Maneka Gandhi Baby Names

[Berk Boyraz]

Itis probably not much different for film stars who have steered clear of electoral politics too. Even if you think you are only a brand, even a conscience-coated one, what you call yourself, and your children born before the lens of fame, will become a matter of debate, a touchstone for struggles over representation, identity and indeed, something like national destiny.

The controversy that broke out a few days ago about Bollywood couple Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan naming their new son Taimur reminded me of some anecdotes and memories about my own name, and the spell (and sometimes burden) it has cast on my life and destiny.

I quite liked what they settled on, and maybe, as a writer, I could not help finding only more gratitude, more acceptance, and respect for them, because they gave me a name I felt I had to live up to. I was Vamsee, with two e-s, and just to make me feel even more awesome responsibility about my legendary parents and their world perhaps, they got my name figured out on the suggestion of the legendary Telugu poet Devulapalli Krishna Sastry garu himself (whose grandson and namesake, the deadly satirist and author of Ice Boys and Bell Bottoms, knows a thing or two about names and fame himself).

Interestingly, I do not know if it is a generational thing in America or a California thing, but somehow of late the idea of mutilating or even Americanising difficult foreign names seems to have passed.

But having said that the fact remains that names do carry history and privilege. While no one should do anything other than condemn the stray tweets that have appeared directly against a day-old child, the fact remains that a civil and respectful debate about how an important and influential part of privileged South Asian society presents itself in history is not inappropriate.

The big picture here ultimately is that colonisation has left many of us bereft of tongues to speak our names and the dreams of goodness they evoke (and little wonder that the book of baby names compiled by Maneka Gandhi a few years ago was so immensely popular).

While what parents name their children should not be turned into the subject of a public lashing, we should as a society also reflect at least a little on what the names we choose will say to those who will carry them forward long after we are gone.

Maneka Gandhi was born on 26 August 1956 and was educated at Lawrence School, Sanawar. She was a magazine editor and columnist before she embarked on a career in politics. She is currently a Member of Parliament. She has been Minister of State for Environment and Forests, a post she held till 1991, and was later appointed Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment in 1998.

Maneka Gandhi has authored Sanjay Gandhi, Brahma's Hair (a book on the mythology of Indian plants) and Rainbow and Other Stories, and co-authored The Complete Book of Muslim and Parsi Names with Ozair Husain. Her special interests include Indian mythology, animal welfare (she is the Managing Trustee of the Ruth Cowell Foundation, which runs the Sanjay Gandhi Animal Welfare Centre, India's largest animal hospital and shelter) and issues related to environmental conservation.

This book started with the realization that I did not know the meaning of my name. All I knew was that Menaka (I spell it Maneka) was the name of an apsara in the court of Indra. No one I had encountered knew the meaning of their names either. Like me, they had been named after historical or mythological people. I hunted for a book, but while the libraries are full of information about the gods, I did not come across one book in India which gave the meaning of the name. What does Sarasvati mean? No, not 'learning' even though she is the goddess of that, but 'full of water'. Chandrashekhar does not mean Shiva but one who bears the moon on his forehead. I waited for someone to write a book but the two that emerged listed 'Menaka' as 'apsara'. When my sister announced that a baby was on the way, I decided to compile the dictionary myself.

2. The intended meaning or rather, the meaning of the meaning. Menaka's intended meaning is 'of the mountains' because, in Indian mythology, Mena is the consort of Himavan who is the lord of the Himalayas.

3. This is divided into two sub-categories. The first is the locating of the name in mythology, history, literature, botany or ornithology. If the name denotes a person out of mythology, history or literature I have tried to give the name of the mythological consort, the children and the name of the dynasty, as well as the names of Sanskrit Vedic commentators, grammarians and playwrights. I have included the names that come from plants, trees, birds and animals along with their Latin and English names.

I have read the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, the Kathasaritsagara, the Panchatantra, the listings of all the Vedas and Upanishads, books on Sanskrit plants and birds, the catalogues that list the thousand names of each major god, Vedic and Puranic encyclopaedias and the Buddhist and Jaina mythologies and histories and, of course, Sanskrit dictionaries to unearth the meanings of the names in this book. Very often the meaning of the name sounds bizarre unless one knows the context. Aparna which is another name for Parvati in her incarnation as Himavan's daughter means 'leafless'. This is explained by the legend of Parvati fasting to marry Shiva.

I would like to thank all the people who helped me in the preparation of thisbook. The friends who brought in the odd name in the beginning, those whopitched in to type the manuscript over and over again, the pandits and Sanskrit teachers who corrected my mistakes, the editors at Penguin who put thework into order and spent hours proof-reading and inserting new words till the last minute. I have used the Sanskrit classical style of spelling withdiacritical marks, to help in the correct pronunciation of the names.

The Penguin Book of Hindu Names has sold over 50,000 copies since it was published almost a decade ago. The product of several years of research, it is an exhaustive and user-friendly compilation, with information on sources and usage.

For the first time, thisclassic work is available in a two-volume set, divided into names for boys and those for girls, making it more accessible. Including modern names and those which are Popular, The Penguin Book of. Hindu Names for Girls serves as a practical guide for choosing the perfect name for your daughter. It is also a precise and invaluable sourcebook for scholars and lay readers alike who would like to know what familiar (and not so familiar) Hindu names actually mean.

an Indian politician, animal rights activist, environmentalist, former journalist and the widow of influential Indian politician, Sanjay Gandhi. She has been a minister in four governments, and has authored a number of books in the areas of etymology, law and animal welfare. Maneka Gandhi is an estranged member of the Nehru-Gandhi Family.

Many baby names sound really cute when your baby boy or baby girl is still a baby. However, when your baby grows to become a pilot, a sportsperson, a scientist or even the president of your country, it is an entirely different story. The noted tennis star of....

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