English - coconut
Hindi - nariyal, khopra,
Kannada - thengankai
Tamil - thenga
Marathi - naral

Most communities in India hold the coconut sacred in its significance. It is considered a symbol of auspiciousness, and is broken as a sign of good luck to begin events of special importance, regardless of their size or other relevance. For eg. A coconut is broken to celebrate the birth time of Lord Mahavir on Mahavir Jayanti every year, and bits shared with jain friends and relatives as a sign of tolerance and forgiveness.

A coconut is broken to inaugurate the stone laying of a small cottage as also a multicrore complex or mall. A coconut is broken to bring good luck and protection when a new vehicle is bought. The list is endless.

The coconut is one tree where not part of the fruit or leaf are wasted. The hardened leaflet midriffs are collected and tied into brooms, the coconut fibre is used to make coir and various coir products.

The inner shell is used to make ethnic spoons, handicraft items, and dye mixing containers. The kernel is edible, the water is a wonderfully cooling and refreshing drink.

The coconut meat or ripened kernel is used to make many many items, from chutneys to sweets to gravies, to a secondary ingredient in many dishes. The dried kernel or sookha kopra is used for making many dishes not using fresh coconut, in confectionary, for commercial production of white coconut powder and flakes, for extraction of oil too!!

Kerala is a state where coconut oil forms the staple base as a medium for cooking. All cooking requiring fat mainly uses coconut oil. However, what ever region of India or the world you may go to, coconut plays an important role in the household cooking in some form or other.

Coconut powder: Commercially available as fine white crumbs, used to make confectioneries, cakes, sweetmeats, and to roll many biscuits, ladoos, etc.

Coconut flakes: Can be grated at home or storebought. Come in fresh and dry or desiccated form, and in many sizes. Fine, medium, coarse, etc. The coloured flakes are used in scented suparis, mouth fresheners, and as a garnish.