The Age of Shiva

Glossary

akhara: brotherhood (such as for wrestling), usually with quasi-religious head

Andhaka: Born from a drop of sweat when Parvati placed her hands in jest over Shiva’s eyes, Andhaka was blind at birth. When he regained his vision, he saw Parvati and fell in love with her—it was only after Shiva impaled him with a trident and drained his blood that Andhaka was absolved of sin.

anna: coin, one-sixteenth the value of a rupee

attar: fragrant essential oil (as from rose petals), used as a perfume

bahu: daughter-in-law

Baisakhi: April harvest festival in the Punjab

bania: grocer belonging to merchant class

beti: daughter (also used to address girls who are not necessarily one’s own child)

bhabhi: sister-in-law

bhaiyya: brother

bindi: dot worn by Hindu women on their foreheads, traditionally to indicate they are married, but now also for decorative purposes

Brahma: part of the primary Hindu trinity (trimurti) of gods; the creator, whose breathes out the universe to make it come into existence

Brahmin: highest (priestly) caste

burkha: full-cover robe or dress worn by Muslim women who maintain purda, the screening of women’s bodies from public observation

chaat: spicy-sweet snacks, usually flavored with tamarind

chand: moon

chandni: moonlight

channa bhatura: spicy chickpeas with large puffed fried bread

chappals: Indian sandals

chappati: tortilla-like whole wheat bread

charpoy: bed made with light rope strung across wooden frame

churail: she-devil, witch

dai: midwife

dal: lentils

Dassera: festival to commemorate the slaying of the demon Ravana by Ram, preceding which the Hindu epic Ramayana is often read out or enacted

datura: plant of the nightshade family, used in making poison

devi: a goddess

Devi: the Mother Goddess

dhobi: person who washes clothes

didi: sister

Divali: Hindu festival of lights celebrated with fireworks and a special worship of the goddess Lakshmi, who is supposed to descend to earth that night

doli: palanquin, used to carry the bride to the groom’s house in traditional weddings

doubleroti: sliced bread

dupatta: long women's scarf, usually worn with a salwar kameez

Durga: warrior goddess often depicted astride a tiger, an incarnation of Devi

durrie: Indian cotton rug

Eid: the word for celebration, used for either of two major annual Muslim festivals (the feast of Ramadan, and the feast of sacrifice)

Ganesh: elephant god, and son of Parvati

ganga: female servant who performs domestic chores for several households

Ganga: the holy river Ganges in goddess form, an incarnation of Devi

Ganpati: another name for Ganesh

Garibi Hatao: “Remove Poverty,” a popular slogan used by Indira Gandhi

ghats: flat area like a river bank; also place like this where cremations are performed

gherao: a form of protest in which a minister or official is surrounded by a mob of people to bring all activity to a standstill

ghee: clarified butter, used as a cooking medium

gola: ball

goongi gudiya: dumb doll

gunghat: veil, often the end of a sari draped over the head

gymkhana: club with sports facilities

Hanuman: monkey god, the traditional patron deity of Hindu wrestlers

Holi: Spring Hindu festival during which people are playfully doused with brightly colored powders

jamadarni: sweeper, cleaner of toilets

jamun: small, tart, purple fruit

ji: suffix added to a name to show respect

jijaji: brother-in-law

joris: heavy stone clubs, used for exercise

kabaddi: South Asian game where players must tag those in the opposite team, while holding their breath

Kali: fierce incarnation of Devi, and one of Shiva’s spouses. Usually depicted wearing a garland of human skulls, and sometimes with one foot on her husband’s corpse. Kali is an essential part of nature’s cycle, consuming all living things so that they can be reborn

kameez: long tunic, part of salwar kameez

keri: unripe mango

kheer: Indian rice pudding

khula: type of Muslim divorce initiated by the wife

koftas: meatballs

Krishna: one of the most revered of Hindu deities, an incarnation of Vishnu

kulfi: ice cream made with boiled milk

kurta: tunic-like man’s shirt

laddoo: round yellow walnut-sized confection

lakh: one hundred thousand

Lakshmi: goddess of fortune, and consort of Vishnu

langot: traditional wrestling loin cloth

lathi: long piece of bamboo, usually used as a weapon

limbu: lemon

maidan: recreational field

mangalsutra: traditional necklace worn by Hindu women to indicate they are married

