Celebrated during February, this holiday commemorates the deity Sarasvati (goddess of learning) and includes the wearing of yellow clothes, music, dancing, & kite-flying
What is Basant Panchami?
100
puja
What is Hindu public worship?
100
state of divine bliss and focus achieved through yogic practices; one of the eight limbs of raja yoga
What is samadhi?
100
Literally meaning "color", this refers to one's caste within the caste system
What is varna?
200
literally "gracious gift", this refers to edible food offered to a deity then distributed in the deity's name to followers
What is prasad?
200
greatest & most well-known of all Hindu festivals; festival of illumination; celebrates the Hindu New Year & the deity Vishnu; occurs in October-November
What is Diwali?
200
liberation from the cycle of birth, death, & rebirth
What is moksha?
200
divine power of a deity present in their image
What is shakti?
200
occupation of the Brahmin caste
What is to study the Vedas (also become a priest and/or teacher of the Vedas)?
300
viewed as a blessing devotees can receive through the eyes of a physical representation of a deity
What is darshan?
300
festival commemorates the burning of the demoness Holika & occurs during February-March; participants celebrate by throwing colored powder on each other
What is Holi?
300
rishis
What are the Hindu Sages to which Vedic scriptures were revealed?
300
repeated, patterned religious acts
What are rituals?
300
brahmins, kshatriyas, and vaishyas all fall into this type of caste
What is "twice-born"?
400
physical expression/representation of a divinity, usually in clay, stone, wood, etc.
What is murti?
400
Holiday celebrates the birth of Krishna, the 8th avatar of Vishnu and is one of the most important Hindu festivals due to the fact that Krishna is one of the most popular deities worshipped
What is Krishna Janmashtami?
400
the illusion that the world appears the way we perceive it to appear
What is maya?
400
prayers/observances
What are devotions?
400
General, soldiers, and kings were traditionally part of this caste
What is kshatriyas?
500
the purpose of Hindu rituals is to purify & sanctify a person and the ultimate goal is this
What is to continually elevate a person above their basically animal nature?
500
holiday has several variations; the "great" version of it is considered the world's largest religious festival; celebrates spilling of the jar of the nectar of immortality: armrta; a main focus is ritual bathing
What is the Kumbh Mela?
500
means "revealed texts" and refers to religious texts that were not created by humans but revealed by God
What are shrutis?
500
sacred fire place that is central to ritual ceremonies performed by Brahmins
What is a havan?
500
The harijans, or untouchables, were eventually formed as a caste by these two methods. Identify one.
What is people failing to live up to their dharma, or people who violated caste rules through inter-caste marriage?