Door to the Divine - Lord Muruga & Kanda Sashti Kavasam

It's difficult to describe what Lord Muruga means to me. His fleeting presence keeps pointing miraculous signs time and again. He is a mysterious maverick and there have been umpteen times whenever a minor thought emanates in the mind, he immediately from God knows how suddenly pops up from 'out of the blue'. The timing especially at many instances have been dumbfounding especially considering the pointed precision. The prescience he conveys always have a very deep meaning and its just my own insentience that makes it hard to catch at times only to realise things much later :). However in being connected, you can trust him blindly and be rest assured of being provided protection and guidance. He is one of a kind enigma that is simply inconceivable and beyond the realms of comprehension.

I would like to recall an interesting experience where I literally saw an event panning out in life thanks exclusively to the miracle of Muruga. After a successful tryst with CA, ACS and CMA, I decided to give a shot at a UK based Management exam called CIMA. Truth be told, my preparations were muddled and it was the first time I was writing a full fledged computerised exam and it felt weird as I've never been through such a rigour earlier. I had no freaking idea how I'd done. Anyways decided that it's going to be my one and only crack and that am done with this come what may. It was 11th Jan 2018, the day of the results, a Thurday and Vishakha Nakshatra in the skies. Around lunch time at work, I decided to stroll out for a walk. Was slightly twitchy as I was made to believe the results will pop out anytime. As I was trudging along, I saw a vehicle unfurl past me comprising of a big inscription with an image of Kumara blessing resoundingly. That particular moment was simply unshakeable and I was instantly taken aback connecting it to be some kind of seraphic invocation. Still nervous, I strutted back towards work place to open my Gmail and saw that the mail had appeared and voila as I opened got to see that magical 4 letter word "PASS". It didn't stop there as I was also made to believe much later that the score equated to an All India 8th Rank. I was bewildered and even now I have no remote idea how it all transpired or rather conspired. It was surely the Lord's Leela at play and not an iota to do with any of my efforts.

Coming to "Kanda Sashti Kavasam", the construct of the whole melange musically has always fascinated me. I have heard parts of it separately and there have been times when I couldn't really fathom that they are all part of one and the same. It's breathtaking as to how they are all so beautifully blended together. Such a wholesome garlanded Ragamalika comprising of 6 different musical portions of which a few of them keep repeating with the "Sashtiyai Nokka Saravana Bhavana" part being the fulcrum and tailpiece laying the foundation playing the perfect anchor to the rest of them. Was also tending to relate these 6 musical motifs to the 6 abodes of Murugan (Arupudai Veedu) stationed at Thiruparankundram, Tiruchendur, Palani, Swamimalai, Tiruttani and Pazhamudircholai.

I've tried to condense and play all the pieces to form a synergy within a 4 minute time frame. One point worth mentioning is that this composition touches all the 12 notes that is apart from the 7 Saptha Swaras Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Da Ni, the other Ri, Ga, Ma, Da & Ni are also interwoven.

The Ragams invoked are:
- Suddha Dhanyasi (opening hymn Kural Venba & Sashtiyai Nokka)
- Subha Panthuvarali (Rahana Bavasa)
- Kalyani (Aarumugamum)
- Thodi (Yethanai Yaalum)
- Mayamalava Gowla (End portion Meviya Vadivurum)

Synonymous with the Ragas, I tried to interlink the elements of the Panchanga where one of each is specifically identified and attributed to Karthikeya
- Vara : Tuesday
- Nakshatra : Vishakha
- Tithi : Sashti
- Karana : Bhadra
- Yoga : Siddha

Kanda Sashti Kavasam is of a masterly transitional wizardry structure and keeps traversing across in a transcendental manner. I was seriously apprehensive if I could go all out with the full monty at one shot and was pretty petrified to say the least. Here again I would like to thank Subramanya as a simple prayer to Sendhil Andavar made it possible to consecrate and stitch together all these portions continuously without a mistake or two apparently cropping up here or there.

To be honest, this is seriously beyond my ken and apologies for any unintentional slip ups along the way. Dedicating this minuscule labour of Love to the inscrutable Dear Lord Skanda on this decorated Maha Kanda Sashti Soorasamharam where he successfully quelled the challenge of the Asura Soorapadman by vanquishing him and bringing glory to the Devas. All Hail our revered Tamil Kadavul and global Guru Guhan. May Saravana's grace be ever prevalent on everyone who believes in his divine celestial embodiment.

Celebrating 30 Golden Years of DDLJ!

When it comes to lovey dovey mushy romance of the 90's, it's hard to look further beyond the evergreen classic 'Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge'. There are certain stories which live with time and one such is DDLJ. It will forever be etched as an eternal cult classic. Ever since it's foray in the silver screens, its had an everlasting impact in the hearts of love struck romeos and remembered as a much fancied movie to savour amongst both Desi and NRI audiences.

This date 20th October 2025 marks 30 years since the iconic release of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge that hit tinselville during the Diwali week on the 20th October 1995. It was a marquee blockbuster that took the box office by thunderstorm. Incidentally at the time of release of DDLJ, the protagonist SRK was just few days shy of celebrating his 30th B'day and now 30 years hence he is on the threshold of coveting the milestone figure of 60 years.

Directed by a then 24 year old in Aditya Chopra, DDLJ in essence was just a simple tailor made love story but in it's innocence lied the attraction which strung the fans into believing and falling in love with the movie. It was those fleeting unimpeachable moments that uplifted the film to all time greatness. Shahrukh's charm as a young chocolate lover boy 'Raj' was lapped up heavily by the youth of the nation. Kajol's character as the dreamy 'Simran' was easily identifiable by young maidens growing up in a patriarchal society back in the days. Their sizzling chemistry together provided the perfect synchronicity to elevate the sequences one after the other.

There is an impish charm about DDLJ that has managed to sway audiences and believe in the adage of falling in Love. In the previous Diwali summer of 1994, it was the family saga Hum Aapke Hain Koun! starring Salman Khan & Madhuri Dixit that had the cash registers ringing big time turning into an epoch making superlative smasher of a hit. In 1995, it was the NRI Love bug in the form of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge catapulting it to being the biggest phenomenon of the year. It also happens to be India's longest running film ever with the matinee show in Maratha Mandir at Mumbai as mind blowing as it may sound still continuing playing it to this very day right since inception. 

It ignited a ray of hope of true love existing and manifesting beyond boundaries. In fact the whole fantasy of experiencing a Euro Trip got implanted for many via the picturesque scenes, settings and surroundings emitted through the canvas of DDLJ. That unforgettable dialogue of "Bade bade deshon mein aisi choti choti baatein hoti rehti hai" translated as "In Big big countries, such small small conversations keeps happening" holds universal significance to this very day. At the very climax, when an unbending father finally relents chanting "Jaa Simran jaa jeele apni zindagi jaa beta jaa that means "Go Simran go live your life, go my daughter go", it truly signalled the victory of Love over everything else. 

When it came to the music of this movie, it is remembered for containing irresistible melodies that have stood the test of time. It was tuned by the brotherly duo of Jatin-Lalit and was one of the most sought after soundtracks of the year 1995. However the movie lost out on the popular choice of Best Musical Album with the AR Rahman composed "Rangeela" bagging the honours for the soundtrack of the year at the Filmfare Awards mildly pipping DDLJ. 

There have been many movies celebrating Love themes but DDLJ takes the cake for inheriting such a universal appeal. As a tribute to this golden movie crossing the landmark of 30 years, sharing an infinitesimal rendition of a few lines of all the 6 memorable numbers from this iconic feature film. May the legend of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge aka DDLJ continue to enthral and relive memories.

Ilaiyaraaja Symphony - What was supposed to be in 1993 finally got unravelled in 2025

There is no denying the fact that Maestro Ilaiyaraaja is the most complete music director ever witnessed in the annals of Indian cinema. He caters to the locals in equal measurability as he delivers to the elites. There is an Ilaiyaraaja song for every mood & emotion and truth be told, I just cannot imagine a life without his musical existence.

