I am from North India, studying in Bangalore. I've lived here for the last two and a half odd years. I have quite a few friends now who're ethnically from South India, and not very comfortable with Hindi. So translating some random jokes cracked in Hindi to English has become something of a second nature. But once in a while, I come across this odd word for which it is impossible to find an accurate English translation which conveys the meaning correctly.
One such word is jugaad. I don't know how many of you actually know the meaning. It's one of those stunning words which can be used in lots of places, and conveys a certain flavour, a certain crassness which no other word which is being used to describe it can really capture. Jugaad partly means making do with whatever resources you have, using them intelligently to suit whatever need you want, without going through the trouble of looking for the most suitable equipment. It's like making the most of the available options. 'Yeh kaise kiya?' 'Kuch khaas nahi..Jugaad lagaya'.
It's an absolutely brilliant word for the sheer utility it has. Once you understand what it means, you cannot possibly not use it. It sort of fits everywhere..one of those perfect, perfect words..sigh..lovely word!
5 comments:
Now imagine trying explaining it to americans :)
Especially when they see the picture of this load of lumber on wheels, powered by nothing else but a diesel generator and hear it called a "Jugaad" ;)
yeah..:-) remembered this joke/story my parents told me a while ago, bout how this firang's car stopped working, and all mechanics said nothing could be done, the part required to be fitted was out of production. Finally, an Indian mechanic managed to fix it, and it was restored to working condition. The firang asked the mechanic what he had done, to which the mechanic said 'jugaad lagayaa'. The firang hunted for jugaad in Indian markets for the next couple of days..
Haha... now that I've read this, I am wondering where I can use 'jugaad'. I have been trying hard to find an instance to use it... but its just one of those damn things, where if you try too hard then the situation evades you. Maybe if I just forget about it for a while it will happen...
Once again, well written.
:) I still remember the day I tried explaining 'Porki' to Anwesh and ran out of ways to explain it..yet another stunning word.
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