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, 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

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 # - 3

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.

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.

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.

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 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

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.

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.

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.

Remembering 24 years of Anjali (1990)

Anjali is a special film in many ways. An emotional tearjerker showcasing the plight of a family dealing with a special child. The subtleties, poignancy and undercurrent prevailing are all wonderfully captured on Motion Picture. And the way it portrayed the community/colony style of living makes every child growing up in the 80's and 90's to really connect with the movie.

Above all it is the music which gives life to the scenes. The title music leaves a lump in your throat and is so powerful to even move a precipice, the end score shatters and breaks your heart into smithereens and all the pieces which come in between are so precisionly scored and timed elevating the movie viewing experience to another level. A masterpiece of a re-recording worth celebrating for eons, listen to the full Background score and relive the experience of the magical force behind this motion picture.

Remembering 24 years of Anjali which released on 12th July 1990!

Orkut Memories - Everlasting but gone too soon!

Can't believe Orkut is soon going to be erstwhile and a thing of the past with effect from September 2014. The impact it has created is profound especially amongst those growing up in their teens and early adulthood at the time when this social media site was basking in full glory.

While it lasted, Orkut has provided so many fond moments and memories to cherish for a life time. Sharing a few of those wild and sweet bits of nostalgia in Tanglish style

- What fun it was to trade testimonials from friends :) 

- Ogling into friends wall's and peeping to see with whom they were kadala pottyfying :D

- Getting embroiled in crazy banters and accusing each other all for a suppa matter just to prove the authenticity of who is having more number of friends :P

- Logging in from some other account to view a profile in order to avoid being seen on the recent visitor's list ;)

- Taking pride and time in updating profile hopelessly hoping that somebody awesome takes a visit to the profile :B 

- Uploading the most wannabe photo ever as display pic :O (even now looking back gives the creeps)

- Communities la adi dhadi sandai mostly but also meaningful discussions once in a while

- Scrapping endlessly with fellow vetti's :Y 

- Re-connecting with lost friends and forming friendship with people who you've never met and even knowing of certain love stories blossoming and taking shape via the Orkut route <3

Orkut has truly given a lot to smile and laugh about. Facebook maybe the all conquering emperor of Social Networking but it is Orkut who was the true trendsetter and which laid the foundation for the giant today that is Facebook. #RIPOrkut #Thanksfortheamazingmemories

Tendulkar Toughie Quiz

There was a quiz I Created in Facebook years ago on Sachin Tendulkar - Some unusually Difficult questions on the Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar!!
Some of the Questions and answers have been modified a bit and posting below the revised updated list of Q&A.

Question 1
Sachin made his 1st ever ODI Century against Aus in 1994.Which was the tournament? (Clue It was a 4 Nation event involving Ind,Aus,Pak and SL)
1. Sansui Trophy
2. Singer Cup
3. Bank Alfalah Cup
4. Janashakthi Life Insurance Cup

Question 2
Sachin's 1st ever Test as Captain resulted in a resounding victory over Aus at Delhi in 1996.Who was the Man of the Match in that Test(Clue:He scored 152)
1. Devang Gandhi
2. Sachin Tendulkar Himself
3. Nayan Mongia
4. Mohd. Azharuddin

Question 3
Opening the batting for the first time in ODI'S,Sachin made a swashbuckling 82 off 49 Balls vs NZ in 1994.Which was the venue ?
1. Auckland
2. Christchurch
3. Dunedin
4. Wellington

Question 4
In which of these venues in England has Sachin not scored a test century ?
1. Edgbaston
2. Old Trafford
3. Leeds
4. Lords

Question 5
Sachin's solitary century in the 99 WC came against this opposition ?
1. Sri Lanka
2. Kenya
3. Namibia
4. Zimbabwe

Question 6
Sachin Tendulkar has scored maximum number of centuries against Australia.How many has he scored ?
1. 8-ODI'S,9-TESTS
2. 9-ODI'S,9-TESTS
3. 9-ODI'S,11-TESTS
4. 9-ODI'S,10-TESTS

Question 7
Who was the player at the other end when Sachin miscued his shot to be out for a memorable 136 in the evergreen Chennai Test vs Pak in 1999 ?
1. Anil Kumble
2. Nayan Mongia
3. Sunil Joshi
4. Javagal Srinath

Question 8
When Sachin bowled that brilliant last over vs S.Africa in the 1993 Hero Honda Cup S/F,who were the players facing him ?
1. Dave Richardson and Richard Snell
2. Richard Snell and Allan Donald
3. Brian McMillan and Dave Richardson
4. Brian McMillan and Allan Donald

