyrian"); enemies of the Vedic gods

Atharvaveda:

the fourth of the four Vedas (ancient Hindu scriptures)

auto-rickshaw:

noisy, usually fume spitting three wheeled "taxi"

avataar:

incarnation of a deity, such as "Buddha was the 9th incarnation of Vishnu"

Ayodhya:

town in Uttar Pradesh, supposed birth place of God Ram; site of torn down Babri Masjid; see Ayodhya dispute page

ayurveda:

Indian herbal medicine

b

baba:

Indian wandering holy man, also called a sadhu

babu:

suffix which used to be added to the (usually first) name of a person when addressing somebody formally

baiji, bai:

professional singer or dancer, a courtesan

baksheesh:

can be a tip, a bribe or a donation to a beggar.

bandh:

general strike

banyan:

Indian fig tree

Baramaha:

name of composition in Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh holy book), composed by different Sikh Gurus

Bhagavad Gita:

Hindu "Song of the Divine One"; Krishna's teachings to Arjuna written as a long poem; part of the Mahabharata; important religious text in Hinduism

bhakt:

lit. devotee, devoted; see also Ram bhakt

bhakti:

mystic devotion

bhang:

narcotic made from cannabis leaves, particularly popular when mixed with lassi

Bharat:

Hindi name for India

bhatta:

wok shaped metal pans, carried on the head in the Punjab

bidi:

a tiny amount of cheap tobacco wrapped in a leaf, tied with some string; contains hardly any nicotine but hideous amounts of tar

bindi:

forehead mark worn by Hindus

bodhi tree:

the fig tree beneath which the Buddha gained enlightenment

Bodhisattva:

"Essence of enlightenment"; compassionate beings on the threshold of enlightenment

Brahma:

Hindu God, creator, source of all existence

Brahman:

absolute truth and universal soul in Hinduism; spiritual essence underlying all reality. All gods and the world are aspects of Brahman; (not to be confused with Brahma, who is one aspect of Brahman); sometimes spelt as Brahm- or Brahma

Brahmana:

one of the four sections of each of the four Vedas, dealing with the significance of the hymns within the Vedas

Brahmin:

highest of the Hindu caste, caste of priests

Brahmo Samaj:

"Society of God", movement for religious and social reform founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy in 1832, which rejects external rituals but believes in inner spirituality

Buddha:

"Awakened One", originator of Buddhism (app. 600 BC); by Hindus considered as the 9th incarnation of Vishnu

bukari:

wood and coal burning stove/oven

c

CBI:

Central Bureau of Investigation. India's national investigations agency, reporting to central government and dealing with high profile criminal cases and matters of national security.

chai:

sugary milky tea. The best is usually made all milk with no water.

chakra:

Vishnu's discus; also wheel (i.e. from a chariot or as depicted on the India national flag)

chana chaat:

salad of boiled chickpeas and potatoes with tomato, onion and spices

chandala:

member of the untouchable caste, who often dispose of unclaimed dead bodies

Chandi:

another manifestation of Goddess Kali or the Devi in her war-like aspect

chapati:

flat round unleavened bread

chappals:

sandals

charas:

hash made of the resin of the buds of the female cannabis plant.

chello / chalo:

"Go away!" or "Let's go!"

chillum:

conical upright pipe to smoke charas (and sometimes tobacco)

chorten:

Tibetan term for stupa (Buddhist monument or memorial)

choungri:

duster for god idol (made of yak hair)

chowk :

intersection or sometimes town square.

chowkidar:

caretaker, watchman

crore:

10 million

crorepatti:

millionaire

d

dacoit:

bandit, robber

darshan:

viewing of a deity; audience with someone

Dasshera:

see Dussehra

deodar:

Himalayan cedar

Deva:

God

Devta / Devata:

village god, local deity

Devi:

Goddess; respectful suffix to woman's name

dhaba:

cheap eating place, often on the road side

dharamsala:

pilgrim's rest house

dharhachh:

metal pot with coals of sandalwood as incense, locally often translated as "smoky thing, used during prayer times

dharma:

code of morals or behaviour adhered to by Hindus and Buddhists; righteous living as one of the four goals of a Hindu's life

dhol:

big drum

dhoop:

incense, looks like charas and is sometimes sold as such to unsuspecting tourists

dhoti:

cloth wrapped around the waist and pulled up between the legs, worn by Hindu men in the South/Plains

didi:

elder sister, also used to address elder woman respectfully (only if on familiar terms with her)

