Essay or Articles
Bharat, India And Nature
By Sandeep Singh, February 2013 [sandeepconsultant@gmail.com] * 1
Chapter :
In recent times the nation has witnessed a debate on ‘Bharat’ and ‘India’. The word “Bharat” has been essentially used by marketers to define rural India and unfortunately, this is the only language understood by most in media.
However, for the rest, ‘Bharat’ and ‘India’ represent a cultural difference. The difference of ‘East and West’ has become difference of ‘Bharat and India’ or to a great extent difference between “English” and “Bharateeya Languages”. Not surprising; since language is also part of a civilization. Language can be a good indicator to look at the difference. Following is an example demonstrating the difference in the way nature is perceived in ‘English’ and ‘Bharateeya Languages’ i.e. in the two cultures, two different civilisations.
Couroupita guianensis trees are grown extensively in Shiva temples in India. In Hindi it is called Shiv Kamal or "Kailaspati. (Nagalingam in Tamil). The flowers are called Shivalinga flowers in Hindi; Nagalinga Pushpa in Kannada; Nagamalli or Mallikarjuna flowers in Telugu. Hindus revere it as a sacred tree because the petals of the flower resemble the hood of the Naga. It is not surprising at all, in India nature is considered divine.
One important aspect to be noticed here is that whatever be the language in Bharat, the nomenclature doesn’t changes; the inherent meaning remains the same; which in turn signifies the spread of unity of thought.
Couroupita guianensis flowers are orange, scarlet and pink in colour. They produce large spherical and woody fruits ranging from 15 to 24cm in diameter, containing up to 200 or 300 seeds apiece.
Couroupita guianensis is also grown in tropical northern South America and southern Caribbean where, because of its brown cannon-ball-like fruits, it is known as Cannonball Tree. Strange!!! One culture sees it as source of destruction while for other i.e. Bharateeya
By Sandeep Singh, February 2013 [sandeepconsultant@gmail.com] * 1
Chapter :
In recent times the nation has witnessed a debate on ‘Bharat’ and ‘India’. The word “Bharat” has been essentially used by marketers to define rural India and unfortunately, this is the only language understood by most in media.
However, for the rest, ‘Bharat’ and ‘India’ represent a cultural difference. The difference of ‘East and West’ has become difference of ‘Bharat and India’ or to a great extent difference between “English” and “Bharateeya Languages”. Not surprising; since language is also part of a civilization. Language can be a good indicator to look at the difference. Following is an example demonstrating the difference in the way nature is perceived in ‘English’ and ‘Bharateeya Languages’ i.e. in the two cultures, two different civilisations.
Couroupita guianensis trees are grown extensively in Shiva temples in India. In Hindi it is called Shiv Kamal or "Kailaspati. (Nagalingam in Tamil). The flowers are called Shivalinga flowers in Hindi; Nagalinga Pushpa in Kannada; Nagamalli or Mallikarjuna flowers in Telugu. Hindus revere it as a sacred tree because the petals of the flower resemble the hood of the Naga. It is not surprising at all, in India nature is considered divine.
One important aspect to be noticed here is that whatever be the language in Bharat, the nomenclature doesn’t changes; the inherent meaning remains the same; which in turn signifies the spread of unity of thought.
Couroupita guianensis flowers are orange, scarlet and pink in colour. They produce large spherical and woody fruits ranging from 15 to 24cm in diameter, containing up to 200 or 300 seeds apiece.
Couroupita guianensis is also grown in tropical northern South America and southern Caribbean where, because of its brown cannon-ball-like fruits, it is known as Cannonball Tree. Strange!!! One culture sees it as source of destruction while for other i.e. Bharateeya