(Excerpt from
To Be or Not To Be: brahman or Abrahman
/ The World Turned Upside-Down
"King Agnidhra and Africa")
Below are quite a number of places in Africa that bear Sanskrit or other Indian language names, some even named after Gods worshipped in Hinduism, and many sharing place names with locales in India:
Salabani, Kenya* a town on the shore of Lake Baringo.
Sanskrit sala, “water” + bANi/vANI, “Saraswati”/“of a river.”
Salabani, Odisha India
Kamarabuyon, Kenya*
Sanskrit kamara, “desirous.”
Kamarajapuram, Tamil Nadu, India
Namanyama, Uganda
Sanskrit nAma, “name/named” + yama, Lord of Death and Hell and Judge of the Dead/“righteous restraint.”
Kampala, Uganda*
kAmapAla, “gratifier of human desires,” a name applied to Vishnu and Shiva. Kampala, Odisha, India
Jinja, Uganda city at the beginning of the White Nile north of Lake Victoria; Gingi River, Congo; Gingi River, Angola; Gonga, Tanzania*
Ganga River Goddess and Consort to Shiva
Gingani, Gujarat, India; Gingi, Tamil Nadu, India
Siaya, Kenya
Shiva/Shivaya
Kalii, Kenya*
Sanskrit Kali, “black” and name of Goddess Kali.
Kali, Gujarat, India; Kali, Tamil Nadu, India
Ramisi, Kenya; Ramisi River, Kenya; Ramu, Kenya; Ramula, Kenya; Ramafuta Island, Uganda;
Rangwi, Tanzania
Hindu God Rama, Consort to Sita.
Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, India; Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu, India; Ramnagar, Uttarakhand, India; Ramagundam, Telangana, India
Sitalike, Tanzania; Sitarehe, Tanzania; Seeta Seeta, Uganda; Seeta Nalakonge, Uganda; Seeta Banda, Uganda; Seeta Mangaliba, Uganda; Sitatunga, Kenya; Sitaman, Kenya; Sitabicha, Kenya*
Hindu Goddess Sita, Consort to Rama.
Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, India; Sita Marhi, Bihar, India; Sita, Manipur, India; Sita Lentol, Tengnoupal, Manipur, India
Seeta-Namuganga, Tanzania*
Hindu Devi (Goddess) Sita + Nama (name) Ganga (Goddess and river name)
Seetagondi, Telangana, India; Seetaramapalle, Telangana, India; Seetanagar, Ramagundam, India
Simba, Kenya
Swahili simba “lion”
Sanskrit simha “lion”
Kisii, Kenya; Kisarawe, Tanzania*; Kilwa Kisiwani, Tanzania*; Kisiwa, Tanzania*
“Kisa” likely from God “Krishna.”
Sanskrit kisa m. N. of an attendant of the sun.
Kisannagar, Telangana, India; Kisan Nagar, Karimnagar, Telangana, India
Shimbi Mashariki, Tanzania
Shiva + maha + rishi/RSi, “Shiva Great Sage”
Msindaji, Tanzania* a community overlooking the Indian Ocean.
Sanskrit sindhu name of Varuna as god of the ocean + jI, “Sir/mister.” Sindagi, Karnataka, India
Lingaula, Tanzania*
Sanskrit liṅga “phallus”/“sign of Shiva.”
Lingala, Telangana. India; Lingala, Maharashtra, India
Nangurukuru, Tanzania
Sanskrit nanA, “mother" + guru “teacher” + kuru a people/ancient kingdom of northern India.
Matapatapa, Tanzania a village on the ocean shore precariously perched at the top of a steep sand dune.