Diwali:

Hindu festival of light

dosa:

large crispy lentil flour pancake, served with chutney

dowry:

money and presents given at marriage time by a bride's parent to their son-in-law's family (illegal, but very often practiced)

dravida:

temple style prevalent in South India

dupatta:

scarf for head or shoulders, worn by women

durbar:

court

Durga:

Goddess, "the Inaccessible", another form of Kali, riding a tiger, major goddess of the Sakti cult

Dussehra:

(also Dasshera) Hindu festival in (mostly) October celebrating God Rama's victory of good over evil (see Dussehra 2002 article)

e

eve-teasing:

India’s somewhat polite and fluffy term for sexual assault or harassment

f

FIR:

First Information Report, generally a complaint lodged with the police by a victim of crime, containing details of the offense

g

gaddi:

nomadic tribe of hill shepherds

Gadotkatsh:

also Gatotkatsh or Gadhotkatch, God in form of a tree (in Manali), son of Goddess Hadimba and Bhima (super strong man in the epic Mahabharata); responsible for wind and storm

ganara:

smallish drum

Gandharva:

a supernatural being

Ganesh:

God of wisdom and prosperity; elephant headed son of Shiva and Parvati

ganja:

marijuana

garbagriha:

(also garba-griha) inner sanctum of a Hindu temple

Garuda:

mythical bird; Vishnu's vehicle; also Indonesia's national airline

ghat:

slope or flight of steps down to a river; range of hills

ghatak:

marriage broker, matchmaker

ghii / ghi:

clarified butter

Gitanjali:

"Song of offerings", famous poem by Rabindranath Tagore

gnana:

wisdom, perception

gompa:

Buddhist monastery

gondi:

special bell (and the bell ringer) which is rung to announce the arrival of gods (Himachal Pradesh)

gopis:

milkmaids who adore the flute playing Krishna

Granth Sahib:

The Sikh holy book which is also the last Sikh Guru

Gur:

person, who can communicate with god and who acts as the village god's or goddess's mouthpiece; in Manali always male, the Gur can be female in other villages. When speaking to the god or goddess the Gur enters a trance. Could be roughly translated with medium or shaman.

guru:

teacher (lit. Sanskrit: "goe": darkness, "roe": to dispel)

Guru Granth Sahib:

The Sikh holy book which is also the last Sikh Guru

Gurudwara:

also Gurdwara; Sikh temple

Gurupurabs:

Sikh festivals which mark certain events in the lives of the Sikh Gurus

h

Hadimba:

Goddess, another form of Kali; chief Goddess of the Kulu Valley

haj:

pilgrimage to Mecca

Hanuman:

Hindu monkey god; friend and helper of Rama in the Ramayana.

Harijan:

(lit. "child of God") Gandhi's term for an Untouchable (somebody from the Scheduled Caste), now usually called Dalits

Harmandir:

or Harimandir, another name for the (Sikh) Golden Temple in Amritsar

hartaal:

general strike

haveli:

cluster of houses built around a central courtyard

Hawala:

(also Hundi)traditional system for transfer of money over long distances. Hit the international headlines in the 1990's with the "Hawala scandal" involving payments allegedly made to top Indian politicians by the Jain brothers.

henna:

herbal or chemical, used for dying hair (black or red) and for producing intricate patterns on the palm of the hand and feet of a bride

hijra:

eunuch

Hindutva:

"Hindu-ness"; a term used by Indian political parties (such as the BJP, the current party of Government) and politico - religious groups (such as the RSS, VHP, Sangh Parivar etc) to describe their notion of India as a Hindu State. The concept has been misused by some politicians to provoke communal violence, and is seen by many to violate the spirit of India's firmly secular constitution.

Holi:

Hindu festival of colours, takes place at the beginning of the spring; people cover each other with coloured powder or water - dangerous time to be on the road!

HPTDC:

Himachal Pradesh Tourist Development Corporation

hubble-bubble:

hookah, water pipe

i

IAS:

Indian Administrative Service. The vast civil service bureaucracy that provides administrative service to India's Central and State governments.

ICS:

Indian Civil Service

idli:

South Indian steamed rice dumpling

Id-ul-Fitr:

Muslim festival at the end of Ramadan

IIT:

Indian Institutes of Technology. The collective name for India's seven top institutes of higher education in science and engineering, located at Chennai (Madras), Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Mumbai (Bombay) and Roorkee.

