About “Hrishikesh”
My first name, given by my grandmother on my father’s side, is Hrishikesh. The correct pronunciation includes the “H”, but in a softer way than the other letters.
It’s a common Indian name, with cousinal variations being Rishikesh and Rushikesh. In spite of this, most Indians cannot pronounce it or reproduce it in writing correctly! Over the years, I’ve made a collection of the various forms that my name has taken at the hands, and tongues, of the name manglers.
Calls from my bank often go like this -
Me: Hello
CCE (Call center employee): Hello Sir. Am I speaking to Mr. <pause. I can sense her struggle as she tries to read it from her computer screen>..Hiri <pause> kesh Barua? (Or, Hirishikesh Barua?)
Me: <firmly> No
CCE: Sir?
Me: <sounding extremely offended> No. This is Hrishikesh.
CCE: <If she is the quick thinking sort she apologizes. If she is not, she avoids any apology and starts with her litany about some fabulous new offer, apparently glad to have gotten the name calling part behind her.>
Pronouncing H followed R is a little difficult if you’ve not done it before. What about writing it?
This is what most people do when I submit a (paper) application form -
Try to read the name from the form -> Mangle it in their mind -> Reproduce the mangled form in their own records.
The result is usually Hirikesh, Harikesh, Harishikesh, Harshikesh or Hrishkesh. I’ve come across all these forms at various times.
Most of the confusion comes from the leading ‘H’. It’s not emphasised, but it’s not silent either. One of my college professors who taught Neural Networks was the only one among all my teachers who came nearest to getting it right.
Said Teacher: Rishikesh? H is silent?
It wasn’t, but she got the word 90% correct without adding or subtracting any letters. The increase in my regard for her after this incident was balanced by an equal decrease due to the dropping of the leading letter.
My colleagues, of course, go to no great lengths to pronounce my name. They just call me Hrish – most of them with a silent H.