Mangola: mango-flavored Indian soft drink

masjid: mosque

meher: an amount of money pledged by a Muslim groom to his bride, specified in the marriage contract

mehndi: a paste made from henna leaves, applied as decoration to the skin

memsahib: a form of address used for higher-ranking or higher-class women, also, a general reference to such a woman

mogra: a strong-scented variety of jasmine

moksha: transcendent liberation from worldly existence

moong: a variety of lentil

motiya: a variety of jasmine with pearly blossoms

munna: term of endearment for a young male child

mullah: Muslim religious man

naag: snake

namaz: prayer performed by Muslims five times each day

nani: grandmother

Natraja: Shiva in his dancing form, representing the dual forces of destruction and creation

paan: chew made of betel leaf wrapped around spices and other ingredients

paisa (plural paise): coin, one-hundredth the value of a rupee

pakodas: deep-fried fritters made with gram flour

parathas: pita-like bread, often with a layer of potato or other stuffing

Parvati: Shiva’s spouse, and mother of Ganesh and Andhaka. Shiva’s other consorts can be regarded as incarnations of Parvati, who is herself an incarnation of Devi

pati-parameshwar: husband-god

pipal: large long-lived fig tree of India

pooja: worship consisting of a series of rituals

puri: puffed fried bread

qawwali: devotional songs in praise of god, derived from the Sufi tradition

rakhi: holy thread tied by sister around brother’s wrist on an annual festival day

Ram: an incarnation of Vishnu; the leading character in the Ramayana

rotis: chappatis

rupee: primary unit of Indian currency

sadhu: Hindu holy man

sahib: a form of address used for higher-ranking or higher-class men; also, a general reference to such a man

Sai Baba: holy man who lived in the town of Shirdi until 1918, considered a saint by both his Hindu and Muslim followers

Sati: Shiva’s first wife, who burned herself to death when her father insulted her husband. The ancient practice of sati, where a widow throws herself on the pyre of her husband, gets its name from her.

Satya Sai Baba: contemporary religious figure from South India, whose followers ascribe several miracles to him

salwar kameez: long tunic (kameez) and loose pants (salwar) worn by women of North Indian origin

samosa: deep-fried triangular Indian snack of dough stuffed with spiced vegetables

sanyasi: a man who has renounced the world, sadhu

sanyasin: a female sanyasi

shakha: local branch of an organization, also a school or club where such a unit meets

Sheesh Mahal: palace of mirrors

shehnai: North Indian oboe, traditionally played at weddings

Shiva: part of the primary Hindu trinity (trimurti) of gods. Being an ascetic, Shiva prefers to distance himself from the world, and it is this lack of action that causes the universe’s cycle to wind down (he is therefore called the destroyer). His unavailability enhances his allure, evoking an irresistible longing for him that can never be fulfilled.
sindhoor: red powder traditionally applied by married Hindu women along the parting of their hair

Sufi: a mystic tradition within Islam, which emphasizes inner spirituality and does not adhere to dogma

tabla: Indian percussion instrument, consisting of a pair of hand drums

talai: cotton-stuffed mattress

talaq: divorce. When uttered, it means “I divorce you.”

tantric: of or related to Tantra, an esoteric ritualistic tradition in Hinduism and Buddhism

tawaif: courtesan

thali: round metal tray used to serve food

tilak: vertical red mark applied to the forehead in temples and religious ceremonies

tonga: horse-drawn carriage

trimurti: A statue with three faces. This often depicts the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishn, and Shiva, who are not separate gods, but three facets of the same god. It can also depict three forms of a single deity like Shiva.

Usha: Hindu goddess of dawn

Vande Mataram: “Mother(land), I bow to thee”—a popular song and rallying cry during the movement to gain freedom from the British

victoria: horse-drawn carriage with a folding top, used as public transport in Bombay until the 1970s

Vishnu: part of the primary Hindu trinity (trimurti) of gods, the preserver or caretaker of the universe, whose constant action (karma) keeps everything running. Vishnu keeps trying to pull Shiva, the ascetic, back into the cycle of the universe, to keep it from winding down.

walla: suffix meaning “one associated with,” as in paanwalla (one who sells paan) or newspaperwalla (one who sells or delivers newspapers)

yogi: one who practices prolonged yoga or asceticism to gain control over the body and mind

yuga: age

zamindar: landowner