Well if anyone is happy or excited that they are going to read a blog on the one and only Big B that the people in India are familiar with, well then they are totally mistaken. I am no fan of his and to me he has never been the great actor that people so rave about. One reason could be the fact that I have watched far too many Malayalam movies and hence know what fine acting is all about. The Big B in this blog refers to the big business of beauty. I could not have called it B3 once again as just recently I wrote about my favourite Big Black Bag. I don’t know how I missed writing about the business of beauty which is so prominently seen in every nook and corner of India. It took the death of two famous Indian beauties in a row, before I could think of writing on the subject. 28th July 2009, saw the death of Leela Naidu a woman of substance and a classical beauty and the 29th of July 2009, saw the death of Maharani Gayatri Devi, the Rajmata of the Jaipur Royal Family and an ethereal beauty. Both these women have been voted as being among the top ten beautiful women in the world. They were both natural beauties and took their looks in their stride. Yes, I am sure they must have had their own creams and potions to aid them in maintaining their beauty but at no point in time were they just looked upon as beautiful faces. Leela Naidu led a full life and did everything that the women of her generation did. As for the Rajmata, she dedicated herself to the people and was looked upon as their saviour.
Leela Naidu happened to be the winner of a Miss India Pageant and as for the Maharani, she was born in an era when such gimmicks were not around and anyway her beauty did not need the certification from a group of men and women who are at most times cocky and snobbish and have no clue of beauty other than the outer self. It was the 90’s that saw a barrage of Indian beauties in the world stage. Being one of the oldest civilizations in the world, I wonder why it took this long for the pageant organizers to spot an Indian beauty. The only goodness these pageants have done is to produce a crop of snooty young ladies who think no end of themselves. Not one of them has contributed anything to the society in which they live apart from strutting around like proud peacocks. The other group that have benefited by these pageants are the cosmetic manufacturers and people in the beauty treatment business.
Ever since Sushmita Sen was crowned Miss Universe and Aishwarya Rai as Miss World in the year 1994, there has been no looking back for the beauty industry in India. That year it seemed as if the only beautiful people in the world were in India. It made a total impact on the minds of the young and every young girl with a good complexion and height carried a secret wish to walk the ramp and make it to the top. Thus was born thousands of beauty parlours and schools to groom the beauticians and finishing schools for the aspirants to get the final polish. Until that time the only cosmetics available in India, were some creams, lipsticks and eye shadow or mascara. With this upbeat trend everything and anything to do with beautifying oneself started entering the market. This also opened the doors to the international cosmetic giants. 1994 to 2000 saw India producing six beauty queens in the world forum. This gave hope to all the youngsters that they could be the next winner. Seven years is a long enough a period to establish one’s hold in a consumer market and thus all the agents of beauty have had a fine run and are here to stay. The youth of India have come to the mindset that the only beautiful look is the one seen on the cover s of the glossy international fashion magazines. Thus they groom themselves towards attaining that look and as a result every one of the models and pageant participants have the same physique, hair and to a large extent the looks. They seem as if they have been mass produced in a factory. On my many trips abroad, it is when I see the man that I realize that the couple is of Indian origin. To me it is as if the Indian identity is totally lost.
If India could produce 6 beauty queens in six years, why has the production stopped in the last eight? Except for a Parvathy Omanakuttan who came as a first runner up this year, no one else has qualified for the title. Does this mean that our girls have all of a sudden become less beautiful? Frankly speaking they have in the intervening years become more and more like the way the West and the organizers of these pageants desire. Then why have they not been chosen? The reason is simple. The purpose for which the six queens were chosen is over. The whole idea was to me a marketing gimmick by the cosmetic giants in connivance with the organizers of the pageants. With the Indian Economy opening up and the IT industry gaining a foothold, it did not take long for the shrewd business houses to tap on the burgeoning middle class and the best way they could have done it was by producing these beauty queens. Now that the desired effects are in place they do not have to ensue humouring the Indian psyche and are free to latch on to the next economy that is opening up. Russia, the giant, after its Perestroika and Glasnost and the turmoil that followed is finally coming to terms with economic and personal freedom and thus the right moment for the beauty CZARS to seize. This they have definitely done by making sure that the Miss World 2009 is a Russian. I am assured this trend will follow for most part of the ensuing decade.
As a closing note I would like to add that among the six Indian beauty queens that the Big B has produced, the one most seen and heard is Aishwarya Rai and as if destined, she is the daughter in law of the only Big B that India has ever known.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
B3
She is no Louis Vuitton nor is she a Gucci or Christian Dior. For that matter she is neither a Coach nor a Polo. She does not even belong to the Hidesign or Calonge league. But none the less she is my most favourite and all that I can call her is my Big Black Bag or B3 (B cubed – a result of my mathematical prowess). The name “Big Black Bag” may suggest that she belongs to the genre of bags used to line the garbage bins. In the West especially in England, the black bag means the trash bag. I would never ever want her to be relegated to that because the truth is that she means the world to me. Yes, she is the world to me as she has accompanied me on all my International jaunts in the last ten years. The hand bag is an inanimate object and the English language does not designate it with a gender. But being a lady’s accessory, she can only be feminine.
