Glossary of Indian words

acharya - revered teacher
adivasi - tribal person
agarbathi - incense
Agni - major deity in the Vedas (fire)
ahimsa - discipline of nonviolence
air cooler - big, noisy water filled fan
Ananta - snake on which Vishnu reclined
Andhaka - 1000 headed demon, killed by Shiva
apsara - heavenly nymph
Arjuna - Mahabharata hero, third among the Pandavas
Aryan - Sanskrit for 'noble'; those who migrated from Persia and settled in northern India
ashram - spiritual community
ASI - Archaeological Survey Of India, an organisation involved in monument preservation
attar - essential oil used as a base for perfumes
auto rickshaw - noisy, three wheeled motor vehicle
avatar - incarnation of Vishnu
ayah - Children's nurse
Ayurveda - the ancient and complex science of Indian herbal medicine and healing
azad - free (Urdu)