Glossary of Indian culture

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Here is a list of glossary of culture of India in alphabetical order:

Contents

A

B

C

D

E

G

H

K

L

M

N

P

R

S

T

U

V

W

Y

Z

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diwali</span> Hindu festival of lights

Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions. It symbolises the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance". Diwali is celebrated during the Hindu lunisolar months of Ashvin and Kartika—between around mid-September and mid-November. The celebrations generally last five or six days.

The Hindu calendar, also called Panchanga, is one of various lunisolar calendars that are traditionally used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with further regional variations for social and Hindu religious purposes. They adopt a similar underlying concept for timekeeping based on sidereal year for solar cycle and adjustment of lunar cycles in every three years, but differ in their relative emphasis to moon cycle or the sun cycle and the names of months and when they consider the New Year to start. Of the various regional calendars, the most studied and known Hindu calendars are the Shalivahana Shaka found in the Deccan region of Southern India and the Vikram Samvat (Bikrami) found in Nepal and the North and Central regions of India – both of which emphasize the lunar cycle. Their new year starts in spring. In regions such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the solar cycle is emphasized and this is called the Tamil calendar and Malayalam calendar and these have origins in the second half of the 1st millennium CE. A Hindu calendar is sometimes referred to as Panchangam (पञ्चाङ्गम्), which is also known as Panjika in Eastern India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vijayadashami</span> Hindu festival celebrated to commemorate the victory of good over evil

Vijayadashami, more commonly known as Dussehra, and also known as Dasara or Dashain, is a major Hindu festival celebrated every year at the end of Durga Puja and Navaratri. It is observed on the tenth day of the month of Ashvin, the seventh in the Hindu lunisolar calendar. The festival typically falls in the Gregorian calendar months of September and October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chaitra</span> First month of the Hindu calendar

Chaitra is a month of the Hindu calendar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durga Puja</span> Annual Hindu festival

Durga Puja, also known as Durgotsava or Shaaradotsava, is an annual festival originating in the Indian subcontinent which reveres and pays homage to the Hindu goddess Durga, and is also celebrated because of Durga's victory over Mahishasura. It is particularly celebrated in the Eastern Indian states of West Bengal,Tripura, Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Odisha and by Hindus in Bangladesh. The festival is observed in the Indian calendar in the month of Ashvin, which corresponds to September–October in the Gregorian calendar. Durga Puja is a ten-day festival, of which the last five are of the most significance. The puja is performed in homes and public, the latter featuring a temporary stage and structural decorations. The festival is also marked by scripture recitations, performance arts, revelry, gift-giving, family visits, feasting, and public processions called a melā. Durga Puja is an important festival in the Shaktism tradition of Hinduism. Durga Puja in Kolkata has been inscribed on the intangible cultural heritage list of UNESCO in December 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Begusarai</span> City in Bihar, India

Begusarai is the industrial and financial capital of Bihar and the administrative headquarters of the Begusarai district, which is one of the 38 districts of the Indian state of Bihar. The district lies on the northern bank of the river Ganges in the Mithila region of India.

Vikram Samvat, also known as the Vikrami calendar is a national Hindu calendar historically used in the Indian subcontinent and still also used in several Indian states. It is a solar calendar, using twelve to thirteen lunar months each solar sidereal years. The year count of the Vikram Samvat calendar is usually 57 years ahead of the Gregorian calendar, except during January to April, when it is ahead by 56 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanuman Jayanti</span> Hindu festival that marks the birth of Hanuman

Hanuman Jayanti is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of the Hindu deity, and one of the protagonists of the Ramayana and its many versions, Hanuman. The celebration of Hanuman Jayanti varies by time and tradition in each state of India. In most northern states of India, the festival is observed on the full-moon day of the Hindu month of Chaitra .. In Telugu states Anjaneya Jayanthi celebrate on every Bahula Dashami in Vaishakha month according to Telugu calendar. In Karnataka, Hanuman Jayanti is observed on Shukla Paksha Trayodashi, during the Margashirsha month or in Vaishakha, while in a few states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu, it is celebrated during the month of Dhanu. Hanuman Jayanti is observed on Pana Sankranti in the eastern state of Odisha, which coincides with the Odia New Year.

