Rama Navami is the annual festival celebrating the birth of Rama and his marriage to Sita. It is observed on the ninth day (navami) of the waxing fortnight of the lunar month of March/April.

Vedanta means the “end of the Veda” and refers to the Upanishads, those teachings which investigate the nature of the soul and ultimate reality and which are the last part of the Vedic corpus. The term also designates the philosophical system of classical Hindu thought that has been primarily based on the exegesis of the Upanishads (along with the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita). Most adherents of Vedanta share the following assumptions: Brahman is the underlying Reality pervading the universe; the transmigration of the soul; and the possibility of moksha or liberation from this cycle of... Read more about Vedanta

The Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu, also called Narayana, are worshipped together as the Divine couple.

The Puranas are eighteen collections of “ancient stories” which preserve traditions of myth, legend, and ritual, especially those concerning the Hindu deities Vishnu, Shiva, Krishna, and Devi. Beginning in about the 5th century, the Puranas continued to be composed and expanded as late as the 15th century.

The Upanishads, dating largely from the 8th to the 6th centuries BCE, are the “wisdom literature” of the Vedas. Most Upanishads take the form of dialogues between teachers and students. They turn from the rites of the fire altar that had been the main focus of discussion in the earlier Vedic literature to the question of the deeper, inner meanings of ritual, especially as it can give insight into the origin, basis, and support of the universe. The Upanishads and their interpretations are sometimes called Vedanta, literally the “end of the Vedas.”

Brahman is a term used in the Hindu tradition to refer to the Supreme Reality that is the source of all being and all knowing, pervading and yet transcending all that is. Brahman is said to be one with Atman, the inner reality of the self or soul.

In the religious traditions of India the term kirtan refers to singing the praises of God in communal worship.

Parvati is the “mountain born” goddess, daughter of the Himalayas, the spouse of Shiva.

The Swaminarayan Hindu movement began in early 19th century Gujarat with a religious and social reformer named Sahajanand Swami. It is a devotional bhakti movement, focusing on Vishnu in the form of Krishna and Radha and also on Sahajanand Swami himself, who became known to his followers as Swaminarayan, a human form of the highest divine reality. In the last two centuries, the Swaminarayan movement has become known for its emphasis on social reform and social action, as well as its deep devotionalism. The two main branches of the movement are the International Swaminarayan Satsang... Read more about Swaminarayan

In the Hindu tradition, a bhakta is a devotee of God, one whose heart is filled with devotion or love (bhakti).

Japa is the devotional repetition of a sacred syllable, mantra, or divine name, either aloud or to oneself. Some devotees count each repetition on a mala or rosary.

A Bal Vihar or Bal Vikas is a program or center for the religious education of Hindu children.

Murugan is the divine son of Shiva, also known as Skanda or Karttikeya. There are six popular Hindu temples of Murugan in South India, including Palani. In the U.S., Murugan is present as Palaniswami in Concord, California. There are Murugan temples in such places as Yuma, Arizona; Richville, New York; and Lanham, Maryland.

(also: Saiva; Shaivite) Shaivism is the name for the tradition of those who worship Shiva, one of the great Gods of the Hindu tradition. Shaiva is an adjective describing that tradition or form of worship. A Shaivite is one who follows Shiva. There are several streams of Shaivism, such as Shaiva Siddhanta and Kashmir Shaivism.

Arya is a Sanskrit term meaning “noble,” used to designate the people whose religious insights and ritual life are recorded in the Vedas.