From Deolali to Doolally

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In January 2020, just before the Pandemic hit the world, I made a decision to read twelve books in twelve months.

I wanted to own my mornings, vs the mornings own me.

I had spent some time already working from home, before the banana bread era of the lockdowns started, and moved away (slowly) from the chaotic task of getting to an office for work.

It was a good move to make, it meant I was less stressed out, and could design a life that made me a little more successful than I had felt previously.

That’s not to say I haven't achieved anything prior.

But the constant dread of making it on time in an adequate state to fulfil my obligations was too huge to continue to sweep under the carpet any longer.

I ended up reading over 30 books that year.

The target of 12 set the intention, but the ability to read first thing, with my coffee and allow the sun to rise in the background became something of a mission to nurture.

It has also set the intention of how I want to always live my life.

In this pursuit to care for my mornings I became an avid reader, I kept buying books that take up so much room now that I can’t really buy anymore.

My Mum keeps asking me when all of these will be read, to which I keep responding I am getting through them.

But it’s true to say I went a bit mad buying so many so quickly.

‘Doolally’ even.

I don’t take offence to this word.

I know we’re in the era of being offended by certain words - especially when it comes to the realm of mental health.

But I don’t.

It is mad to buy so many books that you’re now unable to keep up with the task of reading them.

‘Doolally’ has always felt a very quintessential British way of describing something insane.

But, I was surprised to see it actually has an origin to a part of India.

The term ‘doolally’ actually comes from a place called Deolali, which is a small hill station in the Nashik Metropolitan Region in the State of Maharashtra.

Deolali was home to a transit camp used by the British Army during the Raj.

It was established in 1861 to house soldiers either newly arrived in the country, or those awaiting ships to bring them back to Britain.

It also housed a military prison and was a prisoner of war camp during both world wars.

It is said that the wait to return to Britain was long, and adding to that the conditions were so bad, that it affected the mental health of the soldiers.

This gave rise to the term ‘doolally tap’, loosely meaning ‘camp fever’.

‘Tap’ came from the Marathi word ‘thaap’, meaning ‘fever’, which itself came from the Sanskrit ‘tap’, meaning ‘heat’ or ‘torment’.

I’ve covered the Sanskrit word ‘tap’, in the explanation of ‘tapasya’ before.

And thus the term ‘going doolally’ was born, describing the mental state of the soldiers and Anglicising the geographical location in the process too.

I will slowly get through my books.

I like coming back to ones I’ve read before, so that adds to the challenge.

But I have no qualms in going a bit doolally in building my library of words.

They’ve helped me design my life.