Indra:

God of rain, thunder, lightning, war; Vedic chief of all gods.

ISD:

International Subscriber Dialling, used for international telephone calls

ISRO:

Indian Space Research Organisation, headquartered in Bangalore

j

Jagannath:

Lord of the Universe, a form of Krishna

jalebi:

deep fried very sticky sweets, made of sugar, flour and syrup

Jamdagni:

a sage or holy man mentioned in the Indian Epics, in Himachal Pradesh often revered as "Jamlu"

Jamlu:

deity in Himachal Pradesh; see also Jamdagni

jamun:

deep purple fruit, similar to a plum

Janaki:

another name for Sita, the heroine of the Ramayana

-ji:

honorific suffix

jyotirlinga:

self-manifested Shivalingam; according to legends lingams self created from pure light; there are 12 of these in India, the most sacred one in Varanasi

k

kahi:

long slim copper trumpet like instrument (looks like wood)

Kailash / Kailas:

sacred Himalayan mountain, home of God Shiva

Kali:

Goddess, "the Black", recognisable by her black skin, necklace of skulls and often the snakes which surround her.

Kalki:

tenth incarnation of Vishnu (still to come)

kalpa:

a day for Brahma, corresponds to several thousand years on earth

Kalyug:

(also Kali Yuga) age of speed (according to Indian myth the age we currently live in); the era (Yuga) when righteousness and virtue disappear; fear, distress, anger, hunger prevail and the rulers care only about their power and riches.

Kama:

delight of the senses; love; one of the four goals of a Hindu's life

Kama Sutra:

"Aphorism on love", "love formulae" or "treatise on desire"; ancient Sanskrit text in approximately 1250 verses covering psychological, sociological and physical aspects of love and sex. Standard work on love written sometime between the 1st and 6th century AD by Vatsyayana, 1883 translated into English by Sir Richard Francis Burton, although in heavily edited form due to rigid Victorian morals.

Kanyakumari:

"Virgin Maiden", another name for Durga; town at the south tip of India

karma:

cause and effect principle of totting up good and bad deeds affecting your next incarnation. The Hindu or Buddhist equivalent of Judgement day

karnali:

(also karnaali) big ceremonial trumpet of North India, also called in some areas nirkali

kar sewa:

lit. "to do service", religious service done by volunteers as a religious duty, i.e. "Sikh kar sewa" temple water tank cleaning
[see Sikh kar sewa photo gallery]

Kartikeya:

son of Shiva and Parvati, worshipped as a warrior god; also known as Skanda

Kaur:

Sikh female surname, meaning princess

kilta:

conical basket of the North, carried with shoulder straps on the back, used for transporting cow fodder, apples, grass, fire wood, manure etc

kirtan:

Sikh religious songs

Krishna:

8th incarnation of Vishnu, often blue, Arjuna's teacher in the Bhagavad Gita

Krittivasa:

Bengali medieval poet who translated the epic Ramayana from Sanskrit into Bengali

kshatriya:

warrior class; one of the major four caste divisions

KSTDC:

Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation

kumkum:

South Indian term for sindoor, red vermillion powder applied by married women to their forehead or parting of their hair

l

lakh:

100,000

Lakshmana:

(also Laxman) brother of Rama; human incarnation of the Great Serpent Adisesha, in whose coils the God Vishnu rested

Lakshmi:

(also Laxmi) Goddess of beauty and wealth/fortune, consort of God Vishnu

lama:

senior Buddhist monk

langar:

Sikh communal kitchen, serving free food for all devotees in Gurdwaras

lassi:

yogurt drink

lathi:

stick, used by the police

lingam:

phallic emblem of the God Shiva

Lok Sabha:

lower house of the Indian Parliament

lungi:

loosely wrapped loincloth, worn by men

m

madrasa:

(also madrassa) school for teaching of Islam. Controversial in recent times due to the implied connection between some madrasas and Islamic extremism

Maghnad:

son of Ravana

Mahabharata:

ancient Vedic/Sanskrit poem describing the battle between the Pandavas and Kauravas; with about 10,000 verses the world's longest work of literature; composed around the 1st millennium BC

Maharaja:

(lit. "Great ruler"), King or prince

mahatma:

lit.: great soul

Mahavishnu:

Supreme God; divides himself into the trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva)

