Monday 20 November 2006

What's in a name

Since this is the first time ever, I am making this short.
So what is in a name?
Why Monsoon Rains, for instance?
Well.. no particular reason other than that I have always loved the monsoon. Used to linger just a bit longer in front of the windows before my mother had to yell. (for the third time): Shut the window, everything will get wet!!.
The school closures because of torrential rains, were a true bonus!
And it did pour. In sheets. Blocking visibility to two feet. By which I mean you get an impressionist's version of the world even for that paltry two feet. I remember walking back home in the rain with only an aluminium school box for an "umbrella" (oops forgot the real deal at home!). Really, don't we need another word to describe that downpour? Perhaps that will be another blog.

So, the next interesting name du jour: Agnija.
Derived from the Sanskrit word, Agni, for fire and "ja" -- the suffix that denotes "the daughter of ". This is another name for Draupadi (the daughter or King Drupada), because she arose from fire. One of my heros of the Mahabharatha.

Well.. time to close now for the day.