There are numerous days throughout the year celebrated as New Year's Day in the different regions of India. The observance is determined by whether the lunar, solar or lunisolar calendar is being followed. For those regions which follow the solar calendar, the new year falls as Baisakhi in Punjab, Bohag Bihu in Assam, Puthandu in Tamil Nadu, Vishu in Kerala, Pana Sankranti or Odia Nababarsa in Odisha and Poila Boishakh in Bengal in the month of the calendar, i.e., Vaishakha. Generally, this day falls during 14th or 15th of the month of April. Those following the lunar calendar consider the month of Chaitra as the first month of the year, so the new year is celebrated on the first day of this month like Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra. Similarly, few regions in India consider the period between consecutive Sankarantis as one month and few others take the period between consecutive Purnimas as a month. In Gujarat the new year is celebrated as the day after Diwali. As per the Hindu Calendar, it falls on Shukla Paksha Pratipada in the Hindu month of Kartik. As per the Indian Calendar based on the lunar cycle, Kartik is the first month of the year and the New Year in Gujarat falls on the first bright day of Kartik (Ekam). In other parts of India, New Year celebrations begin in the spring.

This article lists the traditional festivals and other cultural events in the Odisha region of India. Odisha celebrates 13 festivals in 12 months as the saying goes Bāra Māsare Tera Parba.

Shashthi also referred to as Chhath is the sixth day of the lunar fortnight in the Hindu calendar. It is tithi of a paksha, the fourteen-day phase of the moon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biraja Temple</span> Temple in India

The Biraja Temple, or Birija Kshetra, is a historic Hindu temple located in Jajpur, Odisha, India. The present temple was built during the 13th century. The principal idol is Devi Durga, who is worshipped as Viraja (Girija), and the temple gave Jajpur the nicknames "Viraja Kshetra" and "Biraja Peetha". The Durga idol has two hands (dwibhuja), spearing the chest of Mahishasura with one hand and pulling his tail with the other. One of her feet is on a lion, and the other is on Mahishasura's chest. Mahishasura is depicted as a water buffalo. The idol's crown features Ganesha, a crescent moon and a lingam. The temple covers a large area, and has several shrines to Shiva and other deities. According to the Skanda Purana it cleanses pilgrims, and it is called the Viraja or the Biraja kshetra. Jajpur is believed to have about one crore of Shiva lingams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mithila culture</span> Overview of the Mithila culture

Mithila culture or Maithil culture refers to the culture which originated in the Mithila region of the Indian subcontinent. Mithila comprises Tirhut, Darbhanga, Kosi, Purnia, Munger, Bhagalpur and Santhal Pargana divisions of India and adjoining provinces of Province No. 1, Bagmati Pradesh, and Madhesh Province of Nepal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Navaratri</span> Hindu festival to honour goddess Durga

Navaratri is an annual Hindu festival observed in honor of the goddess Durga, an aspect of Adi Parashakti, the supreme goddess. It spans over nine nights, first in the month of Chaitra, and again in the month of Ashvin (September–October). It is observed for different reasons and celebrated differently in various parts of the Hindu Indian cultural sphere. Theoretically, there are four seasonal Navaratris. However, in practice, it is the post-monsoon autumn festival called Sharada Navaratri. There are 2 Gupta Navaratris or "Secret Navaratris" as well, one starting on the Shukla Paksha Pratipada of the Magha Month and another starting in the Shukla Paksha Pratipada of Ashadha Month.

Navami is the Sanskrit word for "ninth", and is the ninth day in the lunar fortnight (Paksha) of the Hindu calendar. Each month has two Navami days, being the ninth day of the "bright" (Shukla) and of the "dark" (Krishna) fortnights respectively. Navami occurs on the ninth and the twenty-fourth day of each month.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bipodtarini Devi</span> Hindu goddess in the Indian subcontinent

Bipattarini (Bipottarini), also termed as Bipodtarini or Bipadtarini is a Hindu goddess (Devi), worshipped in Bangladesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa, Assam and surrounding areas. Closely associated with goddess Sankattarani and considered as one of the 108 [[Ava

Haragapur is a village in Belgaum district in the southern state of Karnataka, India. It is attached to NH-4. Places to visit are Shivaji Fort, Mallikarjun Temple & Navanath Mandir. Village is located on Hilltop. Language spoken here is [[Kannada] [Marathi]]

Pūrṇimā is the word for full moon in Sanskrit. The day of Purnima is the day (Tithi) in each month when the full moon occurs, and marks the division in each month between the two lunar fortnights (paksha), and the Moon is aligned exactly in a straight line, called a syzygy, with the Sun and Earth. Full moon is considered the third of the four primary phases of the Moon; the other three phases are new moon, first quarter moon, and third quarter moon. The full moon shows 100% illumination, causes high tides, and can concur with lunar eclipses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meitei festivals</span> Cultural heritage of the Meitei people

Meitei festivals are an integral part of the cultural heritage of the Meitei people, an ethnic group native to the Indian state of Manipur. The festivals often celebrate events from Ancient Manipur and often coinciding with seasonal changes. These festivals reflect the unique customs and traditions of the Meitei community, and are celebrated with great enthusiasm and zeal. There are various festivals celebrated throughout the year, each with its own significance and rituals.

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