India Pixels

1. India in Pixels, by Ashris Choudhury, gained attention for a post showcasing towns and localities starting with the name “(Shri) Ram.”
2. The map, shared on Twitter and Instagram, highlighted places associated with the name Ram across the country.
3. Mizoram locals objected to the inclusion of Ramhlun, clarifying its Mizo linguistic meaning as “land” rather than a reference to the Hindu deity Ram.

Aizawl, Jan 24: A recent social media post by India in Pixels, created by Ashris Choudhury, has gained significant attention, but it hasn’t been without a notable oversight.

The post featured a map highlighting towns and localities across India, all starting with the name “(Shri) Ram.”

However, an error in including a locality in Mizoram, Ramhlun, has sparked corrective reactions from vigilant citizens.

Shared on Twitter and Instagram, the post garnered over 8,000 likes and 1,800 reposts on Twitter, as well as more than 10,000 likes on Instagram.

The visual presentation showcased towns and localities from various parts of the country, with their names listed on the side. The caption read, “Every town in India that starts with the name of (Shri) Ram. You can look for the name of each dot at iipmaps dot com slash playground slash ram.”

However, Mizoram citizens promptly identified an error, pointing out that Ramhlun in Aizawl was mistakenly included. The crucial distinction lies in the Mizo language, where “Ram” translates to “land,” and the name “Ramhlun” signifies “land” in Mizo.

Unlike the Hindu mythology association with the name “Ram,” the Mizo term holds no religious connotation.

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Netizens from Mizoram took to the comments, clarifying the linguistic distinction. Comments included, “Ramhlun” in Mizoram has nothing to do with ‘Ram’ in Hindu mythology.

It’s a Mizo word for ‘Land’” and “That one town in Mizoram— ‘Ramhlun’ is not named after the Hindu deity Ram. ‘Ram’ is a Mizo word which simply means ‘land’. It seems like the creator is using a program that simply generates city names that start with ‘Ram.’”

India in Pixels is a self-project by Ashris Choudhury, an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur. In his YouTube channel description, he defines it as a “data storytelling channel that makes video essays exploring connections in the cultural artefacts of India – languages, films, music, stories, and life.”