Holidays/Festivals
Honoring the birth of Ganesh
Ganesh Ghaturth
commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal emperor; Ivory white marble mausoleum
Taj Mahal
Going without food
Fasting
national language of idea; Spoken by North India
Hindi
'a large plate'; a compartmentalized dish
Thali
Camels are shaved and decorated
Pushkar Camel Fair
the location where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment.
Mahabodhi Temple
A state of perfect peace
Nirvana
language of eastern India
Odia
These two, when had together is believed (by India) to help improve memory and concentration.
Curd and sugar
Marks the homecoming of King Mahabali; lasts 10 days
Onam
a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, India.
Ellora Caves
A Hindu social class system that controlled every aspect of daily life
caste system
Language spoke in Western India
Gujrati
Keep this off your plate in India; It is considered impure.
Your left hand
2-Day festival of colors; Spring harvest
Holi
traditionally made for festive occasions like Diwali, usually some sort of animal.
Gond painting
focusing the mind on spiritual ideas
Meditation
This language is spoken in the southern tip of India
Tamil
the heart of Indian food; it is a must-have in any Indian kitchen.
spices
Lighting rows of clay oil lamps outside of homes to symbolize the victory of light over darkness
Diwali
the cloth scroll painting tradition from Odisha
Patachitra
this term also means 'Enlightened One'
Buddha
used not only for communication but also for religious purposes, including prayer and ritual texts.
Devanagari Script
small, deep-fried milk dumplings soaked in sugar syrup; often served to guests as a symbol of sweetness and togetherness.
Gulab Jamun