The Haveli Blog

Festivals, food, clothes and places, and simple ways to learn Hindi. Every article teaches a handful of real Hindi words.

Festivals

• Diwali 2026: A Family Guide to the Festival of Lights, With Hindi Words: When Diwali 2026 falls, what each of the five days means, and the Hindi words your family will hear, from diya to rangoli to mithai.
• Christmas in India: Bada Din, Star Lanterns and Plum Cake: How Christmas is celebrated across India, from Goa and Kerala to Kolkata and the Northeast, with the Hindi words for star, candle, gift and church.
• Makar Sankranti, Lohri and Pongal: India's January Harvest Festivals: Kites, bonfires and pots that boil over: a simple guide to the January harvest festivals of 2027 and the Hindi words behind them.
• Holi 2027: The Festival of Colors Explained for Families: When Holi 2027 falls, the stories behind it, how to play safely, and the Hindi words for color, water gun and the sweet called gujiya.
• Eid in India: Chaand Raat, Sevaiyan and Eid Mubarak: How Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are celebrated in India, what to say to friends, and the Hindi and Urdu words that come with the day.
• Raksha Bandhan: The Thread That Ties Brothers and Sisters: What Raksha Bandhan means, how families celebrate it near and far, the 2027 date, and the Hindi words for rakhi, sister, brother and promise.
• Onam: Kerala's Harvest Festival of Flowers, Feasts and Boat Races: The story of King Mahabali, the flower carpets, the great Onam feast and the snake boat races, with the Hindi words to talk about them.
• Navratri and Dussehra: Nine Nights of Dance and a Day of Victory: Garba, dandiya, Durga Puja and Ramlila: how India celebrates Navratri and Dussehra, and the Hindi words for nine, night, victory and dance.

Food

• Indian Street Food in Hindi: 25 Words to Order Like a Local: Golgappe, samosa, chaat and jalebi: the Hindi names of India's favorite street foods, and the phrases to order, ask the price and say less spicy.
• Chai Culture: Why a Cup of Tea Means 'Welcome' in India: How chai became India's everyday drink, how to make masala chai at home, and the Hindi words for ginger, cardamom, clay cup and 'one more cup'.
• The Indian Thali Explained: One Plate, Many Bowls, Every Taste: What goes on an Indian thali, how to eat one, how thalis change from region to region, and the Hindi words for every bowl on the plate.
• Indian Festival Sweets: Laddoo, Barfi, Jalebi and the Words for Them: A friendly guide to Indian sweets and which festivals they belong to, with the Hindi idiom for sharing good news over something sweet.

Clothes & Crafts

• The Saree: Six Yards of Story, and the Hindi Words to Go With It: How a saree is draped, the famous weaves of India, what a pallu is, and friendly tips if you are wearing one for the first time.
• Kurta, Pajama and Sherwani: A Simple Guide to Indian Clothes for Every Occasion: What to wear to an Indian wedding, puja or festival, the names of everyday Indian clothes in Hindi, and how to shop for them.
• Bandhani and Block Printing: India's Tie-Dye and Hand-Stamped Cloth: How bandhani dots and block-printed patterns are made by hand, where they come from, and the English words that borrowed their names.

Regions of India

• Where Hindi Lives: A Friendly Guide to India's Hindi-Speaking States: Which Indian states speak Hindi, the many voices inside it, from Bhojpuri to Braj, and the words for state, village, city and dialect.
• Rajasthan in Hindi: Forts, Deserts and Painted Havelis: Pink, blue and golden cities, camels in the Thar, and the painted havelis that gave our name its meaning, with the Hindi words for each.
• Varanasi: A Gentle Guide to India's Oldest Living City: Ghats, boats, evening aarti and Banarasi silk: what to know about Varanasi, its three names, and the Hindi words you will hear by the Ganga.

Hindi in the World

• 25 English Words That Came From Hindi (You Use Some Every Day): Shampoo, jungle, pajamas and thug: the surprising Hindi and Hindustani roots of everyday English words, with the original Hindi spelling.
• Bollywood Hindi: 30 Words You Hear in Every Film: Dil, pyaar, yaar and zindagi: the Hindi words that fill Indian films and songs, what they mean, and how to learn Hindi from movies.

Learning Tips

• How to Learn to Read Devanagari in Two Weeks: A day-by-day plan to read the Hindi script in 14 days, 20 minutes a day: vowels, consonants, matras, half letters and your first story.
• 50 Everyday Hindi Phrases for Home, Family and Travel: Fifty useful Hindi phrases with Devanagari, easy pronunciation and meaning: greetings, manners, family, food, shopping, travel and help.

For Parents

• How to Raise a Bilingual Child With Hindi Outside India: Practical, low-pressure ways to keep Hindi alive at home in the US and abroad, from one-parent-one-language to grandparent calls.
• Screen Time That Teaches: Using Screens to Grow Your Child's Hindi: How to turn some of your child's screen time into Hindi time, with simple rules for watching together, playing, and talking afterward.
• Bedtime Hindi: A Ten-Minute Routine for Sleepy Little Learners: A calm bedtime routine in Hindi with the words for sleep, dream and moon, a short original lullaby, and phrases parents can say every night.