Sanskrit mata, “mother” or “considered” + patApata ”going or inclined to fall”
Banda, Uganda* and Banda, Tanzania*
Swahili banda “shed, barrack, barn, hut; hovel: ~ la farasi stable; ~ la ndege air shed; ~ la gari garage; ~ la kuku poultry yard. kibanda nm.” ;
Sanskrit bandha m. binding, tying, a bond, fetter . . . damming up (a river) . . . custody . . . connection or intercourse with (comp.) . . . putting together, uniting, contracting, combining, forming, producing . . . joining . . . constructing, building (of a bridge &c) . . . a border, framework, enclosure, receptacle . . .” Root to English “bond.” Banda, Madhya Pradesh India; Banda, Maharashtra, India; Bandara, Uttar Pradesh, India
Lake Sagara, Tanzania*
Sanskrit sAgara, “the ocean . . . an ocean . . . n. relating to the sea , marine. Sagara, Karnataka India
Tara, Uganda*
Devi Tara, one of the names of Shiva’s Consort Parvati.
Tara, Palamu Division, Jharkhand India
Shangarai, Tanzania,* just south of Meru in Arusha.
Shankara, name of Shiva meaning “beneficent.”
Shankara, West Bengal, India; Shankara, Karnataka, India; Sankara, Rajasthan, India.
Kihindi, Tanzania*
Hindi is a name of Durga and of the language.
Kahindi, Bangladesh.
Miguruwe, Tanzania*
guru, a teacher
Guruwa, Jharkhand, India
Zinga Ngahama, Tanzania
Sanskrit linga symbol of Shiva + Ga (Shiva) or sanga + naga (serpent beings/tribal people of Nagaland, India) + hama a partiular personification of Gautama-dharma-śāstra or “similar; equal; together”
Sanga, Uganda; Mitanga, Tanzania; Sanga Sanga, Tanzania*
Sanskrit sanga, confluence, gathering.
Sanga, Jharkhand, India; Sanga, Haryana, India; Sanga, Madhya Pradesh, India; Sanga, Bihar, India; Sanga, Sanga, Rajasthan, India
Kapala, Uganda* and Kapalala, Tanzania
Sanskrit kapala/kApAla cup or bowl, skull, name of a sect of Shivites.
Kapala Village in Bhopalpattnam (Bijapur) Chhattisgarh, India
Aganga, Uganda, a community next to the Victoria Nile.
Sanskrit gangA,
Ganges River, India
Atura, Uganda*
Sanskrit atura, “not liberal, not rich.”
Atura, Bangladesh
Arusha, Tanzania* Arusha’s soil is quite red.
Sanskrit aruSa 1 mf n. red reddish (the colour of Agni and his horses , of cows , of the team of Ushas … m. the sun , the , day … m. pl. the red horses of Agni f. the dawn. Arusa, Uttar Pradesh India
Usa River, Tanzania*
Sanskrit uSa 1 m. early morning, dawn, daybreak, Ushas, Hindu Goddess of Dawn.
Usha, West Bengal, India
Mount Ngualla, Mount Hanang, Ngorongoro Crater, Ngaramtoni, Ngarenaro, Tanzania; Ngara, Mount Ng'iro, Kenya; Ngarama, Ngai, Nganda, Mount Ngaliema, Uganda/Democratic Republic of the Congo; Ngamba Island, Uganda*
Sanskrit naga semi-divine serpent people; inhabitants of ancient Kashmir; a mountain.
Nagaland, India (state in N.E. India); Nagaur, Rajasthan, India; Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, India; Nagore, Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, India; Mount Nagalaphu, Uttarakhand, India
Mombasa, Kenya and Mumbai, India.
Notably and emblematically, the name of the coastal city Mombasa sounds rather like Mumbai (Bombay), an ancient city on the opposite side of the Indian Ocean from Mombasa, Kenya, two ports that have likely seen trade and other modes of exchange with each other for thousands of years.
Siwa Oasis, Egypt*
Deva (God) Shiva.
Shiva, Gujarat, India; Siwan, Bihar, India; Siwan, Haryana, India; Siwana, Rajasthan, India.
Siwa side-horn Sub-Saharan Africa/Swahili
Shiva
Siwa common surname in South Africa
Shiva
Surname in Hindi, Oriya, Tibetan, Arabic, Hassaniya-Arabic, most commonly found in South Africa.
