NavaratriNavaratri (Sanskrit: नवरात्रि, romanized: Navarātri) 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 (March/April of the Gregorian calendar), 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. Howe...
SaraswatiSaraswati (Sanskrit: सरस्वती, IAST: Sarasvatī), also spelled as Sarasvati, is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of knowledge, education, learning, speech, arts, poetry, music, creativity, sciences, purification, language and culture. Together with the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati, she forms the trinity of chief goddesses, known as the Tridevi. Saraswati is a pan-Indian deity, venerated not only in Hinduism but also in Jainism and Buddhism. She is one of the promin...
Telugu languageTelugu (; తెలుగు, Telugu pronunciation:) is a Dravidian language native to the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where it is also the official language. Telugu is a classical language with a recorded history of at least 2,000 years. Spoken by about 100 million people, Telugu is the most widely spoken member of the Dravidian language family, and one of the twenty-two scheduled languages of the Republic of India. It is one of the few languages that has primary official status in more than ...
Tamil languageTamil (தமிழ், Tamiḻ, pronounced [t̪amiɻ] ) is a Dravidian language spoken by the Tamil people of South Asia where they are concentrated in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry in India and the Northern and Eastern Provinces in Sri Lanka. It is one of the longest-surviving classical languages in the world, attested since c. 300 BCE. Tamil was the lingua franca for early maritime traders in South India, with Tamil inscriptions found outside of the Indian subcontinent, such as Indonesia, Thailand, and Egypt. Th...
Meenakshi TempleHistoric Hindu temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, IndiaMeenakshi Temple, also known as Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to Meenakshi, a form of Parvati, and her consort Sundareswarar (Shiva). The temple is theologically significant as it represents a confluence of various denominations of Hinduism such as Shaivism, Shaktism, and Vaishnavism. While the Sangam literature mentions the temple city of...
VijayadashamiVijayadashami (Sanskrit: विजयदशमी, romanized: Vijayadaśamī), more commonly known as Dasara, or Dassahra, or Dussehra, and also known as Dashāhra or Dashain in Nepali, 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 waxing moon (Shukla Paksha) in the month of Ashvin, the seventh in the Hindu lunisolar calendar, and falls in the Gregorian calendar months of September and October. Vijayadashami is observed for differen...
Hindu templePlace of worship in HinduismRow-wise from top-left: Angkor Wat, Cambodia (the world's largest religious structure); Po Klong Garai Temple, Vietnam; Jagannath Temple, Odisha; Besakih Temple, Bali; Akshardham, New Jersey; Ranganathaswamy Temple, Tamil Nadu; Pashupatinath Temple, Nepal; Dakshineswar Kali Temple, West Bengal; Somnath Temple, Gujarat Elements in a Hindu temple architectureA Hindu temple, also known as a Mandir, Devasthanam, Pura, Kshetram, Ambalam or Kovil, is a sacred place where Hindus worship and ...
LakshmiMajor Hindu goddess; goddess of wealth and beautyLakshmi (; Sanskrit: लक्ष्मी, IAST: Lakṣmī, sometimes spelled Laxmi), also known as Shri (Sanskrit: श्री, IAST: Śrī), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of fortune, wealth, prosperity, beauty, fertility, sovereignty, and abundance. With Parvati and Sarasvati, she forms the trinity of goddesses called the Tridevi. Lakshmi has been a central figure in Hindu tradition since pre-Buddhist times (1500 to 500 ...
ParvatiParvati (Sanskrit: पार्वती, IAST: Pārvatī), also known as Uma (Sanskrit: उमा, IAST: Umā) and Gauri (Sanskrit: गौरी, IAST: Gaurī), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. Along with Lakshmi and Sarasvati, she forms the trinity, known as the Tridevi. From her first appearance as a goddess during the epic period (400 BCE – 400 CE), Parvati is primarily depicted as the conso...
DurgaDurga (; Sanskrit: दुर्गा, lit.'The Inaccessible One, The Impenetrable One', IAST: Durgā) is one of the most important deities in Hinduism. She is widely worshipped by the followers of the goddess-centric sect, Shaktism, regarded as the principal aspect of Mahadevi, the Ultimate Reality in this sect. Durga has importance in other denominations like Shaivism and Vaishnavism. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars; her legends center around combating evils and d...
MaduraiMadurai is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai district, which is governed by the Madurai Municipal Corporation established on 1 November 1866. As of the 2011 census, it is the third largest metropolis in Tamil Nadu after Chennai and Coimbatore in terms of population and 27th largest urban agglomeration in India. Located on the banks of Vaigai River, Madurai has been a major settlement for two millennia and has a ...
HinduismHinduism () is an umbrella term for a range of Indian religious and spiritual traditions (sampradayas) that are unified by adherence to Dharma, a cosmic order maintained by its followers through rituals and righteous living, as expounded in the Vedas. The word Hindu originated as an exonym, and while Hinduism has been called the oldest surviving religion in the world, it is also described since the 19th century by the term Sanātana Dharma (lit. 'eternal dharma'). Vaidika Dharma (lit. 'Vedic dharma') and Arya Dh...*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.