[thread of english words that have etymology related to desi culture]

guru: in modern english we always say beauty guru fashion guru etc or spiritual teacher. but guru comes from vedic texts where they talk about guru shishya system !!
here’s an article about it! https://medium.com/@yogasattvam/guru-shishya-parampara-73d0b8b10e43

avatar: in modern english we say avatar to describe an embodiment of a person or an idea, or even in internet forums or gaming. but avatar is a sanskrit word meaning an incarnation of a diety as an earthly being. in hinduism for example, lord vishnu has 10 avatars.

bangle: it is similar to a bracelet & it is made of glass, metal, wood, plastic etc, which is commonly worn by women in south asia. bangles are worn in a south asian marriage to signify the auspiciousness & sanctity of the marriage. https://medium.com/@shivam.digital01/true-significance-of-bangles-in-indian-culture-e1d1bfd30cde

chutney: this is a loan word and refers to a huge variety of side dishes that are similar to sauce or dips and are prepared with coconut mango chili mint curd etc and have different spices based on the region or taste

karma: in english we interpret karma as like cause and effect and we jokingly say “HA! that’s karma!!!” but the real concept is in religions like hinduism n buddhism where it’s a spiritual concept where good deeds contribute to good karma and good rebirths and impacts next lives

the concept of karma is closely tied to rebirth and the nature and quality of future lives!!

mogul: in the celebrity world or in business a mogul is someone with a huge influence and who has power. the word etymology comes from the mughal empire that existed in india between 1526 and 1857

mantra: in english we say mantra to denote a slogan that’s been repeatedly said but it’s a sanskrit word. in religions from south asia, mantra is a sacred utterance, a sound, word, syllable etc that have religious and spiritual powers. mantras are chanted in poojas,

sung in classical hymns, inscribed into literature and architecture. it’s a form of shakti to the devotee. even the mudras and classical dances that idols constantly appropriate have deep significance and some of these classical dance recitals are based upon mantras in hinduism.

nirvana: in english we use it to mean heaven in the sense that u are so happy ur over the moon ur in paradise kinda stuff. but in south asian religions, nirvana commonly means attainment of the highest freedom and happiness and release from the cycle of births and deaths

pundit: in english we use pandit to mean someone who’s knowledgeable in something. in desi history, it’s a reference to someone who is an expert in many different fields and conducted religious ceremonies and offered counsel to the kings of their dynasty.

jackfruit: it’s a fruit mainly from the southern regions of india such as kerala and tamil nadu and the malayalam word for jackfruit is chakka. (chuh-kka) with jackfruit you can eat it raw, make jackfruit chips(chakka upperi), jackfruit thoran, jackfruit kozambu etc etc.