Need Some Help With My Character Names

Name your characters Farhan, Raju, and Ranchoddas.

Thanks for the reply. What do those names mean?
Oh, and which name for who?

I was kinda joking. Those are the names of the main characters from the 3 Idiots, the best Bollywood movie of this millenia. You might be able to draw inspiration or concepts from it though.

I primarily need help in getting Indian names, especially those tied to Hinduism and the character themes I have laid out already.

If nothing else, I'd appreciate someone telling me if "Ishan" is related to Vishnu or Shiva, or is unrelated to the two deities entirely.

You have the Internet at your disposal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishan

And that is what has failed me. The internet's vast web of sites which all claim different things.

The article you linked is from Wikipedia, which is already rocky ground for information gathering, but it also literally has "This article does not cite any references or sources." right above the definition.

I appreciate the help, Xenon, but I'm writing something I plan on publishing sometime and can't afford to take chances on things like this. It's why I really wanted someone who knew for a fact.
Thank you for looking into it, though, and thanks for replying.

Perhaps 7 years ago Wikipedia was more controversial, but today is a different day. It is so packed full of accurate information after achieving its reputation that it can be compared to Encyclopedia Britannica.

You're right to be critical of the sources you come into contact with, but your only mistake is preferring the words of a random person on a porn forum over a communal encyclopedia site. I'm not saying Fakku doesn't house any people of the Hindu faith, but you have a better chance of meeting the information you require by searching for it rather than expecting the off chance of it finding you by anecdote, which is probably the least reputable option you have.

You are best off searching Google for your nearest Brahmin Hindu temple and directly asking the pujari or archaka there.

Maybe so, but I still-


Well...
You've got a point, actaully. I guess it's back to another month of searching the web before I'm confident enough to continue with the story. Still disregarding that article on Ishan, though. No matter how much better Wiki is now, no one should take facts from an article that has no sources.

Thanks for explaining things and replying, Xenon. What you said is true (and so painfully obvious I kind of have a headache for not noticing it before). Compound the fact that ANYONE can say they are something without actually being said something, double that with the fact that they'd be talking through voiceless text over the net without any picture of themselves, and you've got even more of a reason not to ask randomly on any site.

Not a problem. I don't recommend you take everything on Wikipedia as fact, but it gives you a great starting point to go off of in order to find the information you need. For example, before I even linked those articles, I had no idea that the type of Hindu we were referring to is known as Brahmin and I also had no idea that their priests are called pujari or archaka, or that they even had priests. I don't think you need a month to get the information you need, however. Merely, if you need that information to progress with the book you're serious about, then go out there and get it, even at a local library if there's no temple near you and you don't trust Internet sources.

Good luck in your search.