Question 9
India achieved their first ever score of 300 or more in an ODI vs Pak @ Sharjah in 1996.Sachin scored a century.Who else apart from Sachin also made a century?
1. Sourav Ganguly
2. Navjot Sidhu
3. Mohd. Azharuddin
4. Ajay Jadeja

Question 10
India has defeated Pakistan in 4 WC Matches so far (92,96,99 & 03 WC),out of which Sachin has been Man of the Match in 2 of the World Cup Matches.Which 2 World Cups are being referred here?
1. 92 WC , 03 WC and 11 WC
2. 99 WC , 03 WC and 11 WC
3. 96 WC , 03 WC and 07 WC
4. 92 WC , 96 WC and 99 WC

Answers

Question 1
2. Singer Cup

Question 2
3. Nayan Mongia

Question 3
1. Auckland

Question 4
4. Lords

Question 5
2. Kenya

Question 6
3. 9-ODI'S,11-TESTS

Question 7
1. Anil Kumble

Question 8
3. Brian McMillan and Dave Richardson

Question 9
2. Navjot Sidhu

Question 10
1. 92 WC , 03 WC and 11 WC

Note :
Link for the quiz created initially :
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/quiz/tendulkar-toughie/

Penn - A memorable Tamil Serial

Penn is an old tamil serial (1991) evoking very strong childhood memories.Each of the episodes directed by Suhasini Maniratnam is a gem in its own unique way.
The lilting title music by Ilaiyaraaja and the image of the cute little child takes you back on a journey back to the glorious early 90's. The brilliant performances , dialogues laced with a pinch of Tam Bram touch and the breathtaking background music makes you connect instantly with the characters and storyline.
Those days those days only !!

Links for watching Penn and reviving the glorious era

Penn (1991) - Episode 1 - Hemavukku Kalyanam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96dip9Hv4wU

Penn (1991) - Episode 2 - Appa Appadithan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az8tXNkwzkk

Penn (1991) - Episode 3 - Appa Irukken
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3AreE_cav0

Penn (1991) - Episode 4 - Mrs Ranganath
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8RlWsOJwR4

Penn (1991) - Episode 5 - Kutti Anand
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs66UaLXVfs

Penn (1991) - Episode 6 - Love Story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeTNxd3mKjM

Penn (1991) - Episode 7 - Raji Mathiri Ponnu (Part 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwoLDJx_LDU

Penn (1991) - Episode 7 - Raji Mathiri Ponnu (Part 2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhU60wX1sUI

Penn (1991) - Episode 8 - Vaarthai Thavari Vittai (Part 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak02-rYbUDI

Penn (1991) - Episode 8 - Vaarthai Thavari Vittai (Part 2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxwlyBsZrzE

ARR Concert Dec 2012

Last minute decision to attend the ARR concert and I somehow managed. First of all i didn't have tickets and behold they were issuing 3000 Rs tickets for 500 bucks.

The organisation was very shoddy and poor. They didn't have chairs for about 40 % category of those who brought high priced tickets and obviously majority of them were agitated and a mini ruckus was going on and to add to the drama it was raining. But thankfully it stopped and when ARR arrived there was a deafening roar.Frankly never before have i seen this much craze, frenzy, hysteria and madness for anybody before. Rahman's popularity stake is still at an all time high and it was unimaginable. You would have to have seen it to believe it.

Coming to the songs in the concert , some of the medleys were nicely performed & enjoyable and ARR kept the energy throughout the concert. Also we had most of the Kadal songs which received a rapturous response. The disappointments for me were there were some minus 1 songs, some of my favourite vintage Rahman songs of 90's weren't performed. The thing i didn't like at all was having a different rock kind of feel for legendary songs like Kadhal Rojave, Nenjinile etc. which resulted in the essence of the song getting totally diluted and in fact spoilt.

For me spending just Rs 500, I thought I had my moneys worth, but those who had spent 3000 bucks and above to sit through the event without a chair i felt was very unfair. The final song of the evening was the landmark Thaai Manne Vanakkam which the audience lapped up. Many of us were standing on the chairs and cheering. ARR s infectious smile was evident throughout. Overall it was a decent experience but felt it could have been much better with a well thought out selection of songs and a little extra care in organising the event.

