पखवारा (pakhvaaraa)

noun A period of about fifteen days -- a fortnight. Single-sense word, mostly encountered in administrative, journalistic, or campaign contexts (e.g. a 'safai pakhwara' cleanliness drive) rather than everyday chat.
Sense 1 : fortnight, period of about fifteen days
noun, masculine
Synonyms: पक्ष (paksh, literary), पंद्रह दिन (pandrah din, 'fifteen days')
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: You will meet this word constantly in public life rather than kitchen-table conversation -- India runs on pakhwaras: 'स्वच्छता पखवारा' (svachchhtaa pakhvaaraa, 'cleanliness fortnight'), 'सतर्कता पखवारा' (satarktaa pakhvaaraa, 'vigilance fortnight'), announced by schools, banks, and government offices to mark a themed two-week drive. Knowing the word helps you decode banners and notices even if you rarely say it yourself.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often reach for पंद्रह दिन (pandrah din) by default, which is fine in casual speech, but पखवारा (pakhvaaraa) is the word you will actually see on government notices, school circulars, and news headlines announcing a two-week campaign or observance -- recognizing it matters more than producing it. 2) It names a duration or a designated stretch of days, not a specific date, so it doesn't take ordinal-style phrasing the way a single day would.
Sample Sentences:
बैंक में इस महीने वित्तीय साक्षरता पखवारा मनाया जा रहा है। A financial literacy fortnight is being observed at the bank this month.
(baink men is mahiine vittiiy saakshartaa pakhvaaraa manaayaa jaa rahaa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Continuous -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
स्कूल में अगले हफ्ते से स्वच्छता पखवारा शुरू होगा। A cleanliness fortnight will start at the school from next week.
(skool men agle haphte se svachchhtaa pakhvaaraa shuroo hogaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
सरकारी दफ्तरों में हर साल सतर्कता पखवारा आयोजित किया जाता है। A vigilance fortnight is organized in government offices every year.
(sarkaarii daphtron men har saal satarktaa pakhvaaraa aayojit kiyaa jaataa hai।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Habitual -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
पिछले पखवारे में हमने पूरे मोहल्ले की सफाई की थी। During the last fortnight, we cleaned the whole neighborhood.
(pichhle pakhvaare men hamne poore mohalle kii saphaaii kii thii।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Past -- Voice: Active
काश हमारे दफ्तर में भी योग पखवारा मनाया जाता। If only a yoga fortnight were observed at our office too.
(kaash hamaare daphtar men bhii yog pakhvaaraa manaayaa jaataa।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Counterfactual -- Aspect: Habitual -- Voice: Passive
कृपया सतर्कता पखवारे के दौरान सभी शिकायतें दर्ज करवाएँ। Please get all complaints registered during the vigilance fortnight.
(kripyaa satarktaa pakhvaare ke dauraan sabhii shikaayten darj karvaaen।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Imperative -- Voice: Active
मुझे नहीं पता कि यह पखवारा किस तारीख से शुरू हुआ है। I don't know from which date this fortnight has started.
(mujhe nahiin pataa ki yah pakhvaaraa kis taariikh se shuroo huaa hai।)
Register: Casual -- Mood: Indicative -- Aspect: Perfective -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Active
अस्पताल प्रशासन चाहता है कि पूरे स्टाफ के लिए एक जागरूकता पखवारा आयोजित हो। The hospital administration wants an awareness fortnight to be organized for the entire staff.
(asptaal prashaasan chaahtaa hai ki poore staaph ke lie ek jaagrooktaa pakhvaaraa aayojit ho।)
Register: Formal -- Mood: Subjunctive -- Tense: Present -- Voice: Passive
नोटिस बोर्ड पर लिखा है कि यह पखवारा पंद्रह तारीख को खत्म हो जाएगा। It's written on the notice board that this fortnight will end on the fifteenth.
(notis bord par likhaa hai ki yah pakhvaaraa pandrah taariikh ko khatm ho jaaegaa।)
Register: Neutral -- Mood: Indicative -- Tense: Future -- Voice: Active
Morphology
Noun
(sg.m.direct): पखवारा (pakhvaaraa)
(sg.m.oblique): पखवारे (pakhvaare)
(pl.m.direct): पखवारे (pakhvaare)
(pl.m.oblique): पखवारों (pakhvaaron)