bhu

Bhu, or bhū in Sanskrit, is a term meaning earth or ground. In Hindu cosmology, Bhūloka denotes the earthly realm, the physical world, and is part of a traditional hierarchy of lokas that describe the structure of the cosmos. Beyond Bhūloka are Bhuvarloka (the atmosphere) and Svarloka (heaven). The word appears in various cosmological descriptions and is used in ritual and scriptural contexts to signify the earthly plane.

In Sanskrit literature, bhū- serves as the root meaning “to be” or “to exist,” and bhū (earth) is related to terms such as bhūmi (soil or land) and bhava (becoming). The term also features in the sacred mantra Om bhūr bhūvaḥ svaḥ, where bhūḥ represents the earth, bhūvaḥ the atmosphere, and svaḥ the heavens, invoking the three realms in succession.

BHU is also an acronym for Banaras Hindu University, a public central university located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Founded in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, BHU grew from a nationalist educational movement and has since developed into a large university with multiple faculties and institutes. It offers programs across arts, sciences, engineering, medicine, and other disciplines and is one of India's major residential universities.