Now most ladies would agree with me when I say that a decade is too long a period for a hand bag to be showcased. Like all things connected with fashion, these hand bags too have a life span and in most cases that does not exceed 2-3 years. Even the designer ones costing a fortune are meant to be shelved once they become out of fashion. As with all clothes and accessories, the bags too undergo modification by the designers almost on a daily basis. If a clutch is in fashion this season, the next would see a voluminous beach bag as the fashion statement. Thus, in the last decade many colours, sizes and shapes have come and gone. I have a weakness for bags and must have in the last decade purchased or been gifted with at least a dozen of them in various colours and sizes. Some of these bags surely have better pedigree and workmanship, but none of them simply stand up to my B3.
Since I am quite good at going back in time, I can vividly remember the day and time when I went to purchase my B3. We had planned a trip to Australia, Malaysia and Singapore in May 2000. This was my first trip outside India after my return from Saudi in 1995. The bags I had in my possession at that time were the ones I would carry while going visiting and shopping. They were not big enough to hold all the important documents required during a trip abroad as always I am the custodian of anything valuable. Thus prior to the Australia trip it was mandatory that I bought a bag. On one of my earlier trips to Prince Plaza in Egmore I had spotted a leather shop which I assumed was chic. I remembered that the name started with a Hide…., and unknowingly assumed that it was the showroom of the then and now talked about Hidesign. Without even bothering to check and confirm anything, one afternoon, I headed to Prince Plaza and decided to buy from the Hide…. Showroom. The shop was small and I could go through all the shelves in less than 15 minutes. Towards the rear of the shop situated in one of the lower shelves was placed the B3. She was shown to me, when I mentioned my requirements. The bag did seem bulky but on thinking about all the things that she had to hold, I gave her more than a look. The exterior was plain with two dull steel clasps and big straps. She was more like a shoulder bag and had two compartments which were capacious. There were zipped enclosures to hold the most precious of things. I liked the appearance and also thought about the utility value and thus decided to go ahead with the purchase. The bag cost Rs. 1200/- a handsome prize to pay for a bag ten years ago. After making the purchase and while coming out of the shop, I realized that the showroom was called Hideout and that it was a stand alone shop with absolutely no branches.
Although the purchase was made in haste and not from the store, I had in mind, I can proudly say that it was one of the best purchases that I have ever made. The bag has stood me in good stead. The zips have not given way, nor does the leather strap look worn out. The shape is still perfect and the leather feels rich with the passing of the years. The bag has been overloaded on many days what with a bunch of passports, wallets (both Kumar’s and mine), mobile phone, camera, reading glasses and shades, emergency medicines, note pads, maps, travelers guides and anything and everything a trip requires. I have at times carried jewellery in their original cases while going to attend marriages in Kerala or elsewhere. I mention this so that the reader can have an idea of the utility value of the B3.
My B3 has come with me on 7 international trips, and innumerable ones within India a privilege which none of my other accessories including my suitcases have ever had. It seems as if this B3 was made with me in mind, for I have never come across another person carrying anything even resembling this. It has been the envy of some of my friends and I have in vain taken more than one of them to the Hideout Showroom in search of a duplicate. As they say when it comes to food that the name of the person who is going to consume a grain is already written on it, I think the same holds good for every consumer product. Thus the name Usha must have been etched on her while being processed in any one of the numerous tanneries situated near the town of Vellore.
My B3 I am sure, like the B2 of the aircraft will survive any happening but unlike the B2 she has no recorder to enlighten the world of her various sojourns and all the interesting events she got a peek of or was party to.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Privileged
For a change during the last week, the papers have been showcasing or discussing celestial bodies. This was indeed most welcome from the regular politics of bickering and show man ship. The two celestial bodies in question were the ones well known to us humans and hence it made sense to read about the same. One was about Earth’s only satellite the Moon and the other also involved the Moon along with the life giver the Sun. The events in question were the 40th Anniversary of the Landing on the Moon by the American Astronauts and the second the Total Solar Eclipse the longest in almost two centuries. The first event to us Indians was on the 21st of July and the second on the 22nd of July. Although we had no role in the first original happening, being an event of great importance, we considered it only fit to celebrate it with the rest of mankind. The second event, for reasons heavenly, had India as its epicenter and thus called for immense hype and excitement.