There is virtually nothing that has been untouched by the Maestro. There was a point in time when his fecundity was second to a distant none churning out as many as 30-50 soundtracks in a year with the entire albums being replete with gems aplenty. There have been multiple Diwali & Pongal releases with all the musical scores scored solely by him. I'm not even coming into the Background music part of it which is another area where he reigns supreme.

Apart from the plethora of soundtracks that he has composed along with also making heads turn through his non film albums such as 'How to Name it' and 'Nothing But Wind', Ilaiyaraaja started writing a symphony as early as 1993 with it being titled as Symphony #1. He was at that time conferred the title of being the first man from Asia to compose a full fledged symphony. However strangely that particular Symphony never saw the light of the day. Till today it is shrouded in controversy and there are various conspiracy theories at play. Let's not get into that as nobody knows the exact truth as to why it has been concealed to this very day.

With the 1993 Symphony being a closed chapter, Ilaiyaraaja continued his prowess in film music and he has only been growing from strength to strength exploring newer genres and also modifying his style with time. Of course, the general fandom always believes his work in the 80s is singularly the greatest period of musical excellence ever witnessed. When one thought that the Symphony was a done & dusted deal, there was an announcement that the Maestro was going to experiment with a symphony at the ripe old age of 80+ in 2025. Just the mere thought of it felt like defying gravity. Imagine sitting down and writing a full on symphony especially with his initial foray more than 30 years back ending up being a damp squib for whatever reason. There is never a question of 'never' for the Maestro.

A Symphony is an extended form of music written for an orchestra consisting of 4 movements. The first movement is said to be fast, brisk and lively setting the tone of the mood for the rest. The second movement is said to be slower and contrasting to the first. The third movement is said to be more dance-like providing the composer the opportunity to experiment and showcase his forte. The fourth and last movement is again quick like the first providing the high octane energy giving the final flurry to finish the ensemble. This is just from my layman understanding of what a symphony is meant to connote. I personally felt that Symphony music is something where you can rack your brains and play with imagery depicting beautiful things unfolding from a visual perspective. At least that's what I tried to do while listening to the pieces. The technical histrionics were a little way beyond my ken to be honest.

And voila listening to the Symphony unfolding Live was an absolutely wondrous experience. I could literally feel goosebumps as the music was playing along. There were portions where the music was running riot marching along in finesse fashion, some parts where the melody was slow but seeping through gliding movements highlighting the nuances in all its splendour. There were also dance like fast paced movements showing stamps of authority and many a time magical layers interspersed showcasing the crescendo reach it's peak and majestic tail pieces to finish in a grand flurry. It was like a motley of emotions as the music was gushing magnificently like waves across various layers. As a complete greenhorn when it comes to symphony music, all I can say is that I could both feel and sense that there was magic all around as I was absorbed and immersed in the captivating music. That was more than enough to sound a victorious thump for making my day extra special.

What astounds me about Maestro is how could someone at his well way past traditional retirement age be able to conceive and conceptualize ideas & thoughts as mesmerising as this. It just seems to defy logic on all counts. The Maestro mentioned that he had 6 major hurdles while composing the Symphony and it was all pertaining to influence which should never be coming in the way while composing the Symphony. One was his village & folk upbringing, second was his scores for film music, third being his re-recordings for film music, fourth was him being a Tamilian and ensuring that no local elements get touched in the music, fifth being Indian and nativity not being associated in the piece and sixth his influence with western & foreign music making sure that such inspiration does not seep into the writing of the symphony.

It is very easy to take inspiration especially for someone who has himself composed for over 1000 movies along with countless re-recording scores and being active in the industry for half a century. And despite that he wanted none of the influence to creep in and be absolutely unique and solidified to the true nature of a symphonic piece of art. He wrote the entire symphony in a span of 35 days with individual separate pieces for the 87 orchestra ensemble. The result was simply bewilderment at least from my lens. Even from Raaja's own lofty standards, this certainly felt like a gargantuan piece of orchestral brilliance.

The programme was not just about the symphony as we were also treated to sumptuous sweeteners in the form of old Raaja classics such as Amudhe Thamizhe (sung by the man himself), Madai Thirandhu, Rakkamma Kaiya Thattu, Senthoora Poove, Andhi Mazhai, Chinna Thai Aval, Unnai Nanechu, Oru Kili Urugudhu, Raja Kaiya Vacha, Ponvanam Paneer Thoovudhu, Kadhalin Deepam Ondru, Margao Margao, 3 note song, Kanne Kalaimaane and even an exposition on Schubert's symphony with Raaja singing Idhayam Pogudhe. For a change Raaja finished proceedings by singing Janani Janani which has traditionally always been the opening invoker. Raaja's long term allies Rajinikanth & Kamal Hassan were both at the centerstage and were beaming about their musical friends brilliance. It was also gracious of the current CM Stalin who made an appeal to the Central Government to confer Maestro with the highest honour of 'Bharat Ratna'. Raaja himself while speaking was overcome with emotion at the appreciation received and mentioned that he was scrambling for the right words. Maestro did mention that such a symphony music should reach a wider audience and get more people to hear it.

My major grouse with the show was mainly the crowd who were more interested in tinkering around with their phones and moving around aimlessly especially when the symphony music was playing along. I wonder if it was way beyond their league but it generally felt like they were more interested in just listening to the tried & tested Raaja classics than being engaged in the divine orchestral music which was simply spellbinding. Also it appeared that Nehru Indoor Stadium doesn't really have the acoustics in place for a symphony concert of this magnitude. I believe it wasn't well suited and a more closed chamber would have been ideal for listening to this kind of music in all its precision. Nevertheless for me this was a mesmerising experience and I thank my stars for having got this opportunity to attend this history making symphony concert at the last minute. The man, the master, the mystery of Maestro Ilaiyaraaja continues to enthrall and spook beyond imagination. All hail the supernal cyborg octogenarian.

#Maestro #Ilaiyaraaja #Valiant #Symphony #ilaiyaraaja50 #KamalHaasan #Rajinikanth

Nostalgic Memories of Stepping Stones in Professional Career!

This date from 18 years afar on 10th Sep 2007 evokes really significant memories as I embarked on my professional career with Price Waterhouse as an article assistant with M/s Lovelock & Lewes in accordance under the Chartered Accountants Regulations Act of 1949. It is pretty special as it was the first ever experience of working anywhere and also earning your first ever buck. I recall my first stipend received of Rs 4900/- (7000*21/30) credited to HSBC Bank, R K Salai branch with no TDS deducted as yearly salary back then was under the minimum threshold slab of Rs 1,00,000😀. I also know for a fact that I had pizza for lunch at the Pizza Corner Nungambakkam outlet with couple of fellow article-ship mates on that memorable Monday from donkeys years ago😋.

It was my only stint with Audit in life but nascent memories always stay close to your heart. PwC has moved so many offices within Chennai since then but there'll always be a soft corner for that particular space located on:
#32, Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600 006, Phone 044 42285000

It's pretty insane to think that 18 years has just flown like a dream. As I ended my foray with this illustrious organisation back then in 2010, I penned a limerick on my last day expressing my sincere thanks to the folks that I worked with in an "AABBA" style as follows:

As I step into the twilight,
Experiences to remember till the end of my light,
Its you the people who've made it really possible,
By making this journey of mine truly memorable,
Thanks a ton for making my light shine bright !:)

Gosh, time flies but the memories linger forever!

Mudakaratha Modakam - Birthday Greetings to the Universal Elephant God!

For some he is "Vinayak", for others he is "Ganapathy", for few he is "Ganesh", in our neck of the woods he is revered as "பிள்ளையார்" / "Pillayar" and for young children he is the defacto default "Ummachi"

They call him through 108 different names and he manifests himself in 32 different forms. He is the universal God of every Hindu household and holds a special place in everyone's heart. His presence is simply impossible to miss with his elephant head & pot belly standing out unanimously. He is always there at your beck & call physically within your framework and if not be rest assured that mentally he'll be deeply entrenched right at the core of your soul.

