June 14, 2007

Geo Genius

I have always though of it as Illiad's Beach - the one in Besant Nagar, Chennai. Because that is how people pronounce it. . Imagined that some general from the British era must have named it so after Illiad.

I found out today that it is infact Elliot's beach. The name comes from another Literary giant. The very native Tamilian often replaces T with D and we end up with ElliaDs and DeDecDive and DiscounD

As a child, Kashi, Varanasi & Benaras at one time seemed like three different towns, all by the river Ganges though.
Hubli and Hoogly also caused some howlers.
Vadodara and Bagdogra was another problem area, though only for a brief while.
I was always confused as to whether Stanford was in the US or the UK.

And to think I was brilliant in Geography- possibly the confusion led to clarity and there on enlightenment!!

8 comments:

Just Like That said...

LOL at the 3 towns on the banks of the Ganges!

But understandable.. and now with this inititative of changing all Brit given names back to the original Indian names, confusion is bound only to increase...

Wow! You are Geographically gifted! My sense of direction is pathetic! and I have to look at the Atlas for anything outside India.

Sunita said...

Hubby is extremely good at geo and I suck at it

Usha said...

Sir Edward Elliot was a governor of Madras and the road and the beach are named after him. What is currently known as Radhakrishnan salai used to be Edward Elliot's Road in my days!

Usha said...

and oh I forgot to mention that I know a lot of people who confuse Belgaum and Belgium!

Anonymous said...

'dedecdive' and 'discound' - so true!

Artnavy said...

usha- Thanks for that info.
And where have you been? how was your time out with your sisters?

sunita- opposite in my case

namvor- u may like to look up an old post gopi manchurian and boli and boori masala

just likethat- that was a hobby with me- lookign up teh atlas- i think i shld go back to doing that

Shobha said...

That's so wierd coz I get confused abt Cambridge being in the US or UK :)

Lovely lovely snap of Anush and the pattu pavadai colors really become her.

Artnavy said...

hiss- welcome here and thanks