List of songs that were performed in the concert.
Undhan Desathin Kural ( ARR Intro )
Elay Keechan
Arima Arima
Manoothu manthaile
Veerapandi Kotayile
Thilana Thilana
Kadhal Rojave
Enakoru Girl Friend
Omane Penne
July Maadham Vanthaaal
Aathangarai Marame
Endrendrum Punnagai
Mustafa Mustafa
Nila Kaaigirathu
Uyire Uyire
Kanamoochi yenada
Azhage Sugama
Engae Enathu Kavithai
Nenjinile Nenjinile
Nenjukulle
Adiye
Irumbile oru iruthayam
Hello Mr Ethirkatchi
Oorvasi
Magudi Magudi
Moongil Thotam
Jai Ho in Tamil
Thaai Manne Vanakam

Sachin the One Day International Batsman

Since 1994 when i started watching and enjoying cricket, one name has always been tied with the sport like a string attached to a guitar. There maybe cricketers who might match or even surpass your test records, but you are the one and only numero uno when it comes to the original form of limited overs cricket - One Day Internationals. How can I forget waking up early in the morning watching you score a trailblazing 82 off a mere 49 deliveries in your new avatar of One Day Opener, how thrilled was I seeing you score your 1st One Day Century against the Australians at the Singer Cup 94, then your 96 WC exploits with that blitzkrieg 90 against the Aussies at Mumbai and then I was so gutted when you got out stumped and India fell short of the target eventually by 16 runs. That 137 vs the Lankans on a misty day at Delhi with only a run out averting you from getting to 150 - what fun it was seeing you and Azhar rip the Lankan bowling attack in the last 5 overs. What about that glorious 104 at Benoni vs Zimbabwe when you had to get the target within just about 40 overs or so to reach the final vs South Africa, then that 1998 back to back hundreds under the Desert Storm in Sharjah - ah those vivid memories of you coming down the wicket and tonking Fleming and Kasprowicz for 6 with Tony Greig going bazooka is epic level of the highest order.

The year 1998 in entirety when you scored truckloads of centuries and officially assumed the status of God in the minds of millions of cricket fans, that unforgettable massacring of Henry Olonga at Sharjah when he thought he had the better of you hahahaha, that 186 not out vs the Kiwis on a field day when you were involved in the best ever partnership of 331 runs with Rahul Dravid, those pulverising sixes hit off Shoaib Akhtar over third man on way to a destructive 98 off a mere 70 odd deliveries in a crucial World Cup Indo Pak clash at Centurion, the brilliant 175 when you almost single handedly snatched a famous win chasing 350 against the Aussies at Hyderabad, the first ever double hundred in ODIs at Gwalior where you treated the South African bowlers with utter disdain. Coming to the memorable WC 2011 where you showed your class yet again on the big stage by cracking hundreds against both England and South Africa, your 85 against Pakistan probably one of your worst innings, but nevertheless helped Ind to defeat its arch rivals in a do or die Semifinal at Mohali thus taking India to the final and making your lifetime dream of winning a word cup come true and finally your laboured 100th international century which came against Bangladesh making you the first man on the planet to get to the coveted landmark. These are just a gist of evergreen glorious Sachin memories.

Sachin - you just didn't set benchmarks but you were a benchmark yourself. Thanks for all the moments, memories and entertainment. Your exploits on the cricketing field will be etched in the minds of millions of cricketing lovers forever. I still cant get over the fact that the next time i switch on my television to watch a ODI involving India, I won't be seeing the name Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar on the scoreboard.

 
One Day International Cricket will never be the same without your larger than life persona!

Remembering Rajesh - A Trip down the Bygone Era!

Attended a Gala Musical evening at the Music Academy on the 19th of Nov'2012 which celebrated some of the greatest hits of India's superstar Rajesh Khanna from the bygone era. It was an event which was part of "The Hindu"November Fest" and evoked nostalgic reactions amongst many who witnessed the concert. The performers of the event were Srinivas Doraisamy (Captain) , Naresh Iyer , Swetha Mohan , Saptaparna Chakraborty and a wonderful orchestra led by Mani Bass. There was also a cameo by Haricharan. You can read the Hindu Review of the concert from the link below http://www.thehindu.com/arts/music/remembering-rajesh/article4105798.ece

Attaching below the list of songs which were performed during the memorable evening.
1) Jeevan Se Bhari - Safar
2) Mere Dil Mein - Daag
3) Reina Beeti Jaaye - Amar Prem
4) Kora Kaagaz - Aaradhana
5) Zindagi Ek Safar - Andaz
6) Hum Dono Do Premi - Ajnabee
7) Roop Tera Mastana - Aaradhana
8) Kuch To Log - Amar Prem
9) Gulabi Aankhen - The Train
10) Gunguna Rahe - Aaradhana
11) Na Jiya Lagena - Anand
12) Yeh Jo Mohabbat - Kati Patang
13) Zindagi Ka Safar - Safar
14) Mere Sapnon Ki Rani - Aaradhana
15) Gore Rang - Roti
16) Kahin Door - Anand
17) Karvate Badalte - Aap Ki Kasam
18) Chala Jaata Hoon - Mere Jeevan Saathi
19) Chingaari Koi Badke - Amar Prem
20) Yeh Shaam Mastani - Kati Patang
21) Mere Naina - Mehbooba
22) Humhe Tumse Pyaar - Kudrat
23) Duniya Mein - Apna Desh
24) Jai Jai Shiv Shankar - Aap Ki Kasam

Bengaluru concert of Ilaiyaraaja

Happened to attend the Bengaluru concert of Ilaiyaraaja as part of the Ganesh Utsav Celebrations on 23rd Sep 2012 and it was a great decision on my part to go from Chennai to Bangalore to attend the same. The music we got to witness was spectacular and the sounding of the orchestra was top notch.

