A petition is a formal written application to a court requesting specific relief or seeking the exercise of judicial authority. The term is deliberately broad in Indian usage — it covers writ petitions (Article 226 / Article 32), special leave petitions to the Supreme Court, revision petitions, review petitions, bail petitions, transfer petitions, and many more.
Each category of petition has its own procedural requirements. A writ petition under Article 226 follows one format; a special leave petition to the Supreme Court follows the Supreme Court Rules and has prescribed paragraph structures; a review petition is subject to narrow grounds (apparent error, new evidence, analogous grounds) under Order XLVII of the CPC; a revision petition engages the High Court's supervisory jurisdiction under Section 115 CPC.
Common structural elements across most petitions: a cause title identifying the court and the relief sought; a list of dates and events; a statement of facts; the grounds on which the petition rests; the prayer specifying the relief requested; a verification or affidavit in support; and relevant annexures.
In practice, the word "petition" is often used as a shorthand for the document itself (e.g. "file a petition"), while the specific type (writ, SLP, revision) determines the legal framework. Drafting a petition is a specific craft: the pleadings must satisfy the procedural form, and the substantive grounds must fit the jurisdiction being invoked.