Ajna, brow or third eye chakra, is the sixth primary chakra in the body according to Hindu tradition and signifies the unconscious mind, the direct link to Brahman. The third eye is said to connect people to their intuition, give them the ability to communicate with the world, or help them receive messages from the past and the future.
In Hinduism, vibhuti, also called bhasma or tirunīru, is sacred ash made of burnt dried wood, burnt cow dung and/or cremated bodies used in Agamic rituals. Devotees of Shiva apply vibhuti traditionally as three horizontal lines across the forehead and other parts of the body.
Sindoor or sindura is a traditional vermilion red or orange-red cosmetic powder from the Indian subcontinent, usually worn by married women along the part of their hairline. In Hindu communities, the sindoor is a visual marker of marital status of a woman and ceasing to wear it usually implies widowhood.
Garba is a form of Gujarati dance which originates from the state of Gujarat, India. The name is derived from the Sanskrit term Garbha. Many traditional garbas are performed around a centrally lit lamp or a picture or statue of the Hindu goddess Durga. Traditionally, it is performed during the nine-day Hindu festival Navaratri. Either the lamp or an image of the Goddess, Durga is placed in the middle of concentric rings as an object of veneration.
A bindi known as pottu and teep is a coloured dot or, in modern times, a sticker worn on the center of the forehead, originally by Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs from the Indian subcontinent.
According to various Indian schools of philosophy, tattvas are the elements or aspects of reality that constitute human experience. In some traditions, they are conceived as an aspect of deity. Although the number of tattvas varies depending on the philosophical school, together they are thought to form the basis of all our experience. The Samkhya philosophy uses a system of 25 tattvas, while Shaivism recognises 36 tattvas. In Buddhism, the equivalent is the list of dhammas which constitute reality, as in Nama-rupa.
In Hinduism, the tilaka, colloquially known as a tika, is a mark worn usually on the forehead, at the point of the ajna chakra and sometimes other parts of the body such as the neck, hand, chest, or the arm. The tilaka may be worn daily for decorative purposes, as a symbol for sectarian affiliation, for rites of passage or for special spiritual and religious occasions, depending on regional customs. It is also used as an expression of honour or to welcome someone upon arrival.
Tripura Sundari, also known as Rajarajeshvari, Shodashi, Kamakshi, and Lalita is a Hindu goddess, revered primarily within the Shaktism tradition and recognized as one of the ten Mahavidyas. She embodies the essence of the supreme goddess Mahadevi. Central to the Shakta texts, she is widely praised in the Lalita Sahasranama and Saundarya Lahari. In the Lalitopakhyana of the Brahmanda Purana, she is referred to as Adi Parashakti.
Thirunamam represents the 'Sacred name of God'. The phrase Namam also represents the white clay found at the deeper layer of earth, which is used as the powder to wear a flame shaped mark. The Ayyavazhi people wore this Namam, starting from the central point between the eyebrows, going straight up near the top edge of the forehead.
Pundalik or Pundarika is an Indian saint and a devotee of the Hindu deity Vithoba. Vithoba is a Vaishnava deity and is a recincarnation of Vishnu and Krishna. Pundalik is credited to have brought Vithoba to Pandharpur, where Vithoba's main shrine stands today. Pundalik is also the historical founder of the Varkari sect, which is centered on the worship of Vithoba.
The Satyanarayana Puja is a puja dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, who is also known as Satyanarayana.
The Urdhva Pundra is a tilaka worn by Vaishnavas as an indication of their affiliation with Vishnu. It is generally worn on the forehead, but may also be worn on other parts of the body such as the shoulders. The markings are made either as a daily ritual, or on special occasions, and denote the particular sampradaya, or the lineage to which the devotee belongs. The different Vaishnava sampradayas each have their own distinctive style of tilaka based on the siddhanta of their particular lineage. The general tilaka design is of two or three vertical lines resembling the letter U or Y, which represent the feet of Vishnu.
Lakshmi Puja is a Hindu occasion for the veneration of Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and the supreme goddess of Vaishnavism. The occasion is celebrated on the amavasya in the Vikram Samvat Hindu calendar month of Ashwayuja or Kartika, on the third day of Deepavali (Tihar) in most part of India and Nepal. In Assam, Bengal, and Odisha, this puja is celebrated five days after Vijaya Dashami.
Varahi is one of the Matrikas, a group of seven mother goddesses in the Hindu religion. Bearing the head of a sow, Varahi is the shakti of Varaha, the boar avatar of the god Vishnu. In Nepal, she is called Barahi. In Rajasthan and Gujarat, she is venerated as Dandini.
The Sanatan Sanstha is a Hindu organization seeking Hindu nationalism in India. It is a non-government charitable trust founded in 1999 by hypnotherapist Dr Jayant Balaji Athavale. It is headquartered in Ramathi, Goa.
Tripundra is a Hindu Shaivite tilaka, worn by Shaivas as an indication of their affiliation with Shiva. It is also one of the tilakas worn by Smarta Hindus. It consists of three horizontal lines on the forehead, usually made with sacred ash, and has spiritual meanings in the Shaivite traditions of Hinduism. The Vaishnava counterpart of this tilaka, consisting of vertical lines, is called the Urdhva Pundra.
Here is a list of glossary of Culture of India in alphabetical order:
The Brihajjabala Upanishad is one of the minor Upanishads, written in Sanskrit language. This Hindu text is attached to the Atharvaveda, and is one of 14 Shaiva Upanishads.
Over the millennia of its development, Hinduism has adopted several iconic symbols, forming part of Hindu iconography, that are imbued with spiritual meaning based on either the scriptures or cultural traditions. The exact significance accorded to any of the icons varies with region, period and denomination of the followers. Over time some of the symbols, for instance the Swastika has come to have wider association while others like Om are recognized as unique representations of Hinduism. Other aspects of Hindu iconography are covered by the terms murti, for icons and mudra for gestures and positions of the hands and body.
