RE Hinduism

Brahman

Supreme power in the universe; ultimate reality; God; the life force

Atman

The soul, which is believed to be part of Brahman in all living things. It unites with Brahman once moksha is achieved

Trimurti

The three major aspects of Brahman; Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer

Avatar

The incarnations (divine becoming flesh) of a diety, sometimes in human form e.g. Vishnu was incarnated as Krishna

Puja

Prayer/worship of the Gods often in the form of murtis

Arti

A form of Hindu worship in which burning lamps are waved before murtis to invoke the presence of the Gods

Upanayana

The sacred thread ceremony. This is a Hindu rite of passage

Mandir

A Hindu place of worship or shrine

Bhakti

Devotion. In Bhakti traditions it is believed that love of God is the path to moksha (spiritual liberation)

Varanasi

A city, on the River Ganges, in India. A Hindu place of pilgrimage

Nam Samskar

The Hindu naming ceremony. The fifth samskar when a child receives its name on about the eleventh day after birth

Murti

An image and representation of a deity in a temple, shrine or in the home