news details |
|
|
| New name on Indian map--Bengaluru! | | |
B L KAK
Not long ago, the change of name was from Madras to Chennai and from Calcutta to Kolkata. Now, Bangalore has become Bengaluru. That is how the name is written in Kannada language, spoken by the natives of Karnataka State. Powers-that-be have simply re-endorsed it. The change of name has thrown up the question: Why Bengaluru and why now?
Since Karnataka was marking 50 years of its formation, something momentous had to be done. As the politicians pander to the die-hard Kannadiga rabble-rousers, Bengaluru has come to stay. The British may have anglicised Indian names willy nilly to make life easier for themselves, but Bengaluru is not going to be easy to pronounce for many Indians either.
Bangalore is no longer a dreamy pensioner's paradise. It is a teeming metropolis that is home to people from all over India and beyond. Hence, equally important question now being discussed: How will the non-natives deal with the 'lu' sound that is a retroflex of sorts? Bengaluru will still be mispronounced. Yes, retrieving the old name with romantic lore attached to it makes it more vernacular and native. Bengaluru, as legend has it, comes from Benda-kalu-uru (Bendakaluru) - a city of boiled beans. Many theories about its origin abound.
It is said that the Hoysala King Vira Ballala lost his way during one of his hunting expeditions near Yelahanka area. Weary and hungry, he reached a humble hut, where an old woman offered him some cooked beans, which the king gratefully ate. To honour the woman's hospitality he named the place Bendakaluru - the town of boiled beans. Scholars argue that the name Bengaluru was in use much earlier. The earliest reference to it is seen in the Ganga inscription on a hero-stone (viragal) dating back to the 9th century AD, found in Begur village, South West of Bangalore, rather Bengaluru.
No matter what its origin, Bangalore is beautiful by any name. Visitors invariably exclaim, "What a city!" It was once meant as a compliment to its leafy lanes and salubrious climate, but today, it might well be a cry of frustration about pot-holed roads and traffic snarls. Complaint or compliment, there is something magnetic about Bengaluru. People who come here hate to leave. That is why it is bursting at the seams.
From Bangalore to Bengaluru. Will it not affect the name the city has made for itself as the silicon Valley of India? Why waste money that could have been used to build urgently needed infrastructure? These are a few questions that could be raised. Not all of the questions are rhetoric. And the answers to these or the larger issue of re-christening all that is anglicised are neither single nor simple.
If de-anglicising names serves the purpose of restoring national and local pride, if it is an act of celebrating ethnicity and culture, fine. But if it is a cosmetic change, where the old-world charm of Bengaluru has been pawned for a few trappings of a large metropolis, then it is a futile exercise. If millions of rupees that will undoubtedly be spent, not to mention siphoned off, in the name of the name change can be put to better use, Bengaluru will be a better city. Maybe once that is done, celebrating the change in name then would make more sense.
Over to China, where the spotlights have suddenly shifted to the Great Wall. China's Great Wall has attracted wide public attention even outside China. Researchers in Japan, the United States and Russia are reported to be anxiously awaiting findings of the survey launched by Beijing. In fact, China plans to use satellites and other high technology to check the length of the Great Wall and find ways to better protect the country's most famous landmark.
The wall weaves for thousands of miles through a dozen provinces and regions across northern China. The wall, really many unconnected walls collectively known as the Great Wall, traverses remote areas, making its exact length and actual condition difficult to assess. "We will use remote sensing, aviation and information technology. Scientific analysis allows us to grasp the current condition of the Great Wall and update the current regulations on its protection", Tong Mingkang, vice director of the State Bureau of Cultural Relics, said in an online interview posted on the Chinese government's main Web site.
According toTong, the survey could take two to three years. Many previous surveys had been conducted, he said, adding that large sections of the wall were not properly protected due to a lack of detailed information. He pointed out: "It is imperative to hold such a large-scale investigation to build up a scientific and integral record for the Great Wall".
According to historical records, the earliest sections of the wall were built centuries ago to guard against Mongols and other invaders. Other sections were added over the centuries, while many parts have fallen down or been pulled down by villagers who used the bricks to build houses. Its length has been estimated at from 3,000 to 4,000 miles, but some guidebooks say that dilapidated sections in remote areas have been discovered as recently as 2002.
Chinese authorites have admitted that tourist encroachment also has been a problem in recent years. And Chinese media has stated that near Badaling, north of Beijing, almost every brick on a popular section of the wall has been carved with people's names or other graffiti. State media reported earlier this year that China planned to recruit local villagers to guard against vandalism.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