Mahishasura:

demon killed by Durga; half buffalo & half man

mahout:

elephant rider/minder

maidan:

flat piece of ground; grassy area in a town

mala:

necklace made of beads, used for meditation (counting the beads during praying)

mandala:

circle, symbolises the universe in Hinduism and Buddhism

mandir:

Hindu or Jain temple

mangal sutra:

necklace worn by married women, made of black beads

Manmatha:

god of love

mantra:

a sacred formula or verse; sacred chant used in meditation

Manu:

first man on Earth

mark:

(hindi) silver mask of god idol

masala:

mix (usually spices)

masjid:

mosque, lit. "place for prostration"

mata:

mother

Matrika:

Mother Goddess

maya:

illusion

mela:

religious festival, a fair

Meru:

Himalayan mythical mountain

minaret:

tower attached to a mosque; used by muezzin to call faithful Muslims to prayer - or nowadays often attached with a loudspeaker to do the same job

moksha:

salvation

momo:

Tibetan pasta wrapped around vegetable or meat, vaguely similar to big Ravioli without the sauce

monal:

pheasant; protected in HP

monsoon:

rainy season; originates from Arabic for "season"

more:

silver mask of god idol, (Kulvi language lit.: "face")

mormuth:

duster for god idol (made of peacock feathers)

mudras:

hand gestures of Hindu gods and the Buddha, to depict different moods, activities and meanings

muezzin:

somebody who calls Muslims to prayer from the minaret of the mosque (now very often with loudspeakers and by tape)

mukti:

liberation from the cycle of births and deaths, salvation, same as moksha

n

Naag Devta:

(also Nag devta) snake god

naan:

Indian flat bread cooked in a Tandoor

nadi:

river

nagara:

northern style of temple

nallah:

stream or river valley, gorge (North India)

namaste:

greeting

namaskar:

greeting

namaz:

Muslim prayer

Nanakshahi:

Sikh calendar, introduced 14/03/1999. Era starts with date of birth of first Guru Nanak (Sikh's first Guru) in 1469.

Nandi:

figure of a sacred bull, God Shiva's vehicle, symbol of fertility

Narasimha:

fourth incarnation of Vishnu, a man-lion

Narayan:

(also Narayana) another name for the God Vishnu

Narshinga:

curvy trumpet like instrument

nasha:

intoxication, drunk, stoned; a state given ultimate physical expression by Raj, the owner of Café Manalsu in Old Manali; as in "I am very Nasha"

Nataraj:

(also Nataraja) "Lord of the Dance"; Shiva as the Cosmic Dancer (worshipped especially in South India)

natti:

also nati, traditional dance in the Kulu Valley, Himachal Pradesh

NCB:

(The) Narcotics Control Bureau. The principal administrators of India's policy on illegal drugs

NDPS:

Abbreviation for Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, the Indian Government policy on illicit drugs, based on Section 47 of the Indian constitution and expressed in the form of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (1985) and the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, (1988). See also NCB

nirkali:

long horns/ trumpets used for religious ceremonies in Himachal Pradesh; also called karnali

nirvana:

state that is the final aim of Buddhists, release from the cycle of existence

Nishan Sahib:

Sikh flag

o

Om:

sacred symbol and syllable in Hinduism and Buddhism

p

paan:

folded leaf, stuffed with betel nut, lime and spices; chewed and red juice spit out, responsible for red wall corners, red pavement stains, red or black or no teeth

Padma:

lotus, another name for Hindu Goddess Lakshmi

pagal:

crazy, fool

paisa:

word for money in general, also a 100th of a rupee

pakora:

savoury snack, potatoes and vegetable in batter deep fried

palki:

palanquin used for carrying god idols in the Kulu Valley

panchayat:

village council

Pandavas:

five brothers, heroes of the epic Mahabharata

Pandit:

Brahmin priest; respectful title for a Brahmin

paneer:

Indian cheese, a bit like tasteless Feta cheese

parikrama:

walkway (often with colonnades) around a temple compound or temple water tank

Parvati:

Goddess, wife of Shiva, another form of Kali

pattu:

colourful woven blanket (North India, particularly the Kulu Valley), worn by women as a dress

PCO:

Public Call Office

peepul:

Indian fig tree

peshwaz:

costume worn by dancing girl or courtesan

pradesh:

state

pradhan:

head of the village council

prakriti:

nature

Prayag:

ancient name for the city of Allahabad (UP); confluence of the two real rivers Ganga and Yamuna and a third invisible river Saraswati; venue of the Kumbh Mela

PSLV:

