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Name holds
significance for individuals There's plenty in a name. It provides identity to an individual. In a stratified society it tells a whole lot of things like one's religious denomination, caste, region and even the village one belongs to. In the Hindu society naming a newborn is a religious ritual that could be rather complex - what with consulting the family purohit, working out the horoscope and selecting an auspicious day to hold the naamkaran sanskaar - the child-naming ceremony. Often the names would be after gods like Uma, Sita etc, or auspicious occasions like Basanti, or weekdays like Mangala, Somvati, etc. But today, things are different. One wants to give the child a special, nay, exotic name. Hence the need for a ready reference book. Maneka comes to the rescue with this treasure trove of striking names, as well as their English translation. For example, Edha means prosperity or happiness, Arkasuta means daughter of the sun, etc.
Maneka has teamed up with the son of Raja of Lorepur, Ozair Husain, to come up with this hefty volume containing Muslim and Parsi names since etymologically these share common roots, although Islam and Zoroastrianism are two distinct religions. The authors point out that names could be based on mental or physical attributes or a natural phenomenon, e.g., Nahid or Venus; as someone's parent like Abu Bakr (father of a young camel); a someone's son Ibn Alim (son of a learned man); trade as in Najjar or carpenter etc. You can have names with Turkish, Arabic or Persian roots tinged with Indian resonance. This huge volume has enough names to provide a colourful variety to the names of today's kids.
Rani Laxmi Bai of Jhansi has become a synonym for all that is, or perhaps should be, positive in the Indian woman - wise, brave and patriotic - even while being an archetypical wife and mother. The heroine of India's First War of Independence has been a favourite protagonist of works by poets, folklorists, fabulists and historians. Dr Rana too deals with the same subject, but with a difference. Along with the account of the Rani of Jhansi, he has also given the history of Jhansi's transformation from being a mere village to a rather formidable bastion of resistance against the growing might of the British. The political sagacity and military acumen of Laxmi Bai have been acknowledged even by her British opponents like Hughrose and Dr Low. Rana gives the account in the background of various events that led to the outbreak of hostilities throughout the subcontinent, including the Mangal Pandey episode. This slice of history makes for an absorbing read and could be a great value addition to your bookshelf. |
Muslim & Parsi
Names
Rani of Jhansi