Gandi, Nigeria*
Sanskrit gANDI f. a rhinoceros
Hausa karkanda (“g” became “k”) rhinoceros
Gandi, Andhra Pradesh, India; Gandi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Mali*
Hindi Mālī (माली):—(nm) a gardener; garlander
Sanskrit Māli (मालि).—name of a nāga king… Mali (मलि).—f. Possession, enjoyment.
Marathi māḷī (माळी).—m (mālī S) A florist or horticulturist, a gardener.
Mali, Gujarat, India; Mali, Bihar, India.
Kali, Ethiopia*
Devi (Goddess) Kali Ma.
Kali, Gujarat, India; Kali, Tamil Nadu, India.
Argun Mountain, Ethiopia
Arjuna, hero in the Bhagavad Gita
Argun, West Bengal, India
Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo*
Krishna + Sanskrit gaNi 1 m. (for %{-Nin} , only at the end of names) one who is familiar with the sacred writings and the auxiliary sciences.
Sanskrit kisa m. N. of an attendant of the sun + gaNi
Kisannagar, Telangana, India; Kisan Nagar, Karimnagar, Telangana, India.
Kisandji, Democratic Republic of the Congo*
Krishna + jI m. `\" sir , mister , Mr. \"\' (attached to names as a mark of respect) else
Sanskrit kisa m. N. of an attendant of the sun + jI
Kisannagar, Telangana, India; Kisan Nagar, Karimnagar, Telangana, India.
Lingala, Central African Republic*
Sanskrit liṅga, “phallus”/“sign of Shiva.”
Lingala, Telangana, India; Lingala, Maharashtra, India
Indirigwa, South Sudan*
Hindu god Indra
Indri, Haryana, India
Rammash, Sudan; Raml, Sudan; Ramili, South Sudan; Rama, Ethiopia; Ramis, Ethiopia; Ramis River, Ethiopia; Ramid Ethiopia; Ramazani, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Ramadala, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Ramia, Mozambique; Ramia, Zembe, Mozambique; Ramotswa, Botswana; Ramatlabama, Botswana; Ramokgwebana, Botswana; Ramokgonami; Ramotlabaki, Botswana; Rwamagana, Rwanda; Ram Soka, Chad; Ramciel, Jonglei, South Sudan*
Hindu God Ram/Rama
Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, India; Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu, India; Ramnagar, Uttarakhand, India; Ramagundam, Telangana, India
Sita, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Sitatonga II, Mozambique (mountain peak); Sitima Parish, Zomba, Malawi; Sita Gaborone, Botswana; Sita Pan, Gasita, Botswana; Sita, Zani, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Sitaib, Sudan; Sita, Chad*
Hindu Goddess Sita, Consort to Rama.
Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, India; Sita Marhi, Bihar, India; Sita, Manipur, India; Sita Lentol, Tengnoupal, Manipur, India; Seetagondi, Telangana, India; Seetaramapalle, Telangana, India; Seetanagar, Ramagundam, India.
Nagagi, Nagaza, Nagero, Nagbata, Nagorodo, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Naguema, Ngapa, Nguma, Ngeue, Mozambique; Nagali, Nagati, Nagbata, Nago, Nagbenang, Central African Republic; Ngoma, Ngware, Zambia; Ngami, Ngotwane River, Botswana; Mount Ng’ombechinda, Nkwadzi Hill, Malawi; Mount Nyangani, Zimbabwe; Mount Ngaliema, Uganda/Democratic Republic of the Congo; Nigeria and Niger, countries in western Africa
Sanskrit naga semi-divine serpent people; inhabitants of ancient Kashmir; a mountain.
Nagaland, India (state in N.E. India); Nagaur, Rajasthan, India; Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, India; Nagore, Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, India
Kuru, South Sudan; Kuru, Mountain in Ethiopia*
Kuru, Ancient kingdom in India and name of one of Agnidhra’s sons.
