Interpreter of Maladies | Glossary

ayurvedics: (n) practitioners of traditional Indian medicine
Bengali: (adj) from Bengal, a large region that includes the Indian state of West Bengal as well as the nation of Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan
bhekti: (n) popular fish eaten in East India
Calcutta: (n) chief city of Bengal
durwan: (n) porter or concierge
Gujarati: (adj) from Gujarat, a state in western India
Hanuman: (n) major Indian deity in the form of a monkey
Kali: (n) fierce Indian goddess, associated with blood and death
Konarak: (n) archaeological site in eastern India, featuring the 13th-century temple of the Sun god
Partition: (n) separation of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 into the nations of India and Pakistan
rice ceremony: (n) celebration of a child's first solid food at the age of six or seven months
rogan josh: (n) dish of stewed lamb and curry
salwar-kameez: (n) tunic worn with a pair of loose, pleated trousers by South Asian women
samosas: (n) small spiced pastries eaten as appetizers
sari: (n) elaborately draped garment made of silk or cotton, traditionally worn by South Asian women
Taj Mahal: (n) renowned memorial built in Agra by Shah Jahan in the 1600s to honor his deceased wife
vermillion: (n) bright red powder worn by married Indian women in their hair