He is the eternal beginner for invoking any task and also the perennial finisher for completing any activity. He is also the permanent remover of obstacles along with being the provider of intelligence and granter of good luck. Beyond everything he is the supreme immortal Moksha benefactor.

In the Panchang, he is affiliated with 'Chaturthi' Tithi with his special birthday being celebrated on the 4th waxing phase of Bhadrapada Lunar month. He has a specialty with 'Buddha' Vara (Wednesday) being the harbinger of intelligence which is a predominant Mercurian trait. He has a form associated with every star but is said to be specially associated with 'Uttara Ashada (Uthiradam)' Nakshatra as it's believed to be the star of universality and linked with the symbol of elephant tusk. He is also connected with 'Garaja' Karana signifying the animal of elephant & memory power and he also governs 'Siddhi' Yoga being the divine bestower of success.

As a miniscule tribute on his special day, attempted the first stanza of Ganesh Pancharatnam hymn viz "Mudakaratha Modakkam" composed by Adi Shankaracharya set to tune in the divinely blissful Hamsadhwani Raga. This stanza describes the Lord gleefully & joyously holding the Modak (Kozhukkatai sweet) in his hand and blessing his devotees. May he cast his auspicious glance and gregarious nature on every single being on planet Earth. Happy B'day to the universal Elephant God.

An Ode to Lord Sri Krishna!

There is simply nobody like Lord Krishna who is the ultimate universal unique leela manifesting form of divinity that has ever graced human kind. Not a single super hero in the history of mankind can hold a candle in front of Krishna. The way he transforms himself according to the prevailing undertone makes you wonder with awe about the divine persona that he possesses. He is the eternal lover, the evergreen charmer, the miracle maker, life provider, form multiplier, power enhancer, size changer, high flier, master strategist, astute philosopher, dutiful teacher, wisdom spreader, supreme protector, problem solver, Parama Atma, Mukti deliverer all rolled into one.

As the world celebrates Lord Krishna on his 5252nd Birthday during this Aadi Maasa Krishna Ashtami (16th Aug 2025), this is a small ode from my side to the magnificence of majesty that is the mesmerising Lord Sri Krishna. Took a stab at a few instrumental bits of 4 delightful Krishna based bhajans viz

1) Adharam Madharam

2) Achutam Kesavam

3) Sri Krishna Govinda Hare Murare

4) Hare Krishna Hare Rama Chant

'Adharam Madhuram' is a recent favorite and I've lapped on to this ear worm ever since I gave it a listen just around a month back. It's a nectar filled sweetheart that makes you drool over. 'Achutam Kesavam' has that lilt factor going all over it. One of the most sought after Krishna bhajans one could ever think of. 'Sri Krishna Govinda Hare Murare' is another mellifluous number set to tune in Pahadi Ragam. I especially adore the alternate usage of the 2 Madhyamams which elevates this tune to exceptional heights. Coming to the 'Hare Krishna Chanting', I reckon there are a number of versions but I've chosen this one which has an energetic zest to it. This is also sung in many Iskcons to get the adrenalin pumping and keep the crowd on their feet.

May the all conquering all encompassing all pervading force of Lord Krishna continue to enthral, entrance & entangle by sweeping generations of lifetimes and histories to come in future. Happy 5252nd Solar Return Dear Lord Krishna🪈. 

The ways of the Divine - Sri Rangam Calling!🛕

There is something intrinsically sacrosanct about last minute plans especially when invoking the divine. Our decision to go to Sri Rangam was impromptu and took place at the eleventh hour. Now looking at it in hindsight, it was certainly one of the best decisions ever made as the Lord arranged everything for us at his own accord which we savoured to our heart's content. 

Even though a thought had been looming to visit Sri Rangam for almost a week, the action to eventually go was implanted only around the early hours of the evening when we boarded the bus and decided to walk the tightrope. The divine was calling and we just followed its ways and everything crystallised as per his beck & call. We reached Sri Rangam in the wee hours of the morning on 10th Aug 2025 without having an accommodation and he just magically led us to stay at a comfortable place within striking distance of the iconic Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple. No amount of planning would have ever resulted in getting us a place in the proximity of a sanctorum circulating the pure air of divinity around for us to breathe and get purified.

Appended below is the list of temples that were visited in and around Sri Rangam (Trichy) on 10th & 11th August 2025

Divya Desams:
1) Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Sri Rangam
2) Sri Purushottaman Perumal Temple (Uthamar Kovil), Thirukkarambanoor
3) Sri Appakudathan Perumal Temple, Thirupper Nagar
4) Sri Vadivazhagiya Nambi Perumal Temple, Thiru Anbil
5) Sri Pundarikakshan Perumal Temple, Thiruvellarai

Pancha Bhoota Element: (Water)

6) Jambukeshwarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval

Amman:
7) Arulmigu Mariamman Temple, Samayapuram

Krishna:
8) Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Footprints, Sri Rangam
9) Sri Jagannath Mutt, Sri Rangam

Narasimha:
10) Kaattu Azhagiya Singar Temple, Sri Rangam

Divya Desam: 
Divya Desams are special 108 temples of Lord Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi which have been mentioned in the works of the 12 Alwars (Poet Saints of Vishnu) who are known for their meticulous devotion having compiled the Divya Prabandham consisting of 4000 verses. Out of 108, only 106 are in the physical realm belonging in Planet Earth with 105 of these located in India and the one located outside India happens to be at Saligramam in Nepal. The two Divya Desams not located on Earth happen to be Kshira Sagara - the divine ocean in Heaven and Vaikunta - the heavenly abode of Vishnu & Lakshmi. Out of the total 108 Divya Desams, 6 of them happen to be around theTrichy border.

We managed to cover 5 of these 6 having our base location just about a stone's throw away from the magnificent Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple. Listed below are brief insights on the 5 Divya Desams that were covered during our yatra.

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Sri Rangam
This is a dazzling architectural marvel alluring in form and glittering in structure. It is considered as one of the foremost Vaishnava temple. It is the numero-uno in the list of the 108 Divya Desam temples and thronged by people all over the globe with it being listed as the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world. The temple tower known as Gopuram in Srirangam is termed as the "Raja Gopuram" and is said to be the largest Gopuram in the whole of Asia. Sri Rangam hosts tonnes of deities across Hindu mythology with the main deity being Lord Ranganatha, a reclining form of Vishnu. He is seen along with his primary consort Ranganayaki and two secondary consorts besides to the left & right of her viz Bhu Devi and Nila Devi. The most interesting fact about Sri Rangam temple is that it would not even have seen the light of the day. As legend goes, it is believed that this deity rose from the Ocean (Paarkadal) as a result of Brahma’s penance after which Ikshvaku, a descendant king of the Sun God (Surya), brought this idol to his capital in Ayodhya. This was then handed over to Lord Rama who is said to have received the idol by way of inheritance and worshipped it with great reverence. He had then requested Vibheeshana, the brother of Ravana, to install this deity in Sri Lanka with instructions to not rest the idol elsewhere. Vibheeshana, being a devout Brahmin, performed daily rituals at dusk and dawn every day. It so happened that he could not return to Lanka before sunset and set the deity down before commencing his evening ritual. It is then inferred that the idol bonded to the soil of the earth and could not be displaced by anybody and from then on it has stayed put right here in our very own Sri Rangam. The best way to worship the idols at Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple is by taking all the time in the world by traversing through the acres of land consisting of towers aplenty with multitude of shrines. One should definitely ensure not to miss the Ramanuja Shrine (Udayavar Sannidhi) where the mortal remains of the holy saint is preserved to this day using natural substances such as sandalwood and saffron. Ramanujacharya was said to be born in 1017 and died at the ripe age of 120 in 1137. Since then for the last 888 years as of 2025, his soul has remained still intact in a seated position. Application of camphor & vermilion on his body twice a year gives his holy presence an ochre (orangish yellow brown) tint. It is gravity defying and has to be seen to be believed.
Divya Desam # - 1
Vishnu Name - Ranganatha Perumal
Lakshmi Name - Ranganayaki Thayar