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. India's indigenous satellite launch system, utilising both solid and liquid propellant in 4 stages

puja:

worship, Hindu prayers

pukka:

proper, ripe; very popular in the UK as in "fucking pukka innit"

punkah:

ceiling fan; before electricity this was a flat board of cloth oscillated back and forth by a "punkah wallah", basically a guy pulling a cord all day

Puranas:

religious literature, collection of myths and rituals forming the basis of contemporary Hinduism

pushpak vimana:

a vehicle described in the Indian epics which takes passengers through the air, driven by thought; some compare it to the modern airliner

purdah:

(lit.: curtain) women in seclusion

r

Radha:

Krishna's favourite gopi (milkmaid) and lover (her marital status doesn't seem to bother any devout or moral Hindus)

raga:

one of the major elements in Indian classical music; melody

Ragunath:

chief God of the Kulu Valley, Himachal Pradesh, another form of Ram

raj:

rule

Raja:

King

Rajput:

Hindu warrior caste

Rajya Sabha:

upper house of the Indian Parliament

Rama / Ram:

hero of the "Ramayana"; 7th incarnation of Vishnu

Ramadan:

month of fasting for Muslims

Ramayana:

(lit.: "Rama's way"), big Indian epic, attributed to the poet Valmiki (around the 3rd or 2nd century BC); about Rama, his wife Sita and the battle against the evil Ravana of Lanka; see Ramayana in brief .

Ram bhakt:

Hindus devoted to God Ram; often "Ram bhakts" are referred to in Indian newspapers as the Hindus who go to Ayodhya for protests and marches and who want a Ram temple built on the disputed Ayodhya "mosque/temple" site

Rani:

princess

rath:

(Sanskrit lit. chariot) used to carry a god or goddess; either with wheels, also called a "car" or in hilly area (as in Himachal Pradesh) a kind of palanquin, carried by people by poles on their shoulders

Ravana:

demon king of Lanka, defeated by Rama as told in the epic Ramayana

RBI:

Reserve Bank of India; India's Central Bank

Rigveda:

the oldest of the four Vedas (ancient Hindu scriptures)

rishi:

a sage

rita:

cosmic order of the world

roti:

flat round unleavened bread

Rudra:

an ancient often angry Vedic deity; probably predecessor of God Shiva

s

Sadhu:

Hindu ascetic, wandering holy man who denounces worldly goods, travels around India (mostly on foot) and lives by "donations"

salwar kameez:

loose, baggy trousers worn under a long shirt worn by women mainly of the North, by young girls of the South or as an alternative to the sari

Samaveda:

the second of the four Vedas (ancient Hindu scriptures)

samosa:

triangular fried pastry

samsara:

principle of endless cycle of birth and death (Hinduism and Buddhism)

sanyasi:

an ascetic

Saraswati:

Goddess of speech and learning, wife of Brahma

sari:

Hindu women's dress, single piece cloth, 5m to 9m long and 1m wide wrapped around the body. Impossible to wear gracefully unless you have Indian blood

sarovar:

holy water tank (or pool) around a temple

Sati:

wife of Shiva; self immolation of a woman on her dead husband's funeral pyre (illegal)

satsang:

lecture or discourse by a swami or guru (lit.: sat: "truth", sang: "company")

sevak:

lit. servant, often with religious connotations; i.e."Ram sevak" or the sevak who takes care of the Raja's special horse during the Kullu Dussehra celebrations in Himachal Pradesh

shabad:

Sikh religious hymn

Shaiva:

worshipper of Shiva

shakti:

creative energies perceived as female deities

shahnai:

flute, often used by a temple band at festivals in Himachal Pradesh;
[see image in photo gallery]

shanti:

peace, favourite word by certain tourists to describe peaceful places (when it's not anymore because of them)

shastra:

ancient scriptures, treatise on correct practice

shikara:

a type of all purpose flat bottomed rowing boat used on Kashmiri lakes. Used to ship people to and from house boats, provide pleasure cruises of the lakes, or as floating shops by Kashmiri vendors of tourist trinkets or produce. Shikaras are often elaborately decorated and painted.

shikhara:

spire of Hindu temple

shilpa:

art (Sanskrit)

siddhu:

Himachali local food; pattie shaped steamed dumpling with a filling of nuts, poppy seeds and spices, eaten with ghi (clarified butter)

sindoor:

red vermillion powder applied by married women to their forehead or parting of their hair. Known as "kumkum" in south India