The Moon, being the closest to the Earth, always seemed to the astronomers to be in their back yard, and the need to conquer or go to it has always been a quest. Although it was the Russians who first started sending rockets to outer space with the idea of reaching the Moon, it was the Americans who could first set their foot on the Moon and thus officially conquer it. It was indeed a trophy of the greatest magnitude to all the physicists and astronomers and to the people of America. I was 12 and studying in the eighth grade when Apollo 11 landed on the moon and Neil Armstrong proclaimed “This is one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind “. The date was the 20th of July 1969 in the US, but here in India it was the 21st of July 1969. As a young girl, I was not in the know of J.F. Kennedy’s speech about putting man on the moon before the end of the decade or of the various moon missions launched by the US and the erstwhile USSR. The papers I vaguely remember carried front page news for sometime prior to the actual touch down. With no TV, computer or internet, most of us were in the dark of the progress of the mission. We were too young to be tuned into the Voice of America or the BBC which I know had a live commentary. For us young girls the interests were of the other earthly happenings. I remember vividly being excited at that point about the forthcoming marriage of my aunt in Kerala and our impending trip for a week. The excitement was more as we were to miss a week of school.
The reason I can go back in time and remember that day has got to do with two of my friends. 21st July is the birthday of my close friend Sarah and hence a day I would remember all my life. That was the time in our lives when friendships were blooming and it meant the ultimate to greet a friend on her birthday. Thus even in my sleep I could rattle of the date as it was so deeply etched in my mind. The second reason has got to do with my friend Ashwathi. Ashwathi, is one person whom we all considered a brain box. I could write so much about her intelligence, but now will restrict myself to the topic on hand. She was no ordinary youngster and thus on that specific day had brought to school a transistor radio to keep track of the happenings. As she was aware of the approximate time of the day when the EVENT would occur, she tuned into her transistor and began stealthily listening to the commentary. When the rest of us came to know as to what she was up to, we requested the teacher to allow us to listen. Thus I must say that although I did not get a visual update of the event, I was privy to the happening. Little did I realize the importance of the event? Now when I think back, I am sure I may belong to the less than 1% of the Indian population that was privileged to do so. Later on the school did get us the documentary from the USIS and all of us got to watch it. The Government New Reels that were shown in theatres also beamed this event for a long time.
As I advanced in age, the relevance of the mission began to dawn. I also began to appreciate the perseverance and hard work put in by a group of people to achieve this spectacular event. I started to closely follow the Apollo, Columbia and the other missions executed by NASA. As a result of this interest, I felt it was my duty to pay my respect to these pioneers. I began to consider myself as being lucky to have lived in the period when an event of this magnitude happened. On my first visit to Washington DC, I made sure that I went to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and even got to touch a piece of rock brought by the Astronauts of the Apollo 11. I was enthralled to see command module of the Apollo 11 resting in this out of the world museum which is also home to the Wright Flyer and other pieces of history. My next tribute to the Moon mission was when I visited Cape Canaveral and got to see the various spacecrafts exhibited in the museum. Thus as an interested citizen of the world and also as one privileged, I have visited the Meccas of Space Travel and Technology.
One thing I wonder about is to whether that half of humanity born after the 21st of July 1969, will ever have anything of this magnitude to witness and talk about. There is talk of conquering the Mars, but then only time will tell. However what I am most curious to know is as to how Ashwathi spent the Ruby Anniversary of this great event. After all it was she who got a few of us to even think in this direction. I know she lives in Salem, Tamil Nadu, maybe I should take the effort to trace her. If by hard work and perseverance man could reach the moon, it shouldn’t be so difficult for me to find Ashwathi who is just 361kms away.
The Moon, being the closest to the Earth, always seemed to the astronomers to be in their back yard, and the need to conquer or go to it has always been a quest. Although it was the Russians who first started sending rockets to outer space with the idea of reaching the Moon, it was the Americans who could first set their foot on the Moon and thus officially conquer it. It was indeed a trophy of the greatest magnitude to all the physicists and astronomers and to the people of America. I was 12 and studying in the eighth grade when Apollo 11 landed on the moon and Neil Armstrong proclaimed “This is one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind “. The date was the 20th of July 1969 in the US, but here in India it was the 21st of July 1969. As a young girl, I was not in the know of J.F. Kennedy’s speech about putting man on the moon before the end of the decade or of the various moon missions launched by the US and the erstwhile USSR. The papers I vaguely remember carried front page news for sometime prior to the actual touch down. With no TV, computer or internet, most of us were in the dark of the progress of the mission. We were too young to be tuned into the Voice of America or the BBC which I know had a live commentary. For us young girls the interests were of the other earthly happenings. I remember vividly being excited at that point about the forthcoming marriage of my aunt in Kerala and our impending trip for a week. The excitement was more as we were to miss a week of school.
