areca: Nut of a palm tree. It is offered to the gods at the temple.§
aum: The most sacred sound, chanted before and after prayers.§
balipitha: A lotus-shaped stone with a flat top that is by the temple flag pole.§
BBC: A worldwide television news station.§
betel: The leaf of a vine, often part of a temple offering.§
bhajana: A song sung or chanted for God.§
blessing: Good wishes, or a kind favor given by God or a person.§
camphor: A white substance from camphor trees, burned in the temple lamp at puja.§
chant: A simple way of singing, used to recite prayers.§
CNN: A famous worldwide television news channel.§
deity: God or a God, as well as pictures or statues in the home shrine or temple. §
deva: A being of light who helps us.§
dhvajastambha: The flag pole in front of the temple.§
festival: Special fun times to worship God on holy days each year.§
Ganesha: The elephant-faced God.§
generous: Wanting to share with others.§
God: Lord Siva, the Supreme Being. God can also mean the great heavenly beings created by Lord Siva, such as Lord Ganesha and Lord Murugan.§
gopura: The very tall entry gate to the temple, with many small doors ans sculptures.§
guru: A wise and saintly person who guides and helps us come closer to God.§
Hinduism: The oldest religion in the world. It has one billion followers, mostly in India and Nepal.§
Hindu: A person who has a Hindu name and follows the Hindu religion.§
jaya: “Hail, victory.” A call of welcome, greeting and honor.§
karma: The law of action and reaction.§
kolam: A design drawn on the ground with rice flour.§
kumbha: A metal pot decorated with a coconut and mango leaves.§
kumkum: A red powder put in a dot on the forehead.§
Lord: God Siva or a God, such as Lord Ganesha or Lord Murugan.§
Mahadeva: Sanskrit language name for Lord Siva or a God, such as Ganesha or Murugan.§
Mahasivaratri: The biggest Siva festival of the year.§
mango: A tropical fruit tree. We use the leaves to decorate our home and temple during festivals.§
mantra: A sacred word or sentence from our scriptures.§
miracle: Something that happens that no one can explain. God or a God did it.§
modaka: A special, round sweet for Lord Ganesha.§
Murugan: The second son of Lord Siva, after Lord Ganesha. A powerful God who carries a spear and rides on a peacock.§
Namah Sivaya: A most sacred mantra, Sanskrit for “Praise to Siva”.§
Nambi: A saint who lived a thousand years ago.§
Nandi: The large white bull that Lord Siva rides upon.§
offering: A gift for God.§
peacock: A large, colorful bird that does not fly and is common in India.§
priest: The person who does puja to God in the temple or shrine.§
prostrate: To lay flat on the ground, face down. A way to show our respect for God.§
puja: The Hindu ceremony to worship God. It includes chants, incense, lamps, water, food and flowers.§
Rajaraja Chola: A great Hindu king. He lived a thousand years ago in South India.§
reaction: The return of an action. Part of the law of karma.§
religion: A way or path to worship God and be a good person. Buddhism and Hinduism are two religions.§
sacraments: The items blessed and given by the temple, such as holy ash and flowers.§
sacred: Something that is blessed by God or full of Divine energy.§
sandalwood: A good-smelling orange paste used in puja.§
saint: A very pure and holy person of any religion. §
Saiva or Saivite: Of or relating to Saivism. Saivism is the religion of those who worship Lord Siva as the Supreme God.§
Satguru: A great religious teacher who is close to God and guides others on the right path.§
shrine: A place of worship with a picture or image of God.§
Siva: The Supreme God.§
Sivaloka: The highest heaven world, where Siva and the Gods live.§
Skanda Shashthi: A six-day festival for Lord Murugan.§
soul: Your inner body made of light that never dies.§
Tai Pusam: A big festival honoring Lord Murugan.§
Tirunaraiyur: A South Indian town where Saint Nambi was a boy.§
universe: Everything that exists, including planets, stars and space.§
vadai: A small, round, fried donut popular in South India.§
Visarjana: A big festival for Lord Ganesha.§
world: A big place where people live, such as Earth.§
yoga: A way to make our mind and body very peaceful. Yoga includes chanting, sitting without moving, controlling our breath and meditating.§
Note: The definitions above correspond with how the words are used in the text. For a thorough explanation of each word, consult the lexicon of the book Dancing with Siva.§