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Vishnu

(Encyclopedia)Vishnu vĭshˈno͞o [key], one of the greatest gods of Hinduism, also called Narayana. First mentioned in the Veda as a minor deity, his theistic cults, known as Vaishnavism, or Vishnuism, grew steadi...

Mahabharata

(Encyclopedia)Mahabharata məhäˌbärˈətə [key], classical Sanskrit epic of India, probably composed between 200 b.c. and a.d. 200. The Mahabharata, comprising more than 90,000 couplets, usually of 32 syllables...

Eluru

(Encyclopedia)Eluru ĕlōrˈ [key], city, Andhra Pradesh state, E central India. It is a district administr...

bhakti

(Encyclopedia)bhakti bŭkˈtē [key] [Skt.,=devotion], theistic devotion in Hinduism. Bhakti cults seem to have existed from the earliest times, but they gained strength in the first millennium a.d. The first full ...

Mathura

(Encyclopedia)Mathura mŭˈtrə [key], city (1991 pop. 235,922), Uttar Pradesh state, N central India, on the Yamuna River. An agricultural market town and district administrative center, it is best known as a Hind...

Coromandel Coast

(Encyclopedia)Coromandel Coast kŏrˌəmănˈdəl [key], east coast of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh states, SE India, stretching more than 400 mi (644 km) from Point Calimere, opposite the northern tip of Sri Lank...

Diwali

(Encyclopedia)Diwali, the festival of lights, celebrated by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs; one of the most popular holidays in South Asia. Extending over five days, it marks the beginning of the new year in the Vikrama ...

Bengal, Bay of

(Encyclopedia)Bengal, Bay of, arm of the Indian Ocean, c.1,300 mi (2,090 km) long and 1,000 mi (1,610 km) wide, bordered on the W by Sri Lanka and India, on the N by Bangladesh, and on the E by Myanmar and Thailand...

Godavari

(Encyclopedia)Godavari gōdäˈvərē [key], river, c.900 mi (1,450 km) long, rising in the Western Ghats in Maharashtra state, W central India, and flowing SE across the Deccan Plateau through Telangana and Andhra...

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