Reverse Transliterations ....

[Vidyasankar Sundaresan]

Dear Indologists,

Literature searches for Indian publications from various library catalogs
throw up some fine specimens of reverse transliterations. Obviously, the
operations involved in transliterating from English to Indian languages
and back to English are not reversible. Examples,

Caukhamba Samskrta Siriza Aphisa (Series Office),
Gita/Niranayasagara/Bharati Presa (Press),
Sri Vani Vilas Piras (Press, from Tamil),
Venkatesvara stim-presa (Steam Press),
Krishnadasa Akadami (Academy),
Istarna Buka Linkarsa (Eastern Book Linkers),
Mahesa Libreri (Library),
Samskrta Kaleja (College),
Yoga Misana (Mission),
Punjaba Ekonamikala (Economical) Yantralaya,
Printing Byuro (Bureau),
Pirintin Pyuro (Printing Bureau, from Tamil)
Mithila Risarca Insticyuta (Research Institute)
Parimala Publikesansa (Publications),
........ Puplikesan (Publication, from Tamil),
Hikkinpatams (Higginbothams, from Tamil),
Banarasa Siti (city),
Yunivarsiti Ap Madras (University of Madras),
Sola Ejenta (Sole Agent),
Buk Dipo (Book Depot),
Puk Tipo (Book Depot, from Tamil),
Tirast (Trust), ....

The trophy goes to a book from Calcutta, published by,

Di Sankara Hal enda Sankara Institiut aph Philasaphi enda Kalcar
(The Sankara Hall and Sankara Institute of Philosophy and Culture)

Shouldn't Western libraries think of ways to identify English words
written in Indian scripts, and rewrite them in standard English spelling?
An exception needs to be made only in the case of Akademi (as in Sangeet
Natak Akademi).

Cheers,
Vidyasankar