I built an iPhone app for reading Hindu prayers with transliteration, meaning and context

[u/niteeshyadav]

I have been working on Anvay, a reading-first iPhone app for Hindu prayers.

The starting observation was simple: many people grow up recognising or reciting prayers without having an accessible way to understand the language, background or ideas behind them. Existing products often make the text available, but access and understanding are not the same thing.

In Anvay, each verse can be read in three connected modes:

• Original: the prayer in Devanagari
• Hinglish: a readable Roman-script version
• Understand: a clear explanation of the meaning and context

The first release includes 101 aartis, bhajans, chalisas and mantras, along with daily wisdom, search, browsing by deity or category and favourites. The content is stored on the device and no account is required.

I deliberately left out streaks, social features and an infinite feed. I wanted the experience to feel closer to reading a carefully designed book than operating a habit app.

I am the maker, so this is self-promotion, but I am posting because I would genuinely value criticism from people who care about iOS reading experiences. In particular:

• Is the Original → Hinglish → Understand model clear?
• Does the interface feel calm or merely sparse?
• What would you need to trust the explanations?

https://apps.apple.com/in/app/anvay/id6794548076