When I was born my parents with lot of pride named me Jhansi Lakshmi. Probably they were patriotic and loved the history of our country. Being their first child and that too a girl they wanted their daughter to be treated like a queen/princess.
When I was a toddler they said I was naughty and coincidentally the character Birju in the Movie Mother India played by Sunil Dutt which was released at that time was naughty too. The movie being a big hit many naughty kids of that time, irrespective of being a boy or a girl were called birju. Slowly I was called bijju, the distorted form of birju.
When I joined school I was very particular that I should not be called bijju, somehow I associated bijju being a boy's name and that too a boy who was naughty and mischievous. From the time I joined school everyone called me Jhansi including family except my dad.
Till my relocation to Mumbai after my marriage no confusion. In Mumbai and other parts of India the name Jhansi is not as common as it is in Andhra. When I introduced myself as Jhansi people were little confused and said that it sounds more like a name of the place than the name of a person. So they decided to call me Lakshmi. So now I introduced myself as Jhansi Lakshmi instead of just Jhansi and left it to them to decide by what name they wished to call me. So initially half the people called me Jhansi and the other half Lakshmi. Now I was confused while responding to my name. Therefore I decided to introduce myself as Lakshmi. That is the journey from just Jhansi to just Lakshmi.
When I was in California for a short time people preferred to call me Jhansi. The logic is its very easy to pronounce as it sounds like Nancy. Hahaha.
The ordeal does not end here.
I am Lokhmi when in Odisha
I am Lokkhhi when in Bengal
I am Lacchmi when in rural Andhra
I am lak-shha- mi in rural Maharashtra
I am Leeshmi in Kerala
My name is spelt, Laxmi, Luxmi and Lakshmi.
But I Love my name whether Jhansi or Lakshmi or Jhansi Lakshmi, as my parents have given it to me.
When I was a toddler they said I was naughty and coincidentally the character Birju in the Movie Mother India played by Sunil Dutt which was released at that time was naughty too. The movie being a big hit many naughty kids of that time, irrespective of being a boy or a girl were called birju. Slowly I was called bijju, the distorted form of birju.
When I joined school I was very particular that I should not be called bijju, somehow I associated bijju being a boy's name and that too a boy who was naughty and mischievous. From the time I joined school everyone called me Jhansi including family except my dad.
Till my relocation to Mumbai after my marriage no confusion. In Mumbai and other parts of India the name Jhansi is not as common as it is in Andhra. When I introduced myself as Jhansi people were little confused and said that it sounds more like a name of the place than the name of a person. So they decided to call me Lakshmi. So now I introduced myself as Jhansi Lakshmi instead of just Jhansi and left it to them to decide by what name they wished to call me. So initially half the people called me Jhansi and the other half Lakshmi. Now I was confused while responding to my name. Therefore I decided to introduce myself as Lakshmi. That is the journey from just Jhansi to just Lakshmi.
When I was in California for a short time people preferred to call me Jhansi. The logic is its very easy to pronounce as it sounds like Nancy. Hahaha.
The ordeal does not end here.
I am Lokhmi when in Odisha
I am Lokkhhi when in Bengal
I am Lacchmi when in rural Andhra
I am lak-shha- mi in rural Maharashtra
I am Leeshmi in Kerala
My name is spelt, Laxmi, Luxmi and Lakshmi.
But I Love my name whether Jhansi or Lakshmi or Jhansi Lakshmi, as my parents have given it to me.
6 comments:
Interesting & amusing.
Same goes for my name. Different people in diffferent places pronounce my name differently.
After we moved to Saudi , I thought, OK here at least people will get my name right. But woe behold.......to add insult to injury most people are surprised that its a woman's name.
Anyway as you very rightly ended, I too love my name, as my parents have given it to me.
This is too funny Lakshmi or should I say Jhansi, or maybe it is Jhansi Lakshmi, or whatever, I love your name too, 😃
This surely is a laugh riot!!! Mother India's Birju/Bijju was equally great, apart from various versions of Lakshmi.
Was instantly reminded of Charles Dickens character 'Pip' in Great Expectations and why he was named so. I reproduce these great lines:
"My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip."
So whether it is lakshmi, Lokhmi, Jhansi, Philip, Pirrip or Pip, how does it matter as long as you enjoy the situation.
Phew!
Not lets work on the variations on Jhansi ;-)
Thatz an interesting post, Jhansi..!
Well... same her:
Vimal > Bimal > Vimal
Apoon ka naam Jhansi hai bhidu, kya ?
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