Sri Purushottaman Perumal Temple (Uthamar Kovil), Thirukkarambanoor

This is a rare Vaishnava temple dedicated to the Trimurtis of Hinduism viz Lord Vishnu - the preserver of the universe, Lord Shiva - the destroyer of the universe and Lord Brahma - the creator of the universe. This is 3rd on the list of the Divya Desams. The God Vishnu here also is in reclining form and termed as Sri Purushottaman Perumal and his consort goes by the name of Poornavali Thayar. It is also known as Bhikshandar Kovil as Lord Shiva was relieved of his doshas. This temple also talks about husband & wife living in unity and understanding termed as "Uthamba" meaning best, so it also came to be known as Uthamar Kovil. Lord Vishnu is said to have emerged as a Kadamba tree to test the devotion of Lord Bramma and hence this place also goes by the name of Kadhambanur or Karambanur.

Divya Desam # - 3

Vishnu Name - Purushottaman Perumal

Lakshmi Name - Poornavali Thayar

Sri Appakudathan Perumal Temple, Thirupper Nagar

The name of the Vishnu God here is Sri Appakkudathaan Perumal again seen in a sleeping posture and he is seen with his consort Sri Kamalavalli Thayar. This is 6th on the list of the Divya Desams. The temple is one of the five Pancharanga Kshetrams, a group of five Hindu temples on the banks of the River Kaveri. Appam is a popular sweet dish prepared here in the temple daily as Neivedya and legend has it that Perumal got the name as Appakudathan since he received a pot of Appam from King Upamanyu.

Divya Desam # - 6

Vishnu Name - Appakudathan Perumal

Lakshmi Name - Kamalavalli Thayar

Sri Vadivazhagiya Nambi Perumal Temple, Thiru Anbil

This is another Vishnu seen in a reclining avatar and here he goes by the name of Sundara Raja Perumal and the Goddess is referred to as Sri Sundaravalli Thayar. This temple comes as the 5th of the Divya Desams. Vadiva Azhagiya or Sundara means "Beautiful" and it is believed that Lord Vishnu came as a handsome young man in front of Lord Brahma and mentioned that his physical appearance is just temporary and one has to be good at heart.

Divya Desam # - 5

Vishnu Name - Sundararaja Perumal

Lakshmi Name - Sundaravalli Thayar

Sri Pundarikakshan Perumal Temple, Thiruvellarai

The God Vishnu goes by the name of Pundarikakshan and the Goddess name is Pankajavalli Thayar. This is 4th on the list of Divya Desams. 'Pundari' denotes beautiful eyes and the Lord is said to be possessing enchanting eyes. Here, you would see Lord Vishnu in a standing posture with the Sun and Moon spanning the Lord on left & right and seated along on both sides are Markandeya Rishi and Bhooma Devi doing penance for the world. In this temple you would also witness Garuda in standing posture and Adishesha in a Manly avatar. This temple is said to be built by Sibi Chakravarthy.

Divya Desam # - 4

Vishnu Name - Pundarikaksha Perumal

Lakshmi Name - Pankajavalli Thayar

Pancha Bhoota Sthala

Pancha Bhoota Sthalam refers to 5 temples designated to Lord Shiva pertaining to the 5 primordial elements of nature viz Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. From the name it can be figured out that Pancha means "5", Bhoota refers to "element" and Sthala denotes "place". All these temples are located in South India with 4 of them being in Tamil Nadu (Earth, Water, Fire & Ether) and the remaining one representing Air element located in Andhra Pradesh. The 5 Pancha Sthalas are as listed below:

Earth - Ekambareshwar Temple - Kanchipuram - Tamil Nadu

Water - Jambukeshwarar Temple - Trichy - Tamil Nadu

Fire - Annamalaiyar Temple - Tiruvannamalai - Tamil Nadu

Air - Sri Kalahasti Temple - Kalahasti - Andhra Pradesh

Ether - Thillai Natarajar Temple - Chidambaram - Tamil Nadu

Jambukeshwarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval

During our visit to Trichy, we got an opportunity to visit the magnificent Jambukeshwarar Temple dedicated to the Water element. 'Water' is often referred to as the universal solvent and has a major bearing to do with one's personal emotions, feelings, intuitions and flow of creativity. Hence it was a blessing to worship at this temple. Also this temple is said to be associated with Pooradam or Poorva Ashada Nakshatra because its Devata is said to be Apah - The God of Water. The main deities here are Shiva who goes by the name "Jambukeshwara" and his consort Parvathi who takes the name of "Akilandeshwari". Legend has it that the sanctum of Jambukeswara has an underground water stream which in spite of pumping water out is always filled with water. The folklore goes like Parvathi mocking Shiva for his deep penance for which Shiva condemns her act and sends her to Earth in order to do penance. Goddess Akilandeshwari realising her folly is believed to have performed penance to atone her mistake. It is said that she found the Jambu forest (Thiruvanaikoil) to conduct her penance and made a lingam out of the water from river Kaveri under the Venn Naaval tree and commenced her worship. The lingam is said to be known as Appu Lingam. Also worth noting is that this temple exclusively hosts the Navagraha Saturn (Shani) with consort 'Jyeshta Devi'. There is also a rare deity of Moon God (Chandra) flanked by consorts Krithika and Rohini.  

Nature Element  - Water

Shiva Name - Jambukeshwara

Parvathi Name - Akilandeshwari

Arulmigu Mariamman Temple, Samayapuram

Apart from all the homage towards Lord Vishnu & the Divya Desams and also visiting the Shiva water element temple, we were also fortunate to receive honourable Mariamma's blessings showered upon us at Samayapuram. It was a massive temple that was packed to the rafters. We bought the necessary essentials to gift her such as flowers, a pair of eyes stickers (known to cure eye related issues), a Thali charadu (yellow thread) and waded through the long queue to get a magical glimpse of her. The aura around the sanctum felt very energetic with a powerful vibe prevalent throughout. The deity Mariamman is said to be a supreme form of Kali/Durga/Adi Shakthi and made of sand, clay and medicinal herbs unlike many of the traditional stone idols.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Footprints, Sri Rangam

The blessings continued to pour thanks largely to my blessed friend who being a supreme Krishna Bhakt, whose bonding towards the Lord has no bounds and is unconditionally pure insisted on visiting the abode of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who was an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna during the late 15th and early 16th century. That was like the harbinger for many superlative things to follow. The Pujari there who had been maintaining this small shrine regaled us with stories glorifying on the Lord and he was also instrumental in accompanying and giving us interesting anecdotes during our visit to few of the Divya Desams. Got to learn more about the legend of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu from both my friend and the Pujari along with also receiving an English translated copy of the Bhagawad Gita which felt very gratifying. It is believed that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who is strongly considered to be Krishna himself laid his footprints on the holy town of Sri Rangam spending 4 months over there in the year 1510 where he observed Chaturmasya Vrata on the banks of the River Kaveri.

Sri Jagannath Mutt, Sri Rangam

Through our conversation with the Pujari at the Chaitanya Mahaprabhu shrine, one thing led to another and we also received the information of a Jagannath Mutt being located nearby at North Chitrai street by the side of Sri Rangam temple paying obeisance to Lord Jagannath. This place also gained extra prominence and propitiousness when we heard that this was the very same place where Mahaprabhu actually spent his time in Srirangam over 500 years back in 1510. There was no way we could miss this and hence decided to pay our reverence at this holy habitat too.