The reason I can go back in time and remember that day has got to do with two of my friends. 21st July is the birthday of my close friend Sarah and hence a day I would remember all my life. That was the time in our lives when friendships were blooming and it meant the ultimate to greet a friend on her birthday. Thus even in my sleep I could rattle of the date as it was so deeply etched in my mind. The second reason has got to do with my friend Ashwathi. Ashwathi, is one person whom we all considered a brain box. I could write so much about her intelligence, but now will restrict myself to the topic on hand. She was no ordinary youngster and thus on that specific day had brought to school a transistor radio to keep track of the happenings. As she was aware of the approximate time of the day when the EVENT would occur, she tuned into her transistor and began stealthily listening to the commentary. When the rest of us came to know as to what she was up to, we requested the teacher to allow us to listen. Thus I must say that although I did not get a visual update of the event, I was privy to the happening. Little did I realize the importance of the event? Now when I think back, I am sure I may belong to the less than 1% of the Indian population that was privileged to do so. Later on the school did get us the documentary from the USIS and all of us got to watch it. The Government New Reels that were shown in theatres also beamed this event for a long time.
As I advanced in age, the relevance of the mission began to dawn. I also began to appreciate the perseverance and hard work put in by a group of people to achieve this spectacular event. I started to closely follow the Apollo, Columbia and the other missions executed by NASA. As a result of this interest, I felt it was my duty to pay my respect to these pioneers. I began to consider myself as being lucky to have lived in the period when an event of this magnitude happened. On my first visit to Washington DC, I made sure that I went to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and even got to touch a piece of rock brought by the Astronauts of the Apollo 11. I was enthralled to see command module of the Apollo 11 resting in this out of the world museum which is also home to the Wright Flyer and other pieces of history. My next tribute to the Moon mission was when I visited Cape Canaveral and got to see the various spacecrafts exhibited in the museum. Thus as an interested citizen of the world and also as one privileged, I have visited the Meccas of Space Travel and Technology.
One thing I wonder about is to whether that half of humanity born after the 21st of July 1969, will ever have anything of this magnitude to witness and talk about. There is talk of conquering the Mars, but then only time will tell. However what I am most curious to know is as to how Ashwathi spent the Ruby Anniversary of this great event. After all it was she who got a few of us to even think in this direction. I know she lives in Salem, Tamil Nadu, maybe I should take the effort to trace her. If by hard work and perseverance man could reach the moon, it shouldn’t be so difficult for me to find Ashwathi who is just 361kms away.
Monday, July 20, 2009
The Ongoing Sham
Yesterday I happened to attend a SKAL get together. After a while the ladies formed a group like in any other Indian social gathering and it did not take long before the topic of conversation drifted to saris and jewellery. It was not very long before someone commented on the on going sale in most of the shops in the city and state. Being the month of Aadi(15th July to 15th August) in the Tamil Almanac, the trend by the retailers is to conduct these massive sales. This vogue seems to be gaining momentum with every passing year and this year it has reached a crescendo. One extra reason could be the poor business turnover due to the ongoing recession.
Everyone in the group had a juicy bit to contribute. There were talks of sales ranging from the lowly 10% to the handsome 50%. Everyone seemed to have hit a bargain and they seemed so proud of their skill and smartness. I sat quiet because I did not want to exhibit my foolishness as it was only prior to the month of Aadi that I had made some big purchases, (Big is a relative term for what is big to me may just be peanuts for some others) The next question that came to my mind was the logic behind the Aadi sales. It is understandable to have a sale during festival times or during the end of a season. That is an accepted world wide phenomenon. Now Aadi is a month that has dual identities. Its first identity is that of a month where all the gods are revered and also a month with innumerable auspicious days. Its second identity is that of a month being taboo for anything auspicious to be performed. This includes marriages, house warmings and the start of any projects be it big or small. However the end of the month of Aadi is greeted by a flood of festivals beginning with Ganesh Chathurthi followed by Navaratri then Deepavali and ending in Christmas/New Year and Pongal. The great marriage season also starts at the end of Aadi. Even though Aadi is a prelude to all these festivities, no purchase is made during this period for anything auspicious.
Keeping all this in mind I am forced to draw a conclusion that the idea behind the Aadi sale is to do away with all the old stock from the previous year, things that did not see the light of day (or the neon light of the shop). When that is the case, is it wise to empty one’s wallet at these bargains? Isn’t it a marketing gimmick by the ever ingenious retailers to stay afloat? Isn’t the gullible consumer being taken for a ride? The logic could be that you get what you pay for. When you pay less, you get less. The funny thing about these SALES is the board that reads, “Goods once sold will not be taken back.” Do we really need this Aadi sale which in more ways than one has become a nuisance to the normal consumer? (There is no way he or she can walk into a shop and go about their normal shopping and again the traffic jams caused by the bargain hunters is definitely not a pleasant experience.) Also, the advertisement tamasha that greets the readers of the dailies is most garish and undesirable. It is also learnt that in most cases the price of the product is raised prior to the sale so that there is no loss incurred. Another way of looking at a SALE is the lowering of the atrocious prices that existed before these SALES. However it goes without saying that the word SALE is a psychological tool that works well on the human mind (especially that of the women folk) and has been proved thus ever since the retailing business began.
