What is "channa"

n. (alternative form of chana English)

Channa is a genus of fish in the family Channidae, commonly known as snakehead. This genus 34 contains scientifically described species, but the most well known are probably the Northern snakehead (Channa argus) and the Giant snakehead (Channa micropeltes). These species have a wide natural distribution extending from Iran in the west, to China in the east and parts of Siberia in the Far East. They are one of the most common staple food fish in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and other South East Asian countries, where they are extensively cultured. Apart from their importance as a food fish, snakeheads are also consumed as a therapeutic for wound healing as well as reducing post-operative pain and discomfort and collected for the international aquarium pet trade. The diets of various species of Channa include fish, frogs, snakes, rodents, birds and insects. Some can move on land like snakes and breathe air.

The taxonomy of the genus Channa is incomplete and a comprehensive revision of the family has not been performed. A phylogenetic study in 2010 has also indicated the likelihood of the existence of more undescribed species of channids in South East Asia. In June 2011, the Malabar snakehead Channa diplogramma from peninsular India was shown to be a distinct species, 146 years after its initial description and 134 years after it was synonymised with C. micropeltes, establishing it is an endemic species of peninsular India. The study also suggested that the species shared a most recent common ancestor with C. micropeltes, around 9.52 to 21.76 MYA.

In Assamese it is called goroi. In Malayalam it is called varal or braal. In Thai it is called pla chon (ปลาช่อน) or pla kor (ปลาค้อ).

Channa may refer to:

• Ameet Channa, a popular British actor.
• Channa (Buddhist) was a royal servant of Prince Siddhartha who later became Gautama Buddha. Channa later became an arahant.
• Channa (tribe), a Sindhi tribe in Pakistan.
• Channa masala, a South Asian dish consisting of chickpeas (in Hindi and Urdu: Channa).
• Channa, a genus of the snakehead fishes.
• Humaira Channa, Pakistani singer.
• Mohammad Alam Channa, the world's tallest man.
• Channa is the formal Chinese name for the Chan or Zen school of Buddhism.

Channa - The Divine Charioteer ( Pali: Channa; ) (6th century BCE, in what is now Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, India) was a royal servant and head charioteer of Prince Siddhartha, who was to become the Buddha. Channa later became a disciple of the Buddha and achieved arahantship, as is described in the 78th verse of the Dhammapada.

Channa was a servant in the court of King Suddhodarna who was entrusted to attend to the needs of Siddhartha, who had been lavished and pampered in a series of purpose-built palaces in order to shield him from thoughts of pain and suffering. This was done due to a prophecy by the ascetic Asita, who predicted that Siddhartha would renounce the throne to become a spiritual leader were he to contemplate human suffering. Channa was the servant who served as the charioteer pulled by the horse Kanthaka, when Siddhartha saw the Four sights whilst meeting his subjects in the Sakya capital Kapilavastu, which prompted his decision to renounce the world.

During these expeditions, Channa explained to Siddhartha the sights of an elderly man, a sick person, a dead person whose funeral was being conducted and finally, an ascetic who had renounced worldly life for a spiritual one, as Siddhartha who had been secluded from such sights within the palace was taken aback. Channa was later entrusted by Siddhartha to accompany him upon his escape from the palace to become an ascetic, whilst the remainder of the palace guards were asleep.

After initially protesting and refusing to accept that Siddhartha would leave him, Channa saddled Kanthaka, guiding him out of the town aboard the horse to a forest by the edge of the Anoma River. Channa returned Siddhartha's acoutrements, weapons and hair to Suddhodarnha upon his return to the palace, after Siddhartha compelled him to return after Channa had refused to leave him.

Upon Siddhartha's enlightenment as Gautama Buddha and return to Kapilavastu, Channa became a Buddhist monk, joining the Sangha. Due to his lone accompaniment of the Buddha on his renouncement, Channa behaved in an overbearing way to the other monks, and frequently criticized the two chief disciples Sariputta and Moggallana. In spite of continual advice from The Buddha he continued to abuse the other monks. Prior to the parinibbana, the Buddha instructed Ananda to impose the brahmadanda on Channa, whereby the other monks would simply ignore him. After the parinibbana, Channa learned of the decree, and feeling remorse for his behaviour, he fainted three times before asking and obtaining pardon. He eventually became an arahant.

Channa ( Sindhi: چنا, Urdu: چنہ ) also spells as Chana, is one of the ancient Sindhi tribes in Sindh, Pakistan. They are Surya Rajputs and monarch was Dasharatha.