Kaattu Azhagiya Singar Temple, Sri Rangam
As the name denotes, this translates to a "Beautiful Lion from the Forest". Lord Narasimha is well known for being depicted as a Lion and hence the moniker. This is located by the side of the Sri Rangam railway station. History states that this particular precinct was a forest area inhabited by wild animals with people being heavily frightened and also not resorting to killing since its a sin. To escape from this dilemma, this particular temple was build invoking the Lion God Narasimha. Pleased with the devotion, it is believed Narasimha stayed here along with Lakshmi Thayar and protected the devotees. This temple apparently dates back much earlier than even before the inscription of Sri Rangam temple. The Black deity of Narasimha seated along with his consort Lakshmi is indeed a breathtaking beauty.

On the whole it was a momentous, memorable and mystical Mandir yatra. We covered plethora of temples over our 2 day stay and the best part of the whole visit was that nothing at all appeared rushed. It was not just us but even the holy idols which we carried in the form of 'Adishesha' and 'Anantha' also obtained boundless blessings. We got all the time to wing our way through, soak in, immerse and feel the divine in all it's splendour without ever thinking about the time at hand. It felt like as if the divine personally accompanied us everywhere making all the necessary arrangements along the way. We just went with the flow with almost every single decision taken just at that opportune moment and it paved the way for us to get enshrined with majestic blessings all the way through his divine enclosures.

P.S: Please note that majority of the pictures and selective capsules of information pertaining to the history, lineage & culture of the temples have been sourced from the net. Credits to the original sharers and outlets.

RCB's IPL 2025 triumph and the divine interplay of #9!

It was 18 years in waiting for the Royal Challengers Bangalore as they finally managed to win the coveted IPL title that had been eluding them for all these years. It was a testimony to the fans who have stood by the team through thick and thin despite the disappointments repeating time and again. It was also the moment of reckoning for King Kohli who has been the face of this franchise right from it's inception in 2008. 

18 years is a long period of time and he has been the one cricketer who has solely believed in this franchise and been steadfast in support of this team not being veered away despite all the tribulations that have come by. As ex RCB player Ross Taylor aptly put it "No one deserves it more than him for carrying on the hopes of millions of fans with unmatched dedication and belief". It was pretty emotional to see him running towards his better half Anushka Sharma soaking in the jubilation of victory. Also it must have been special to have 2 of his ex mates AB Devilliers and Chris Gayle in the house cheering him on to finally achieve this dream come true moment for RCB.

The streets of Bangalore have been lit with fireworks ablaze amidst the city congregating in unparalleled joy in celebrating this win for the ages. It is a city known for it's partying and rest assured that the fun will be lasting for a long time to come. It's a drought that has been ended and there is no second guessing on what this means to them. As a cricket crazy city who've lived on hope since time immemorial for this moment to happen, this is what they were all waiting for and you can expect Bangalore to be buzzing with an insanely electrifying atmosphere.

Hard work plays a major role and in RCB's case it has been evident the way they have played this year especially at venues away from home. There have been good performances put up by the team in previous seasons as well but the luck was always faltering upon them. It almost seemed destined that RCB were just not cut out to win. They have also been a side who have choked on the all important encounters giving their fans heartbreak time and again. Efforts apart, there is also some divine intervention required and this time it seemed imminent that God was willing to grant his blessings onto them.

In relation to this, it was hard not to notice a strange synchronisation with #9 in RCB's triumph which seemed to kind of indicate that destiny was with them. As per Numerology, No.9 which also includes numbers that add up to 9 such as 18,27 etc is represented by the planet 'Mars' and from an Astrology standpoint, the 9th is indicative of 'Bhagya' which means Luck, Destiny, Fortune. There were so many coincidences of 9's at play converging together kind of symbolically conveying that a higher realisation was with RCB this time in their quest towards their maiden IPL triumph.

It seemed even more evident when the dates of the whole tournament got changed more than midway through on account of unforeseen incidents which indirectly paved the way for everything to nicely fall in place perfectly for RCB. Signs play a role in pointing things out and it was vividly clear that #9 was coming to their aid and telling them that this was the year they were waiting for. Let's briefly look at the all the events inter-playing with the number 9 connection.

- Season 18 (1+8 = 9)
This was the 18th edition of IPL which saw it's script implanted in 2008. No.18 adds up to 9. In seasons prior, RCB had come close to winning on 3 occasions but each of the finals ended up in heartbreak.

- Playoffs Reached 9
Despite not winning the actual tournament, RCB have been fairly consistent in reaching the playoffs but without having the luck to go through further. This was their 9th attempt in the playoffs and the dividends finally yielded fruit

- Years since Last Final 9
The last time RCB had reached the final was 9 years back in 2016. They were also playing the final at their home stadium of Chinnaswamy but it ended in bitter disappointment with RCB missing out on crossing the finishing line by a whisker much to the chagrin of the partisan home crowd who were rooting no end. After 9 years they reached the final again and voila finally the dream was conquered.

- Date of Final 3rd June (Date 3 + Month 6 = 9)
This was another strong indication of RCB winning this time. The final as per the original roster was scheduled for 25th May but later got changed to 3rd June due to the impending border tensions and 3rd June when adding up the date and month is 9 which again proved to be lucky for RCB. Adding up of the date and month is also termed as "Achievement Number". In fact even a multiplication of the date and month would result in 18 which again adds up to 9. 

- Year of IPL 2025 (2+0+2+5 = 9)
Adding up of the digits of the year of IPL results in 9 which again brought fortune RCBs way.

- Date Month and Year of IPL (3rd June 2025 = 3+6+2+0+2+5 = 18 = 9)
This is known as the destiny or life path number where the date, month and year are all summed up to denote a number which is again 9 mysteriously signalling signs of positiveness for RCB.

- Jersey Number 18 (1+8 = 9)
RCBs talisman and legend of the game Virat Kohli sports a #18 jersey which is representative of RCB's number. Here also 18 adds up to 9 denoting a divine significance.

- Jersey Colour Red (Red = Mars = 9)
RCB adorns a jersey largely comprising of the colour 'Red'. Here again, the final was played on a Tuesday which is reflective of Red colour and ruled by the planet Mars which is again assigned Red and denotes No.9

- Day of Final Tuesday (Tuesday is ruled by Mars which is assigned No.9)
Conventionally not just IPL but across most sporting events, the final invariable always gets played out on a Weekend. As per the initial set up, the final was expected to be held on Sunday. But due to external circumstances, the schedules at the end got tweaked resulting in the Final being played on Tuesday. This day is said to be ruled by Mars and represented by #9 again bringing luck to RCB. All the 3 finals which RCB had contested earlier all took place on Sunday.

- Tithi Lunar Day of Final Navami (Representative of 9)
A Tithi Lunar Day occurs based on the angular distance that is created between the Sun & Moon as they revolve around the zodiac belt of 360°. Every 12 degrees of movement by the Moon away from the Sun gives rise to a Tithi and hence there are 30 Tithis (360°/12) in total with 15 being part of the brighter half or what is known as Shukla Paksha and the latter 15 being part of the darker half or Krishna Paksha. At the commencement of the final, it was the 8th Tithi in operation viz Ashtami. RCB didn't start off that well and it appeared like they didn't set a par for the course total. However miraculously things changed with the emergence of Navami Tithi from approximately 10PM with RCB seizing the initiative and exerting the breaks on the opposition eventually winning the match and the title.

Additionally to add to the list of significance is the Nakshatra (star of moon) that was in operation during the match which was 'Poorva Phalguni'. Though as per modern convention 'Ashwini' is said to be the first Nakshatra, but as per Classic Vedic Astrology (Atharva Veda), 'Krithika' is said to be the first Nakshatra which symbolises ignition of fire and 'Bharani' is the last Nakshatra on account of being ruled by Lord Yama who is the God of Death emblematic of a completion of life. If Krithika is indeed considered as the first Nakshatra, then Poorva Phalguni (Pooram in Tamil) would be the 9th Nakshatra again bringing into light the #9 significance. Also RCB's star player Virat Kohli was born in Uttara Phalguni Nakshatra. As per the sacred text 'Kumaraswamiyam', the 27th Nakshatra that adds up to 9 which in this case is "Poorva Phalguni" indicates "Abhishekham" or coronation that translates to good and auspicious things tending to take place and that's exactly what happened with him being blessed and conferred with an IPL title after years and years of toil and hard work.