Since it is not within me to stop the SALE culture, all I can do is to sit back and endure this menace year in and year out. The only saving grace for me is the fact that the shops were I go shopping are yet to join the SALE bandwagon. This to me is definitely a point of relief. I wonder why these shops stay out of the fray. Could it mean that they always sell goods at the right price, keeping in mind the money conscious buyers or could it be that they were so dead sure of their quality and thus certain that their customers won’t move away from them. Either of the two reasons suited me fine for in the first instance it meant that I was patronizing some fair priced stores and with the second reason it meant that I was getting quality goods worth every penny I spent. I could not mention any of this to the crowd that evening as they would have eaten me alive. Not for them the logic of fair priced shops and quality goods. To them the mantra was that “A sale is on and a killing has to be made”.
Everyone in the group had a juicy bit to contribute. There were talks of sales ranging from the lowly 10% to the handsome 50%. Everyone seemed to have hit a bargain and they seemed so proud of their skill and smartness. I sat quiet because I did not want to exhibit my foolishness as it was only prior to the month of Aadi that I had made some big purchases, (Big is a relative term for what is big to me may just be peanuts for some others) The next question that came to my mind was the logic behind the Aadi sales. It is understandable to have a sale during festival times or during the end of a season. That is an accepted world wide phenomenon. Now Aadi is a month that has dual identities. Its first identity is that of a month where all the gods are revered and also a month with innumerable auspicious days. Its second identity is that of a month being taboo for anything auspicious to be performed. This includes marriages, house warmings and the start of any projects be it big or small. However the end of the month of Aadi is greeted by a flood of festivals beginning with Ganesh Chathurthi followed by Navaratri then Deepavali and ending in Christmas/New Year and Pongal. The great marriage season also starts at the end of Aadi. Even though Aadi is a prelude to all these festivities, no purchase is made during this period for anything auspicious.
Keeping all this in mind I am forced to draw a conclusion that the idea behind the Aadi sale is to do away with all the old stock from the previous year, things that did not see the light of day (or the neon light of the shop). When that is the case, is it wise to empty one’s wallet at these bargains? Isn’t it a marketing gimmick by the ever ingenious retailers to stay afloat? Isn’t the gullible consumer being taken for a ride? The logic could be that you get what you pay for. When you pay less, you get less. The funny thing about these SALES is the board that reads, “Goods once sold will not be taken back.” Do we really need this Aadi sale which in more ways than one has become a nuisance to the normal consumer? (There is no way he or she can walk into a shop and go about their normal shopping and again the traffic jams caused by the bargain hunters is definitely not a pleasant experience.) Also, the advertisement tamasha that greets the readers of the dailies is most garish and undesirable. It is also learnt that in most cases the price of the product is raised prior to the sale so that there is no loss incurred. Another way of looking at a SALE is the lowering of the atrocious prices that existed before these SALES. However it goes without saying that the word SALE is a psychological tool that works well on the human mind (especially that of the women folk) and has been proved thus ever since the retailing business began.
Since it is not within me to stop the SALE culture, all I can do is to sit back and endure this menace year in and year out. The only saving grace for me is the fact that the shops were I go shopping are yet to join the SALE bandwagon. This to me is definitely a point of relief. I wonder why these shops stay out of the fray. Could it mean that they always sell goods at the right price, keeping in mind the money conscious buyers or could it be that they were so dead sure of their quality and thus certain that their customers won’t move away from them. Either of the two reasons suited me fine for in the first instance it meant that I was patronizing some fair priced stores and with the second reason it meant that I was getting quality goods worth every penny I spent. I could not mention any of this to the crowd that evening as they would have eaten me alive. Not for them the logic of fair priced shops and quality goods. To them the mantra was that “A sale is on and a killing has to be made”.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Captivating Squares
I wonder why it took me so long to write about something I enjoy doing every day. What started of as a simple puzzle has now been attributed with magical powers. It is said to motivate or stimulate the brain and also to keep at bay serious illnesses like Parkinsonism and Alzheimer’s. Though I got hooked on to it for the joy that numbers give me, it has turned out to be the best antidote in my medicine chest. Well I am talking about the Sudoku of which I am sure everyone is familiar.