Attaching below the list of songs on the memorable evening of 23rd Sep 2012.
1) Amma Endhu - Honnina Therinali (Kannada Devotional Album)
2) Janani Janani - Thaai Mookambikai (Tamil)
3) Saranam Bhava - Sethu (Tamil)
4) Om Sivoham - Naan Kadavul (Tamil)
5) Akashadinda Jaari - Janma Janma Anubandha (Kannada)
6) Idhayam Oru Kovil - Idhaya Kovil (Tamil)
7) Mysore Mallige - Bangarada Manushya (Kannada - GKV composition)
8) Ey Kavithe - Priya (Kannada)
9) Ilaya Nila - Payanangal Mudivathillai (Tamil)
10) Enta Soundarya - Maathu Thappada Maga (Kannada)
11) Yaari Gaagi - Bharjari Beate (Kannada)
12) En Iniya Pon Nilave - Moodupani (Tamil)
13) Raja Kaiya Vacha - Apoorva Sagotharargal (Tamil)
14) Sihigaali - Aa Dinagalu (Kannada)
15) Hero Hero - Ajeya (Kannada)
16) O Priya Priya - Geethanjali (Telugu)
17) Sandhoshakke - Geetha (Kannada)
18) Naguva Nayana - Pallavi Anupallavi (Kannada)
19) Aye Zindagi - Sadma (Hindi)
20) Omkara - Nammoora Mandhara Hoove (Kannada)
21) Jotheyale - Geetha (Kannada)
22) Botany - Shiva (Telugu)
23) Nanna Nennu Gellalare - Nee Nanna Gellalarae (Kannada)
24) Yaare Koogadali - Sampathige Savaal (Kannada - GKV composition)
25) Naan Thedum - Dharma Pathini (Tamil)
26) Solpa Soundu - Suryakanti (Kannada)
27) Gannapanna - Prem Kahani (Kannada)

Memories of an amazing turnaround at Lords

This day, a decade ago on the 13th July 2002 India won a remarkable final against England in the Natwest Trophy at Lords. Coming into this championship clash, India had lost 9 finals consecutively and it looked like a similar script was about to unfold as the Englishmen posted a mammoth score of 325 batting first. The score looked too daunting and at that stage of time only once before was a total in excess of this was ever chased by a team to win a one day international. Considering the pressure of a big match final at the Home of cricket in addition to India's immensely meek predicament in recent finals, it certainly didn't lift the spirits one bit.

India however got off to a fine start with the openers Ganguly and Sehwag blazing their way to a rollicking stand of 100 within the first 15 overs. And then it all started caving apart with wickets being lost at regular intervals. It was virtually another tale of good riddance when Sachin Tendulkar was castled by Giles to leave India reeling at 146/5. This dismissal brought in two young future hopes of Indian cricket Yuvraj Singh and Mohammed Kaif to the crease. They had brought glory to India by being part of the victorious Under 19 world cup team. Frankly, not much was expected of these two except for a reasonable fight to simply ensure it doesn't yield towards an embarrassingly landslide defeat.

Slowly but steadily, from a precarious position where India were virtually under the cosh these young turks started ticking the runs off the scoreboard. The partnership started blossoming and these guns rose up to the occasion by playing the innings of their life to give India a semblance of hope. When Yuvi held out, it again looked like a 'yet so near yet so far story'. However his dismissal didn't hinder the momentum and India kept chalking in the runs with the lower order providing a stable ground to Kaif at the other end.

It came down to the last over of the innings with Zaheer on strike and 2 required off 4 deliveries. He got a touch off the bat off Flintoff and scampered his way to the other end to give his partner the strike. The throw from the fielder was however long enabling India to get the additional run and seal the win. It was a remarkable comeback considering the circumstance and it was beyond disbelief that India could really pull this one off. It was back then the 2nd highest chase in One Day Internationals.The match is also well remembered for Sourav Ganguly's shirt twirling act at the Lords Balcony. A truly unforgettable day in the annals of Indian Cricket History. Gives goosebumps even today watching and reminiscing that nostalgic day which took place on a sunny Sunday at the Home of Cricket.