Kuru, Jharkhand, India; Kuru, Uttar Pradesh India
Raga, South Sudan*
Sanskrit rAga m. the act of colouring or dyeing … colour , hue , tint , dye , (esp.) red colour , redness … inflammation Car.; any feeling or passion, (esp.) love , affection or sympathy for , vehement desire of , interest or joy or delight in…loveliness , beauty (esp. of voice or song) … a musical note , harmony , melody
or
rAja 1 m. a king, sovereign, chief or best of its kind, as the word “Raja” is applied to several placenames within Raga, South Sudan.
Raga, Gujarat, India.
Tambura, South Sudan
Tambura Indian string instrument
Naandi, South Sudan; Nandi County, Kenya*
Nandi Shiva’s Bull vahana (vehicle)
Nandi, Karnataka, India; Nandi, Madhya Pradesh, India; Nandi, Himachal Pradesh, India.
Guru, South Sudan; Gurúè, Mozambique
Sanskrit guru, “teacher”
Gurugram, Haryana, India; Guruvayur, Kerala, India
Nguru, Nigeria
Sanskrit Naga semi-divine serpent people; inhabitants of ancient Kashmir; a mountain + Guru, “teacher.”
Gopanle, Somalia a watering hole in the desert that has been host to herds of cattle for untold centuries; Gopora, Zimbabwe; Gopane, South Africa; Gope, Botswana*
Sanskrit gopAla m. a cowherd … earth-protector … a king (and `\" cowherd…)
and Gopi f. milkmaid
Gopanapalli, Telangana, India; Gopalganj, Bihar, India; Gopi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Tara, Democratic Republic of the Congo*
Devi (Goddess) Tara
Tara, Palamu Division, Jharkhand India.
Mbandaka, Democratic Republic of the Congo* An elevated town at the confluence of the Congo and Ruki rivers.
Lingala language ndaká, pl. bandaka agreement, promise
Sanskrit bandhaka m. a binder , one who is employed in binding (esp. animals) . . . a catcher . . . a violator , ravisher . . . a band , tie . . .a dam , dike . . . a promise , vow. . . exchanging , barter
Bandaka, Odisha, India.
Gungu, Democratic Republic of the Congo a town next to the Kwilu River; Jinja, Uganda, a city at the beginning of the White Nile north of Lake Victoria; Gingi River, Congo; Gingi River, Angola; Ganga, Democratic Republic of the Congo,* a community next to the Uere River.
Ganga, Hindu River Goddess.
Ganges River, India; Gingani, Gujarat, India; Gingi, Tamil Nadu, India.
Guna, Mountain in Ethiopia; Guna Ethiopia; Guna, Democratic Republic of the Congo*
guNa m. a single thread or strand of a cord or twine … string or thread, rope … a garland; a bow-string … a sinew; the string of a musical instrument.
Guna, Madhya Pradesh, India; Guna, Rajasthan, India.
Mara, Chad; Marra Mountains, South Sudan; Marawi, Zimbabwe*
Hausa language Mara mara. 1. Negative expression.
Sanskrit 1 mara m. . . . dying , death (see %{pari-mara}) ; the world of death i.e. the earth; mfn. killing (see %{nR-mara}) ; m. pl. the inhabitants of hell
2 mAra mfn. ( %{mR}) killing , destroying ; m. death , pestilence . . . slaying , killing . . . an obstacle , hindrance
Mara, Andhra Pradesh, India; Mara, Madhya Pradesh, India; Mara, Rajasthan, India, Marawa, Uttar Pradesh, India
Ghana* “warrior king”
Sanskrit ghana mf. . . . a striker, killer, destroyer . . . compact, solid, material, hard, firm, dense . . . a collection, multitude, mass, quantity …
Ghanaur, Punjab, India; Ghanauli, Punjab, India.
Benin* a land with a long tradition of hair braiding
Sanskrit veNin m. `\" having a hood like braided hair \"\' … f. a woman with braided hair.
Beninagar, Uttar Pradesh, India; Beninagar, West Bengal, India
Lake Abijatta, Ethiopia
Sanskrit abhijAta mfn. born in consequence of ; born , produced ; noble , well-born ; obtained by birth , inbred , fit , proper … wise learned … handsome … n. nativity … high birth , nobility .