In essence, it can be said that RCB deserved to win the IPL 2025 which is also reinstated and reaffirmed by all the divine patterns at play pointing to No.9 denoting auspiciousness. Finally that wish of "Ee Sala Cup Namadu" has transpired into reality.

Nostalgia Revisited - Transporting the time clock back to Y2K 2000!

I randomly stumbled upon the song "Pachchai Nirame" on my musical playlist and that ended up being the springboard to reminisce waves of memories from the bygone era relating to the year '2000'. It's unfathomable and flabbergasting to think that 25 years have passed since then. I just about bloomed into being a teenager and few of the moments from that year are vividly etched in the mind. Most of these are from the music, movie and sporting world.

I recall the Khans ruling the roost in Bollywood and in the very first month of January 2000 were 2 big releases lined up for Aamir Khan and Shahrukh Khan in the form of 'Mela' and 'Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani'. The title song of the latter was already airing as a full music video in the musical channels and appeared to be instantly catchy. But however there was a movie sandwiched in between these two viz Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai starring debutante Hrithik Roshan which took the nation by storm. The movie had a dream run and just rampaged the releases of 'AK' and 'SRK'. Hrithik was the new heartthrob in town and was splashed over everywhere from news bulletins to magazines to paper cuttings to what not. I remember magazines like Filmfare, Stardust and Cineblitz all had cover stories of him in dashing avatars and he was touted to be the new supremo in the Bollywood Industry with the Khans being pushed to the backside. His fanfare was equated to Rajesh Khanna's stardom plenty of years ago.

Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai was also a movie which I saw in the theatre for the maximum number of times and if my memory serves me right, I recall watching it 7 times with few of the shows viewed in the now erstwhile Melody theatre which used to solely host Bollywood movies. In Tamil tinsel town came the star studded Kamal Hassan directed 'Hey Ram'. The movie was promoted in a major way with SRK himself starring in a small guest role and appearing for all the screenings. The movie though highly critically acclaimed tanked at the Box office but the songs were cherished and especially the smooth piano run ins in the melody soaked 'Nee Partha Paarvai' remains a favourite to this day.

Around the period of 'Chithirai Maasam', roughly from mid April to mid May came 3 big Tamil movies in the form of 'Alai Payuthey', 'Kandukondein Kandukondein' and 'Khushi'. I recall lapping up the songs of all these 3 movies fervently. After a hardcore film in the form of Dil Se in 1998, Mani Ratnam went in for a saccharine sugary sweet love story in the form of 'Alai Payuthey' starring newcomer R Madhavan in the protagonist role. He was an instant hit with the masses and celebrated as the new chocolate boy in town. The movie redefined the boundaries of love and remains an evergreen tale of romance to this very day. Those dialogues featuring Karthik (Maddy) echoing his proposal to his lovey dovey Shakti (Shalini) amidst the background noise of the train is iconic even today. The entire album of Alai Payuthey was laced with spectacular compositions and we even decided to use one of the tracks 'Kadhal Sadugudu' for our light music event at school with the other being the dance number 'Ek Pal Ka Jeena' from Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai.

AR Rahman made another mammoth leap with the mind-blowing soundtrack of 'Kandukondein Kandukondein' which released just a fortnight later after Alai Payuthey. The audio launch was held in March and my parents were lucky to be given a pass to attend the event. Unfortunately I couldn't go because of running annual exams. It was an album which I adore even today and consider one of ARR's very best. This was Rajeev Menon's second release after 'Minsara Kanavu' which also had memorable songs. Seeing Aishwarya Rai in a green Kanchivaram saree dancing to 'Kannamoochi Ennada' made me to think that there was nobody more beautiful than her in the entire world. She was the sheer epitome of unparalleled beauty. That was the time I understood what the word 'Ethereal' meant. The summer holidays were spent at our home in Colombo, Sri Lanka and I recollect watching Khushi over there. The Vijay-Jyothika starrer stomped the box office with collections aplenty registering a second running back to back hit for director SJ Suryah who directed Vaali in 1999. The songs tuned by Deva were catchy and the stormy dialogues between Vijay & Jyothika set the pulse racing.

In June, Bollywood was gearing up for it's biggest release in the form of 'Refugee' starring Amitabh Bachchan's son Abhishek Bachchan and Raj Kapoor's grand daughter Kareena Kapoor. Virtually every celebrity in Bollywood stood in line attending the preview show and showering the couple with blessings. The event was covered vigorously in the TV channels back then. The movie however received a lukewarm response at the box office. I however loved the compositions from the movie and feel that it was perhaps the best album ever produced by Anu Malik.

Also around this time, there was the SRK release 'Josh' where incidentally he played the hero's role but was the brother of the heroine 'Aishwarya Rai'. There is an anamnesis of a bunch of us from Class IX A in P.S Sr Sec School barraging into an auto and watching the movie at Melody theatre which was quite an unreal experience. Also after Hrithik Roshan's runaway hit Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, came his second release 'Fiza' where he incidentally like SRK in Josh played the brother's role to the heroine Karisma Kapoor. I recapture being the first to buy the musical cassette of Fiza at the now defunct 'TicTac' store in R A Puram. Those cassette days have a memory all by itself. Around the end of the year precisely during Diwali saw SRK and Hrithik going toe to toe with their respective third release of the year viz Mohabbatein and Mission Kashmir. I remember visiting Coimbatore that time with my parents. They had some work which I didn't need to go and decided to watch Mission Kashmir instead in the theatre which was placed just beside the hotel where we were staying. Incidentally it was the first movie that I watched all alone by myself. Have an evocative memory of a Kashmiri ethnic clad bubbly Preity Zinta going full throttle all out dancing and crooning to the song 'Bhumro Bhumro'.

On the Tamil front, there was one more brilliant album unleashed by AR Rahman in the form of Rhythm. It was based on the 5 elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Air & Ether and the compositions were quite extraordinary. There is a faint memory of us discussing this album in detail especially during our walk to the school annual day programme in 'Narada Gana Sabha'. And talking about NGS, one cannot but not forget the iconic ice cream parlour located diagonally opposite called 'Freez Zone' where we used to get swirls of flavours in various colours for as piddly a sum of 25 bucks. 

And when it came to entertainment, I recall being a frequent goer to Fun World at Luz, Mylapore where we used to play all sorts of arcade games and if we were to win something, then we used to receive tickets for us to redeem through a gift. On the food side of things, it was around this time that I took a fondness towards "Chaat" and there was this insanely good erstwhile place at the side of  'Vitan Supermarket' by the name of Sridevi Chaats run by a mother & son Malayali duo. Almost everything over there used to be priced in the range of Rs 10 to Rs 25 and was lip smacking awesome.

Other than on the movie, music and general life front, in the cricketing world Indian cricket hit rock bottom with charges of match fixing being rampant. India had also given away it's proud home record by succumbing to South Africa accounting for their first ever test series defeat on Indian soil since 1985. Azharuddin played his 99th test and recorded a century but could never play a test after that due to the match fixing saga. He remains a rare instance of a batsman scoring a hundred in both his first test and last test match. The match fixing took a turn for the revamp with an all new Indian side being appointed captained by Saurav Ganguly. A new era dawned in Indian cricket. The results were instantly seen with India winning the home ODI series vs South Africa. The Indian team were however plagued with losing finals and they were unfortunate to come second best to the Kiwis in the Champions Trophy final despite being the best team on display. It was a horror run of 9 consecutive final losses till it was finally arrested with victory in the Natwest final on their 10th attempt in 2002. In football, the French dominance was in full force with them winning the Euro 2000 capping off on the World Cup victory of 1998. World of Tennis saw Pete Sampras conquering Wimbledon for the 7th time watched by his parents in the audience. The year was also witness to the Summer Olympics hosted by Sydney, Australia with the opening ceremony being decorated as one of the best to have ever been witnessed in recent memory.