Sita:

heroine of the Indian epic "Ramayana"; an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi

Siva/Shiva:

God of destruction and recreation, one of the "Trimurti" (three main gods)

Singh:

Sikh male surname (lit.: "lion")

sitar:

Indian string instrument

Skanda:

son of Shiva and Parvati; also known as Kartikeya

soma:

divine drink of immortality; the booze of the gods

STD:

Subscriber Trunk, Dialling, used for long distance national calls

stupa:

Buddhist religious monument, normally containing relics of Buddha or his disciples

Sudra:

the lowest of the four main Hindu castes

Sufi:

Follower of Sufism, a mystical branch or sect of Islam which originated in Iran

Surya:

sun god; one of the major Vedic gods

swami:

learned person, Hindu religious teacher; also formerly used as respectful title for husband, (lit.: "Lord of the self", swa: one's true self)

t

tabla:

type of drums

talaq:

A principally Sunni muslim practice of islamic divorce. If you want to get rid of your wife just repeat it three times. The first divorce by SMS was by a Dubai man divorcing hs 26 year old wife

tandoor:

clay oven used for cooking; wood burning oven for heating (and cooking) and occasionally burning the chopped up bodies of victims of dowry killing

tantric / tantra:

esoteric and magic form of occult or religion; nowadays often with sexual connotations

tapas:

(religious) penance

tempo:

noisy three wheeler public transport, similar to an auto-rickshaw but bigger

Thakur:

one of the higher Hindu castes

thali:

tray, steel plate; a plate of simple different dishes (i.e. daal, veg, rice, chapati)

thiik/thiik hai:

"good"/ "is good", okay

Tihar:

Now officially renamed as "Tihar Ashram", Tihar jail is located in the Ashok Nagar area on the outskirts of Delhi. It is India's largest prison complex.

tika:

Hindu mark on the forehead

tikki:

fried potato cakes, served with a spicy chickpea sauce

tirtha:

Hindu pilgrimage, a fort

tirthankar:

great teacher / preserver / revivalist of Jainism; Mahavir is (so far) the last of the 24 Jain tirthankars

tola:

measurement of weight, 11.6 gram

TRAI:

Telecoms Regulatory Authority of India

Trimurti:

Hindu trinity of God: Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu

tulsi:

basil, sacred plant, usually to be found in Hindu courtyards

u

Upanishads:

ancient texts, part of the Vedas, Hindu philosophy dealing with the nature of the universe and soul; metaphysical dialogues

v

Vaikuntha:

heaven of Vishnu (made of gold and 80,000 miles in circumference)

Vaishnava:

worshipper of Vishnu or his incarnations, recognisable by horizontal stripes on forehead

Valmiki:

poet around the 3rd - 2nd century BC, author of the Ramayana

Varuna:

Vedic god of the heavens

Vayu:

god of wind

Vedanta:

Hindu philosophy based on the Upanishads

Vedas:

Hindu sacred books originating in the 2nd millennium BC. Four Vedas (Rig, Sama, Yajur, Atharva) consisting each of 4 sections (Samhita, Brahmana, Aranyakas, Vedanta); lit. "knowledge"

veena:

Indian string instrument

VHP:

Vishva Hindu Parishad - World Hindu Council

Vishnu:

God of the Trimurti (three main gods), "the preserver or sustainer"

Vyasa:

Hindu sage, who possibly wrote the Mahabharata

w

wallah:

suffix for a person of a certain trade, or from a certain place etc; i.e. rickshaw-wallah (rickshaw driver), chai-wallah (tea seller), Delhi-wallah (a person from Delhi)

y

yagya:

sacrifice

Yajurveda:

the third of the four Vedas (ancient Hindu scriptures)

yaksha:

demi god

Yama:

god of death

yatra:

pilgrimage

yoga:

while commonly perceived as a form of combined physical exercise and meditation, more serious minded practitioners might suggest it's a means of "joining the individual soul to the universal soul" or perhaps the "cessation of the fluctuations in consciousness".

Yoni:

Vagina symbol, worshipped in conjunction with the lingam to symbolise the male and female creative power of the God Shiva.

yuga:

divine or celestial measurement of time; 1 yuga = 3000 celestial years; 1 celestial year = 3600 human years; therefore 1 yuga = 10,800 human years. See also Kalyug / Kali Yuga.

z

Zamindar:

landlord

zenana:

section in upper-class houses of Muslims or Rajputs reserved for women (seclusion)