Numbers have always fascinated me. Whenever I come across a new number of which I need to keep track, I try to put it into my memory in a way in which I can recall the same when required. This is true of mainly the telephone numbers of family and friends and sometimes even their vehicle numbers. I have my own way of doing this and it is hard for me to put my methods down on paper. I can only say that the end results are gratifying. Thus a mini telephone directory exists in my brain. With the advent of the Mobile phone and especially its number storage capacity, my need to remember numbers is slowly but surely ceasing to exist. I must be one of the few people unhappy with this state as to me it felt as if the brain would stop functioning. It was when my spirits were at a nadir that the Sudoku puzzles first started appearing in the local dailies. I have to credit the Deccan Chronicle for introducing me to this treat for it was they among the Chennai papers, who first published a Sudoku puzzle. The paper as such started its Chennai edition in 2005, when Sudoku was gaining popularity the world over and this was the bonus they offered. Since it was a number puzzle, I took to it at the first glance. The first couple of days, I had no clue as to what was required or as to how to go about finishing the puzzle. There where no instructions, except for a single liner which stated that a number should not be repeated. It did not strike my mind that I could always go on to the internet and find a solution. Anyway within a week I cleared a few of the puzzles, only to find tougher ones being published subsequently. Thus, the challenge increased and along with it my love for these puzzles.
These four years have honed my skills when it comes to solving a Sudoku. I have graduated from a beginner to more or less an expert. I can break most of the in built codes with reasoning and logic. This passion has superseded my love for current affairs and other happenings in the newspaper. Being a thoroughbred Chennaiite, I start my day with The Hindu newspaper, or shall I say with the Sudoku in the paper. I get admonished at times by my father, as he feels that I get to spend more time doing the puzzles at the expense of all the world happenings. He cannot understand how I can mull over my tiny 81 squares. (a grid consisting of 9x9, with 9, 3x3 sub squares) The puzzles come with various levels of difficulties and in The Hindu paper are graded from one to five. I have started ignoring the one and two and only do from the three to the five. Since we subscribe to four English and two vernacular dailies, I am on a daily basis greeted by 7 fresh Sudokus. I get to do only a couple as otherwise it becomes a strain on my time and my neck. Discarding the other five is to me like forfeiting a great pleasure. I know there is no point in cutting out the unused ones and storing them for a rainy day as every day brings forth a fresh lot. The way they are being published seems like there is a never ending supply from a bottomless pit.
Although the origin of the puzzle is from Japan, the person behind the computerization of the puzzle resulting in the bottomless pit is a New Zealander. The Japanese are truly ingenuous people who could come up with a simple game which only needs logic and clear thinking and absolutely nothing else. This is a far cry from the gizmos and video games for which the very same country is most famous. It is said that the Sudoku has been around for more than 200 years in forms similar to its present format, however its popularity soared only in 2004 November when The Times of the UK, started featuring it. I am indeed glad that the newspapers in India did not waste any time in introducing the same over here.
"Sudoku" literally means "single number." It is actually an abbreviation of a longer name, "Sūji wa dokushin ni kagiru," which roughly means "the numbers must occur only once.” To me the single number in Sudoku can only be Numero Uno or the Number One for I have placed it on the highest pedestal as it beats all the other puzzles by virtue of its simple format which hides various degrees of complexity. To the buff in me there has been no looking back ever since I won a Sudoku contest. On being asked to explain the reasoning involved in solving the puzzle, I had to give a dumb stare for like the various phone and car numbers stored in my mind, I follow no mathematical steps when solving these puzzles. For me the mantra is “A new day dawns and a few new puzzles get cracked.”
Numbers have always fascinated me. Whenever I come across a new number of which I need to keep track, I try to put it into my memory in a way in which I can recall the same when required. This is true of mainly the telephone numbers of family and friends and sometimes even their vehicle numbers. I have my own way of doing this and it is hard for me to put my methods down on paper. I can only say that the end results are gratifying. Thus a mini telephone directory exists in my brain. With the advent of the Mobile phone and especially its number storage capacity, my need to remember numbers is slowly but surely ceasing to exist. I must be one of the few people unhappy with this state as to me it felt as if the brain would stop functioning. It was when my spirits were at a nadir that the Sudoku puzzles first started appearing in the local dailies. I have to credit the Deccan Chronicle for introducing me to this treat for it was they among the Chennai papers, who first published a Sudoku puzzle. The paper as such started its Chennai edition in 2005, when Sudoku was gaining popularity the world over and this was the bonus they offered. Since it was a number puzzle, I took to it at the first glance. The first couple of days, I had no clue as to what was required or as to how to go about finishing the puzzle. There where no instructions, except for a single liner which stated that a number should not be repeated. It did not strike my mind that I could always go on to the internet and find a solution. Anyway within a week I cleared a few of the puzzles, only to find tougher ones being published subsequently. Thus, the challenge increased and along with it my love for these puzzles.