In the political arena, things got really heated up towards the race for the US Presidential elections. It was the longest ever running battle with results going back and forth with both candidates Al Gore and George Bush Jr being called out as winners. At the end, a recount of Florida resulted in Bush winning over incumbent Democrat Al Gore to garner a victory for the Republicans. This drama was abuzz in all the news channels with confusions aplenty and wild counting swings causing mayhem. The elections which started counting on 7th November was eventually declared won on the 26th November. It was a field time for news channels with the world hooked on with the news of the impending next US president.

As I ruminate, these are few of the remembrances that I reminisce as a young boy growing up in Chennai with respect to the year 2000. When I look back, it looks like Y2K has been quite a historic year with regard to a number of events. However my photographic memory is stuck to a few topics of interest such as music, movies and sport. The redux on politics is just because of the chaos unfolding on TV with respect to the US election results. The year 2000 is not going to come back anymore and is a closed chapter in history but in hindsight it was quite a mind embracing journey to ride the time machine backwards and recapture moments from the bygone past of 25 years back to the year 2000. As I time travelled on this surreal saudade, the memories are so densely imprinted that they will pleasantly and personally stay on forever.

Number Idioms and its analogy with Cricket

As a young boy growing up, the sport of cricket used to fascinate and always keep me hooked. I was never great shakes when playing the game myself but used to always observe the commentary rather keenly and any reference to numbers always had me up and about excited. 'Numbers' or rather the extension of it which is the 'Statistics' angle associated with it always made me adore the sport a wee bit extra and I loved to prize out all the records broken and milestones conquered.

For this particular post, I would like to highlight a few number idioms/phrases and connote it from a cricketing analogy. The objective is not to use it only under the context of cricket but even in day to day interactions. Numbers are immensely fun and you can play around with it in so many different ways. Listing below are few non exhaustible phrases involving numbers forming a numerical sequence.

Zero:

- Zero in on - Focusing one's attention
The team needs to zero in on their bowling strategy if they need to progress to the next stage

- Zero Hour - Time at which at which an activity is scheduled to begin
Too much of chopping and changing towards the Zero Hour doesn't bode well for the team

One:

- One Too Many - Going overboard with respect to something
One Too Many attempts at trying to be cheeky has eventually put paid to his dismissal

- All in One Piece - Safety, unscathed, unharmed
This absolute scorcher of an innings from out of nowhere has helped save the blushes and ensured that the team is back in the hunt 'all in one piece'

- Back to Square One - Going back to the beginning
The team just refuses to learn. Time and again the same mistakes are being replicated and they keep going back to square one. 

- Have One over the Eight - Too much of something
The way he has been wildly swinging his bat in all directions from the time that he has walked in certainly indicates that he's had one over the eight last evening.

- One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest - Insane, Losing the mind, Senseless
This kind of mindless slogging with complete lack of application clearly suggests a situation of one flying over the cuckoo's nest 

Two:

- Give Two Hoots about - To not care about something or showing lack of concern
He doesn't give two hoots about the reputation of the bowler that he is facing. If he sees it, he's just going to go hit it.

- It takes two to Tango - Both parties being equally responsible
The new ball pair have complemented each other beautifully well. They say it takes two to tango and in this case it's been aptly visible and on full display.

- Kill Two Birds with One Stone - Achieving two goals with one action
This ploy has worked wonderfully well. They have suckered in the opposition to fall in to the trap thus killing two birds with one stone 

Three:

- Get the Third Degree - To be questioned in great detail
The bowling has been so probing with no room for error whatsoever that it feels like the batsman will get the third degree if he gets anywhere near to the delivery.

Four:

- On All Fours - Down on your hands and knees
He is literally on all fours after having attempted that immensely tough shot

Five:

- High Five - A gesture of celebration by slapping each others palms with arms raised
The performance has been all High Five with the execution being spot on and going perfectly according to plan.

Six:

- At Sixes and Sevens - A state of confusion and disorder
The team have been at sixes and sevens in trying to deal with the seaming new ball. They have been all at sea with no application whatsoever.

- Six of one, half a dozen of the other - Two situations with same or equal outcome
The two shots were utter replica of one other with the same result obtained. One was a six of one, and half a dozen of the other

Seven:

- Seventh Heaven - State of extreme happiness or joy
The team are literally on seventh heaven having won 7 matches on the bounce away from home

Eight:

- Behind the Eight Ball - Difficult or disadvantageous position
The team have been way behind the eight ball and look completely lost in handling alien conditions

Nine:

- On Cloud Nine - Extremely happy or over the moon
The team have been on cloud nine after winning 3 trophies on the trot

- Falling like Nine Pins - Collapsing
Its been a collapse of epic proportions, they have been literally getting rolled over falling like nine pins

Ten:

- Ten on Ten - Something that is very good, Excellent
It's been a perfect ten on ten with respect to the captaincy especially on the field placement and strategy

- Ten to One - Very Likely, High Probability of an event occurring or not occurring
Ten to One you can trust that it was the Captain who came up with this ingenious idea of bringing the fielder up close thus inducing the false shot from the batsman 

Eleven:

- At the eleventh hour - Last possible moment or just before its too late
Making fresh new plans at the eleventh hour doesn't bode well for the team

Twelve:

- Bakers Dozen - Thirteen, Adding an extra
This impact sub player has been so effective in performing the role far more than expected of him thus making the team feel like having an extra cushion or a Bakers Dozen.

Fifteen:

- Fifteen Minutes of Fame - Short period of attention and being in the spotlight
He started flaying every single delivery just for that fifteen minutes of fame but unfortunately it just turned futile

Nineteen:

- Nineteen to the Dozen - Talk incessantly without pausing
The Captain should be left alone to make the decision. Constant nineteen to the dozen advice from virtually everyone at the back end will bear no fruit.

Twenty Two:

- Catch 22 - Paradoxical situation where one condition prevents or overrules another condition
The team are in quite a Catch 22 situation at the moment. At one end, they need to keep the runs ticking on the board to get the score running but at the same time it's essential that they preserve their wickets and keep them handy at the back end of the innings.

Forty:

- Forty Winks - A short sleep, snooze, catnap
The match seems to be petering out into a moribund state. Perhaps this is the best phase of time for some of the players to catch forty winks before any state of activity resumes

Eighty Six:

- 86'd - Throw out, Removed or Dismissed
It's unfortunate that the player has been 86'd despite putting up a reasonably decent performance in the previous match

Using some of the number idioms above to spin a yarn with a cricketing equivalence:

England have been 'at sixes and sevens' trying to deal with spin and been getting rolled over like nine-pins. The batting has been absolutely deplorable with one too many needless hoicks putting paid to unnecessary dismissals. By not giving two hoots about the conditions have exposed them pretty badly. They have been way 'behind the eight ball' and look completely lost playing in the sub continent. Being completely under prepared and making changes at the eleventh hour isn't going to yield them any fruit. They are almost in a Catch 22 situation with any chance of a comeback virtually ruled out. It's just a matter of time before they are 86'd in this match and sent packing from the tournament. There also seems to be too much of interference playing along with the captain seeming to get nineteen to the dozen advice from everyone right from the players to the backroom staff. The Sockdolager has been landing stingily on their face too often now and they really need to do something to save face in order to avoid going back to Square One.

