Mel, this one’s for you.
Over at Cabezalana, Mel posted about his adventures in learning Hindi script. In the interest of helping any of y’all who are thinking of visiting our little corner of the world, I’ve taken pictures of a number of common signs in Hindi script. Learning these is definitely helpful. Answers posted at the bottom of this post–you’ll have to highlight the text to read it. Enjoy.
Where we are:
Nearby destinations:
It sometimes helps to know that Hindi script is often just phonetic spelling of word in other languages. Which is why there are signs like this:
While with this sign, you get cluck for your buck:
And, just for completeness’ sake, here’s a local Tibetan menu:
Oh, and if you have plans to fight city hall, here’s where you go:
ANSWERS
Where we are: Rewalsar
Nearby destinations: Nainadavi, Durgapur
Ek Mandi Bas: Mandi - Rewalsar - Mandi (All bus signs are in Hindi script. I learned my bus destinations first, in order to get around HImachal safely.)
Dhaba sign: Breakfast - lunch - dinner (Yep, no dictionary needed)
Chicken sign: Chicken Corner: Masala Chicken, Butter Chicken, Chili Chicken, Taza chicken
Tibetan Sign: Fast food: Veg Chowmein, Veg Momo, Veg Thukpa, Mango Shake, Banana Shake, Lassi, Chai - Coffee, Dahi Paratha
City Hall: Nagar Panchayat Rewalsar (Literally Town Council-of-five, Rewalsar)
So much fun on a Monday morning. I was just about to head home from work and had to sit down and read all of them. Did pretty well, too.
Comment by Mel | August 20, 2007
I really love the beauty of the Hindi script. Even the menus are a work of art! I’m looking for someone to properly translate some words for me into Hindi script for a tattoo I’m planning on my 30th birthday.. would you be able to help with this?
Comment by mouse | August 20, 2007
Mel: Admittedly I stole this blog post idea from the book “Beginner’s Hindi Script,” in the Teach Yourself series. There’s plenty more, but these are the most common signs around town. As I wrote, most bus destination signs are written in Hindi, so it’s a good idea to at least memorize the spellings of your destinations. Since I’m allergic to nuts, I checked out the Hindi spellings of many common Indian foods.
Mouse: I can probably help you out, depending on what you need translated. You can post your tatto idea privately to me via email to nyondo[at]customjuju[dot]com.
Comment by admin | August 21, 2007
FASCINATING! Reading means so much to me, and I’m very aware that I read (much like we tend to eat) by swallowing whole lines and sentences whole. I’m absolutely intrigued by looking at scripts, which I KNOW to be ordinary words and reading such as I see, but which I cannot draw any meaning from. This script is so beautiful! I love looking at Arabic script too…I can sound out Hebrew (print, not script) and I do read Russian (slowly and badly) but I thank you so much for these beautiful pictures. I’m sure they’re read by thousands daily who don’t see the beauty of the forms, but merely the “Cluck for your buck”…. :laughing:
Comment by Dale-Harriet in WI | August 23, 2007
I stumbled on your site from somewhere else and was pleasantly surprised to find Hindi, then very amused to see the signs. I suppose I’ve seen signs like this all the time- English words spelled out in Hindi and never realized the absurdity.
Stuff like this makes me nostalgic for India, and reminds me that I absolutely positively must teach my baby daughter Hindi and Tamil. Then she can read the signs when she visits India!
BTW, you may already know this but Hindi script is called Devanagri, and Sanskrit and Marathi are also written in the same script.
- an Indian transplant in St. Paul, MN
Comment by Deepa | September 7, 2007