These four years have honed my skills when it comes to solving a Sudoku. I have graduated from a beginner to more or less an expert. I can break most of the in built codes with reasoning and logic. This passion has superseded my love for current affairs and other happenings in the newspaper. Being a thoroughbred Chennaiite, I start my day with The Hindu newspaper, or shall I say with the Sudoku in the paper. I get admonished at times by my father, as he feels that I get to spend more time doing the puzzles at the expense of all the world happenings. He cannot understand how I can mull over my tiny 81 squares. (a grid consisting of 9x9, with 9, 3x3 sub squares) The puzzles come with various levels of difficulties and in The Hindu paper are graded from one to five. I have started ignoring the one and two and only do from the three to the five. Since we subscribe to four English and two vernacular dailies, I am on a daily basis greeted by 7 fresh Sudokus. I get to do only a couple as otherwise it becomes a strain on my time and my neck. Discarding the other five is to me like forfeiting a great pleasure. I know there is no point in cutting out the unused ones and storing them for a rainy day as every day brings forth a fresh lot. The way they are being published seems like there is a never ending supply from a bottomless pit.
Although the origin of the puzzle is from Japan, the person behind the computerization of the puzzle resulting in the bottomless pit is a New Zealander. The Japanese are truly ingenuous people who could come up with a simple game which only needs logic and clear thinking and absolutely nothing else. This is a far cry from the gizmos and video games for which the very same country is most famous. It is said that the Sudoku has been around for more than 200 years in forms similar to its present format, however its popularity soared only in 2004 November when The Times of the UK, started featuring it. I am indeed glad that the newspapers in India did not waste any time in introducing the same over here.
"Sudoku" literally means "single number." It is actually an abbreviation of a longer name, "Sūji wa dokushin ni kagiru," which roughly means "the numbers must occur only once.” To me the single number in Sudoku can only be Numero Uno or the Number One for I have placed it on the highest pedestal as it beats all the other puzzles by virtue of its simple format which hides various degrees of complexity. To the buff in me there has been no looking back ever since I won a Sudoku contest. On being asked to explain the reasoning involved in solving the puzzle, I had to give a dumb stare for like the various phone and car numbers stored in my mind, I follow no mathematical steps when solving these puzzles. For me the mantra is “A new day dawns and a few new puzzles get cracked.”
Saturday, July 4, 2009
The Beckoning
Tirunavaya was to me a decrepit railway station situated between Shoranur and Calicut, a place where none of the trains I traveled in stopped. I would see it on my travels from Chennai to Calicut and back. This town or shall I call it a village acquired relevance in my life only in the last decade. It was in the year 2000 after the death of my grand mother that I went there for the first time to perform the last rites. I had known earlier that it was a popular destination for people from Malabar when it came to performing the last rites for the departed souls. Amrutham Gamaya (1987) a Malayalam movie starring Mohanlal was shot in Tirunavaya and showed all the locales including the famous Navamukundan Temple. I had seen the movie then but at that point only got to appreciate the fine acting abilities of the hero. There was a rerun of this movie yesterday and while seeing Tirunavaya again, it got me thinking about all that I had learnt about Tirunavaya and the neighbouring areas in the last 22 years. I can attribute this to gaining knowledge with the advancement of age or can I call it the attraction to one’s roots as a result of aging. Whichever way I look at it, Tirunavaya has found a place in my scheme of things.
Tirunavaya is situated on the banks of the great Bharathapuzha or River Nila another name for this water body. Of the name Nila I got to know only last year when I was reading a travelogue. Once that name registered, I tried to recollect so many song lyrics which featured River Nila and these lyrics now seemed so much more relevant. The history of Tirunavaya and Bharathapuzha are closely linked and thus one cannot be separated from the other. Bharathapuzha is the second longest river in Kerala covering a distance of more than 200 kms. It has its source in the Anamalais in the Tamilnadu section of the Western Ghats. From there it flows through the Palakkad Gap and then traverses through the districts of Palakkad, Thrissur and Malapurram before meeting the Arabian Sea at Ponnani. On the banks of this river are situated some very historical temples including the Sastha or Ayyappan Temple at Chamravattam, the Sri Rama Temple at Thiruvilwamala and of course the above mentioned Navamukundan temple. My first tryst with the river was when I was a teenager. We had reached Ponnani and wanted to get across to Chamravattam on the other bank. Those were the days before the river had been spanned and the easiest way was by a boat. It was during the monsoon season and the river was swollen and a might to reckon with. Very cautiously and tight lipped I made the crossing with the rest of the family. Being a hydrophobic, the thought of the boat capsizing was always at the back of my mind. Kalamandalam the art and culture centre of Kerala which is the creation of Vellathol Narayana Menon is situated on the banks of Bharathapuzha at Cheruthuruthy. The whole belt is a treat to the eye with every corner springing up beautiful and quaint temples or other archeological wonders. The flora comprising of magnificent trees and lush paddy fields is indeed verdant. This area has provided the fodder to many an artist, writer and poet.