India on the other hand have been on Cloud 9 with plans executed perfectly and its been a High Five performance on all fronts. They have been a 10 on 10 with the new ball pair bowling a probing line and seizing the initiative upfront. The way the batsman have been clueless in picking length makes the bowlers feel like they are on seventh heaven. The spinners have wreaked havoc in equal measure with a Six of one and half a dozen of the other performance. England's ineptitude to handle the Indian bowling makes India look like a side blessed with a Baker's dozen. It takes two to tango and it can be said that both the pace bowlers and spinners have equally in tandem been the star performers in executing this demolition job perfectly. The only area which they need to zero in on is the lower order batting and if that also gets sorted out they will have an all encompassing team to compete at any level. 

For the Love of Food Valentine!

What is love? 
A - Love is aromatic Arancini balls
B - Love is bonding over beer
C - Love is craving for cheese
D - Love is doe eyeing doughnuts
E - Love is egging the eggs to come on
F - Love is furtively glancing the falafel
G - Love is gobbling up golgappas/gulab jamun
H - Love is all hunky dory with honey in the hitch
I - Love is an increased scoop of ice-cream
J - Love is jacking up jalapenos in the sub
K - Love is a kaleidoscope of kulfi/kozhakattais
L - Love is licking lollipops
M - Love is mushing over marshmallow
N - Love is nibbling nutella
O - Love is oodles of okra/orange
P - Love is the pulchritude of a popped up pizza
Q - Love is quirky like quiche
R - Love is a rivulet of rasagollas
S - Love is stashing strawberries
T - Love is toying with tofu
U - Love is uplifting uthappam/upma
V - Love is velvety vol-au-vents
W - Love is wallowing on waffles/white sauce pasta
X - Love is slurping xerox of xmas cakes and cookies
Y - Love is yummylicious yoghurt
Z - Love is zingy like zucchini
#AtoZoflove #ValentinesDay #Foodaholic #loveinfood #foodislove 

Ice Cream goes one-up on Girlfriend!😉

Imagine your ice-cream to be a girl and she sure is a sweetheart to be with. The babe is so bewitchingly crafty that even your girlfriend wouldn't mind your company with her and it becomes all the more special tangoing merrily with the two of em. She also provides a rare instance of a girl actually liking another girl and doesn't mind even her own boyfriend ogling at her, licking her spoon for spoon every speck of her alabaster skin, indulging in playful naughtiness by gyrating all over her bouncily ball like looks and falling love struck head over heels right in front of the girlfriend's very own eyes. Who really wouldn't want such a bombshell?😉.

Ice cream's are indeed a sinful delight. They come to you in exotically luscious lickalicious flavours making you crave 'La la la'. They are dressed up in a kaleidoscope of colours and have all the ammunition going for them to walk up the ramp with their heads held high. They are as dolce as a baby's bottom, buttery smooth in texture and oozing creamy. If you want to experience the literal meaning of 'melt in the mouth', this is your chance to figure it out😀.

And lo, another plus point about this lissom lass is that is she is not at all high maintenance. You can mix and match her with various toppings of your choice with the end result hardly pushing you back by a piddly portion. She ensures the boyfriend hardly need to splurge the spondulicks and yet get a full round bountiful of her. Even if you do shell the bucks, it's worth every bite for the truly enticing taste. Beauties like this appear only in dreams and in ice creams😂.

And coming back to the 'ice cream taking shape as a girl phenomenon', she is of the murky kind which allows her to go one up on your girlfriend as she is always available home or away allowing you to spend some quality creamy time with her as opposed to convincing your girlfriend to stay up which mostly ends up only being unyielding😆.

P.S: The ice cream is for real and the girlfriend is a fictional character 😊.

Cheese Poem - For the eternal love of Cheese!

Dear Cheese,

You can truly make me melt;
Coz I feel for you so heartfelt

The emotions you generate are as soft as a feather;
But, the stranglehold you have on me is harder than leather

You will always and forever be my crush;
Just your mere presence is enough to make me blush

One bite into you and I'm bowled;
And in your clutch I'm owned

Bottom or up, sideways or midways you always add value;
That's precisely the reason I fall heels over head in love with you :)

Thank you for being a part of me;
Let the romance continue to be! 💖

25 years of a Magnum Opus - Michael Madana Kama Rajan (MMKR) ★★★★★

There are only some movies which can claim to be downright rib-ticklingly funny on so many counts. Michael Madana Kama Rajan (MMKR) is one for the ages and can never be replicated.The kind of all round performance on virtually every front makes it firmly etched as one of Tamizh cinema's greatest creations. Seldom have films been so everlastingly entertaining and MMKR rightly falls into the place of all time great cinema.

It's been a quarter century since its release on Diwali day - 17th October 1990 but even to this day references are made with regard to the characterization's and dialogues. MMKR chestnuts are one of a kind and every now and then you would inevitably associate a fleeting presence of this movie in some form or the other sometimes even acting as an ice-breaker.

There are just too many things to marvel about MMKR ranging from the spectacular performances, timed to perfection dialogues, scintillating screenplay causing confusion aplenty, story with plethora of twists and turns, direction at pace with the events and the brilliant music and BGM. The subtlety and poise in each of the quadruplet roles portrayed by Kamal is breathtaking and each of the artists induce so much life to the characters and add to the fun quotient. The humorous dialogues and wordplay never ceases to invoke the funny bones, remember - Yaarukku kalyanam? Nekka? Nokka? Nekkum nokkumaa?, Indha Avinashi oru visuvaasi, Thripurasundari illai thiruttu sundari nee etc to just name a few. A pulse racing story line backed up a gripping screenplay and deftly handled direction causing nerve wracking excitement to go along with the pot boiling mixture of chaos, mayhem and hullabaloo over mistaken identity. And what fabulous array of songs in different dimensions making it such a memorable soundtrack and one cannot shy away from mentioning the precision of the re-recording which reigns supreme in elevating the scenes to a higher pedestal. It's seriously hard to pinpoint one flaw.

The synergy effect works perfectly in Michael Madana Kama Rajan where every individual in the movie is a hero but the movie ends up becoming the biggest hero of em all. A comic caper catering to the masses and the classes and to the young and old, this one's a cult classic in every way. Many of us grew up in the 90's with this film and for many of the movie buffs this laugh riot remains one of the most watched movies ever. One won't be surprised even if it has been seen over a triple digit times as it offers so much unlimited entertainment guaranteed.

25 years has passed since the saga of Michael Madana Kama Rajan and it's place as one of the undisputed comical giants of the silver screen will forever remain. Remembering everyone's favorite MMKR for completing a landmark silver jubilee. There are great movies and there is Michael Madana Kama Rajan - a riveting laughathon like never seen before and perhaps never ever after!.

Some tit-bits & trivia on MMKR:
● It was the second association of the Kamal Hassan and Crazy Mohan combo after the immensely successful Apoorva Sagotharargal (1989).
● MMKR was a Diwali release of 1990 and incidentally there were 5 other films releasing the same day with Ilaiyaraaja as the music director - Amman Kovil Thiruvizha, Mallu Vetti Minor, Puthu Paattu, Chatriyan and Sirayil Sila Raagangal
● Sundari Neeyum song was picturized by playing the song at twice the original speed in order for Kamal and Oorvasi to lip sync correctly.
● The song Sundari Neeyum was supposed to be sung by KJ Yesudas but dates played foil eventually leading to Kamal singing himself. Infact in an interesting tale, YG Mahendra actually congratulated Yesudas on the song and when KJY quipped that credit should go to Kamal, it left the former completely stumped.
● MMKR was perhaps the first Tamil or even Indian Film to feature a laptop as early as 1990.
● It was the first film to have 'Face Morphing Technology' in Tamil Film Industry.
● The Bheem boy character who is the body guard for Kamal Hassan is played by Praveen Kumar Sobti, an Indian athelete who was 6'7" and a Double gold medalist in discus throwing in the 1966 and 1970 Asian Games.
● There were 2 songs in the movie which were not shot but part of the audio records viz Aadi Pattam Thedi sung by Mano, Chitra & chorus and Maththa Poovu Oru Penna rendered by Chitra, both penned by Vaali.