In the religious traditions of India, an ashram is a retreat center, where the cultivation of religious life takes place under the guidance of a teacher or guru.

Hanuman is Lord Rama’s foremost devotee and servant. In the epic Ramayana, Hanuman plays a key role in the rescue of Rama’s wife, Sita, after she had been abducted by the demon-king, Ravana. In Hindu temples Hanuman is always present, on bended knee, at Rama’s altar. He is, in many ways, worshipped more widely than Rama, for it is common to worship Rama through his closest servant.

A monk is a man who renounces worldly life and is ordinarily a member of a monastic order or community, thereby undertaking a special commitment to study, service, asceticism, prayer, or disciplined spiritual practice. In the Buddhist tradition, fully ordained monks are called bhikkhus, those who beg alms, depending upon the laity for their food and support. In the Jain tradition, ordained monks are called sadhus or holy ones; they traditionally live in close interaction with Jain laity, depending upon them for food and sustenance. In the Hindu tradition, a sannyasi is one who renounces... Read more about monk

Andal was a Tamil woman saint and poet of the 9th century, beloved for her poetry called the Tiruppavai. She is honored as one so filled with the love of Vishnu that she is said to have merged into his image as his bride at the great temple of Sri Rangam.

Ganesha Chaturthi is the year’s great festival of Ganesha, celebrated most commonly on the fourth day (chaturthi) of the waning fortnight of the lunar month of August/September. At the Ganesha Temple in Queens, the day includes a procession of the festival image of Ganesha through the streets of Flushing. Many American temples observe Ganesha Chaturthi.

The Sanskrit word mandala means circle and, by extension, the whole world. It is used in the Hindu and Buddhist traditions to refer to the symbolic circles that represent the entire world, with all its divine energies, in a microcosm. Especially in the Tibetan Vajrayana tradition, visualizing the world created in the mandala (called kyinkor) with all its color and detail becomes a powerful and finely-tuned meditation practice.

The Ratha Yatra is a “Chariot Pilgrimage,” a festive celebration during which the image of one of the Gods is taken out of the temple and into the streets for a procession. The images consecrated for this purpose are special festival images or processional images, duplicates of the Gods established in the temple. The ratha or “chariot” is decorated like a portable temple for a trip through the streets. Devotees by the hundreds lend a hand to pull the deity’s chariot by its long ropes. There is dancing, chanting, and the singing of devotional bhajans all along the parade route. Both Krishna... Read more about Ratha Yatra

Yoga is a Sanskrit word, deriving from a verb meaning “to yoke” or “to join.” Body and consciousness are joined together in the discipline of yoga. Yoga practice involves ethical restraints, the mastery of bodily postures (called asanas), the control and direction of the breath (called pranayama) and the cultivation of mental concentration. The common image of the yogi (i.e. practitioner of yoga) seated in a lotus posture or standing in a posture of reverence, embodies this one-pointed stillness and concentration of both body and mind. There are many kinds of yoga that emphasize particular... Read more about yoga

Dharma means religion, religious duty, religious teaching. The word dharma comes from a Sanskrit root meaning “to uphold, support, bear,” thus dharma is that order of things which informs the whole world, from the laws of nature to the inner workings of conscience. For the Buddhist tradition, the Dharma (or Dhamma in Pali) refers especially to the teachings of the Buddha. This body of teachings constitutes one element of the “Three Jewels” in which Buddhists take refuge: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha (the community). For Hindus, ... Read more about Dharma

Lakshmi is the goddess who embodies auspiciousness, wealth, and good fortune. She is often regarded as a wife of Vishnu or Narayana and is worshipped especially in the fall festival of lights called Divali.

Rama is the virtuous king and hero of the Hindu epic Ramayana. He is also considered the seventh avatara of Vishnu. He is often worshipped flanked by his wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, with the faithful monkey Hanuman kneeling before him.

Veda means “wisdom” and specifically refers to the sacred wisdom of the four Vedic collections: Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva Vedas. Associated with each of these Vedas is literature called Brahmanas, which are concerned especially with rituals, and Upanishads, which explore a deeper philosophical understanding of the universe. In its broadest sense, the term Veda refers to the wisdom and authority to which Hindus turn.

Gurumayi is the spiritual successor to Swami Muktananda (1908-1982), the founder of Siddha Yoga Dham Associates (SYDA), a worldwide meditation movement.

Kashmir Shaivism is a non-dualist philosophical and ritual tradition, beginning in about the 10th century in Kashmir.

A pujari is a brahmin Hindu priest responsible for the daily worship (puja) and care of the deities in the temple