In American literature, the term realism encompasses the period of time from the Civil War to the turn of the century during which William Dean Howells, Rebecca Harding Davis, Henry James, Mark Twain, and others wrote fiction devoted to accurate representation and an exploration of American lives in various contexts.
Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community. The word Thaipusam is derived from the Tamil month name Thai and Pusam, which refers to a star near the location of the moon during the festival.
Navratri is a Hindu festival that is dedicated to Goddess Durga, Saraswati and Lakshmi. It is largely followed in the northern part of India. During the nine days of Navratri devotees have to fast while restricting themselves from intake of certain food.