From Machchhar to Hathi, and Ghoda: The Exceptional Story of Gujarati Surnames Behind Captain Smit's Valour

From Machchhar to Hathi, and Ghoda: The exceptional story of Gujarati surnames behind Captain Smit's valour

Machchhar is an established Gujarati surname, found among communities including Nagar Brahmins and Lohanas. Gujarat also has a distinctive tradition of surnames that are derived from animals, birds or insects.

Captain Smit Machchhar's surname means mosquito, and has a fascinating story

Captain Smit Machchhar is being feted for his bravery aboard a flydubai flight. There is also curiosity about a surname that literally means mosquito in Hindi and Gujarati. Where does the surname come from? What does it say about Gujarat's naming traditions? Here's how Machchhar became a family name.

Flydubai Flight FZ1073 Stabbing: Grok's 'Extremely Bad' Translation Turns Captain Smit Machchhar Into 'Captain Mosquito Smith'

Grok faced online criticism after mistranslating PM Narendra Modi’s post praising Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar, rendering his surname as “Mosquito” and calling him “Captain Mosquito Smith.” Grok later acknowledged the error, explaining it translated the Hindi word “मच्छर” literally, and provided a corrected version of Modi’s post praising Machchhar’s courage.