Lake Shala, Ethiopia*
Sanskrit sala m. (cf. %{sara}) a dog; water
Shala, Himachal Pradesh, India; Shala, Madhya Pradesh, India; Sala, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Shashamene, Ethiopia (an area near several gold mines); Shashe River, Zimbabwe/Botswana
Shesha+mani Many-headed serpent that is Vishnu’s Couch + maNi f. a jewel, gem, pearl … any ornament or amulet, globule, crystal, root to English “money.”
Shesha, Rajasthan, India; Shisha, Gujarat, India
Issa, Mozambique*
Sanskrit Isa/Isha translates as “Lord,” among other things, and often refers to Shiva or Vishnu.
Isha temple, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Chande, Mozambique*
Sanskrit chanda mfn. pleasing , alluring , inviting
or
Chandra moon or god of the moon
Chanda, Uttar Pradesh, India; Chanda, Maharashtra, India
Chai, Mozambique*
Chai “tea”
Chail, Himachal Pradesh, India; Chaibasa, Jharkhand, India
Patala, Mozambique* A small community in Mozambique where the soil is distinctly pink
Sanskrit pATala mf(%{A})n. pale red , pink , pallid … m. a pale red hue, rose colour
Patala, Maharashtra, India; Patala, Odisha, India
Tamela, Mozambique
Sanskrit tamAla m. `\" dark-barked (but white-blossomed) \"\' Xanthochymus Pictorius; a sort of black Khadira tree L. ; Crataeva Roxburghii L. ; tobacco , … sectarial mark on the forehead (made with the juice of the Tama1la fruit) L. ; a sword L. ; m. n …. the bark of the bamboo
Kapala Hill, Malawi*
Sanskrit kapAla a cup , jar , dish (used especially for the Purod2a1s3a offering) … the alms-bowl of a beggar … a cover , lid … the skull , cranium , skull-bone … multitude , assemblage , collection. Very likely origin to the English words “cup” and “cap.”
kApAla relating to the skull or cranium … made of skulls … follower of a particular S3aiva [Shivite] sect of ascetics.
Kapala Village in Bhopalpattnam (Bijapur) Chhattisgarh, India
Capelelene, Mozambique (see above definition)
Kapala, Mali* (2) (see above definition)
Kapala, Democratic Republic of the Congo* (2) (see above definition)
Kapala River, Democratic Republic of the Congo* (see above definition)
Kapala, Sikasso, Mali* (see above definition)
Kapalala, South Sudan* (see above definition)
Kapita Suka, Democratic Republic of the Congo* (see above definition)
Kaya, Burkina Faso*
Sanskrit kAya 1 mf(%{I})n. relating or devoted to the god Ka
Kaya, Rajasthan, India
Kandi, Benin*
caNDi f. Name of Durga
Kandi, Telangana, India
Simba, Mozambique; Bolokwa-simba, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Swahili simba=lion
Sanskrit siMha m. (ifc. f. %{A} ; prob. fr. %{sah}) `\" the powerful one \"\' , a lion (also identified with %{Atman}) RV. &c. &c. ; the zodiacal sign Leo or its … a hero or eminent person … chief or lord of … to express excellence of any kind …
Lake Manyame, Zimbabwe near to many mines, including gold, nickel, diamond, etc.
maNi m. (%{i} f. a jewel, gem, pearl (also fig.), any ornament or amulet, globule, crystal
Lake Chivero, Zimbabwe near to many mines, including gold, nickel, diamond, etc.
Kubera Lord of Riches and wealth
Ruki River, tributary to the Congo
ruci f. light , lustre , splendour , beauty … colour Ka1v. ; liking , taste , relish , pleasure, appetite, zest AV. &c. &c. (ifc. taking pleasure in , desirous of. longing for
These cognates/near cognates, identical placenames and other linguistic relationships were found by a very cursory study. Certainly, a more thorough study would uncover many more similarities and cultural kinships between India and the vast neighboring continent across the Indian Ocean, Africa, two great southern lands that were at various times source to the outflow of humanity and culture, both to be revered and respected as ancestors to all peoples and cultures.
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