Tirunavaya being a part of this slice of heaven, it enjoys every bit of the above mentioned characteristics. In addition to these endowments, Tirunavaya is historically very significant. It was the venue for the Mamankam a grand scale jamboree which took place once in 12 years. Mamankam is the short form for Magha Makam and was like a trade fair that was held for almost a month. The participants came from far and wide and it is said that they included traders from the Arab countries, Persia and Europe. What began as an event to promote trade, later turned into a war zone between two local kings. Since the Zamorin of Calicut had forcefully taken over the area, his rival would send suicide killers to decapitate the Zamorin. Although no Zamorin was ever killed, every Mamankam had its own element of intrigue and deception. The last of the Mamankams was held in 1766, after which Hyder Ali the ruler of Mysore captured the area and thus the event ceased. Now that I know Tirunavaya reasonably well, (after all it consists of a single two lane traffic road) I wonder as to where this Magnus Opus among events was held. The Zamorins in the last 50-70 years have been men in their late 80’s and 90’s and hence I find it difficult to comprehend that these men did ever lead a mighty army. Although a ceremonial post now, the Zamorin like other Indian Kings of yore was a powerful man. It was indeed he who played the perfect host when Vasco Da Gama first landed at Kappad near Calicut in the year 1495. Whatever followed this event is after all history to the world!!
Tirunavaya station continues to have the same look. However since the last decade, I can only see it with renewed respect. The Mamankam is definitely one reason for this elevated status but the second and the most important is the fact that my mother’s ashes are embedded in the sands of the Bharathapuzha at Tirunavaya. If I were to have a wish granted, that would be to retire on the banks of the Bharathapuzha and to be a part of a Mamankam in its true spirit!!
Tirunavaya is situated on the banks of the great Bharathapuzha or River Nila another name for this water body. Of the name Nila I got to know only last year when I was reading a travelogue. Once that name registered, I tried to recollect so many song lyrics which featured River Nila and these lyrics now seemed so much more relevant. The history of Tirunavaya and Bharathapuzha are closely linked and thus one cannot be separated from the other. Bharathapuzha is the second longest river in Kerala covering a distance of more than 200 kms. It has its source in the Anamalais in the Tamilnadu section of the Western Ghats. From there it flows through the Palakkad Gap and then traverses through the districts of Palakkad, Thrissur and Malapurram before meeting the Arabian Sea at Ponnani. On the banks of this river are situated some very historical temples including the Sastha or Ayyappan Temple at Chamravattam, the Sri Rama Temple at Thiruvilwamala and of course the above mentioned Navamukundan temple. My first tryst with the river was when I was a teenager. We had reached Ponnani and wanted to get across to Chamravattam on the other bank. Those were the days before the river had been spanned and the easiest way was by a boat. It was during the monsoon season and the river was swollen and a might to reckon with. Very cautiously and tight lipped I made the crossing with the rest of the family. Being a hydrophobic, the thought of the boat capsizing was always at the back of my mind. Kalamandalam the art and culture centre of Kerala which is the creation of Vellathol Narayana Menon is situated on the banks of Bharathapuzha at Cheruthuruthy. The whole belt is a treat to the eye with every corner springing up beautiful and quaint temples or other archeological wonders. The flora comprising of magnificent trees and lush paddy fields is indeed verdant. This area has provided the fodder to many an artist, writer and poet.
Tirunavaya being a part of this slice of heaven, it enjoys every bit of the above mentioned characteristics. In addition to these endowments, Tirunavaya is historically very significant. It was the venue for the Mamankam a grand scale jamboree which took place once in 12 years. Mamankam is the short form for Magha Makam and was like a trade fair that was held for almost a month. The participants came from far and wide and it is said that they included traders from the Arab countries, Persia and Europe. What began as an event to promote trade, later turned into a war zone between two local kings. Since the Zamorin of Calicut had forcefully taken over the area, his rival would send suicide killers to decapitate the Zamorin. Although no Zamorin was ever killed, every Mamankam had its own element of intrigue and deception. The last of the Mamankams was held in 1766, after which Hyder Ali the ruler of Mysore captured the area and thus the event ceased. Now that I know Tirunavaya reasonably well, (after all it consists of a single two lane traffic road) I wonder as to where this Magnus Opus among events was held. The Zamorins in the last 50-70 years have been men in their late 80’s and 90’s and hence I find it difficult to comprehend that these men did ever lead a mighty army. Although a ceremonial post now, the Zamorin like other Indian Kings of yore was a powerful man. It was indeed he who played the perfect host when Vasco Da Gama first landed at Kappad near Calicut in the year 1495. Whatever followed this event is after all history to the world!!
Tirunavaya station continues to have the same look. However since the last decade, I can only see it with renewed respect. The Mamankam is definitely one reason for this elevated status but the second and the most important is the fact that my mother’s ashes are embedded in the sands of the Bharathapuzha at Tirunavaya. If I were to have a wish granted, that would be to retire on the banks of the Bharathapuzha and to be a part of a Mamankam in its true spirit!!
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