Saasthri-graphy

Its been an eventful one year since completing college. So many changes in every aspect of life. Something I feel that has changed dramatically - the way festivals are celebrated. Everything is customized to suit one's needs and the person who thrives these times is "Mr. Saasthrigal".

With the start-up Saasthrigals driving with Rayban "on" in a Splendor or a Victor and the big budget double-decker saasthris driving an Ikon or a Sumo, these guys rule the roost on days like Aavani Avittam, Vinayaka Chaturthi and Varalakshmi Viratham. They have their own templates and settings. Of course, "Kalyanam" means "Kaattula Mazhai"...

Now, take Aavani Avittam as an example.

Those days (atleast till 2002 since my birth):
People gather at a common place, usually a temple or a Mut or even houses of their neighbours. One "Master" Saasthrigal (anga avar than Arch Bishop of Canterbury range-la proceedings conduct pannuvar) performs the "Maha Sangalpam". Chanting of the mantras and the abishekam (if in a temple) makes the day.

Post 2002:
Its been the introduction of amendments and clauses to the way things are to be performed. Yes, customizing as we say. If you ask for permission to come late on Aavani Avittam, your boss says, "Hey, what for?!? cassettes are available. Buy one, finish things off and come on time!"

Saasthris do give a handout of the mantras to be chanted on Aavani Avittam - documentation we say in IT - with apt publicity, amendments, acceptable criteria and clauses that are acceptable incase of violations of anything. This year, Varalakshmi Viratham and Aavani Aavittam fell on the same day. I shocked with something our family Saasthri told us; "Varalakshmi viratham can be performed on the previous friday ALSO". Looks like they have convened a meeting of all Saasthris and decided upon this (naatla ivanunga thaan association form pannama irunthaanga-nu nenaichen... remba thappu). There was a "Kurippu" in the handout we were given about this one. My parents and I couldn't help laughing out at the dubious stuff thats happening.

No prizes for guessing the reason for the emergency meeting and the resultant contingency plan... "DOUBLE DHATCHANAI". If you could have these two festivals on two different days, solid 200 (rate correct-a?) bucks man!! We would chat endlessly on things like this in office and end up laughing. What else can we do?!? Everyone of us are at the receiving end. Who is to blame? Whatever be the case, these things go unnoticed. We are in the IT era. No leave. So no other go... :-)

Saasthrigal kaattula eppovume mazhai thaan... All that we can do is drench ourselves and sing in that rain and swooying in that rain!!

P.S: Varalakshmi Viratham in my home was observed on the day it was supposed to be.

cRICKet

The new rules in ODI cricket. Does it augur well for the game of cricket? Well, a YES and a NO. This is "fast-food kaalam" - famous words in Tamil, now a cliche. Thats basically the reason for the introduction of these rules, the same reason why Twenty 20 evolved in England - a tonic for lack of patience. Infact it has revived interest in cricket in England, The Home of Cricket. Sounds funny isnt it?

People don't have the patience anymore to sit and watch a 50 over game. You come back from office, watch a game of Twenty 20 for 150 minutes... boy! that makes your day! No wonder twenty 20 games provide awsome entertainment. A lot is at stake - Funky team names, Free hits off the next ball after a no-ball, live chats with players during the game, of course high voltage cricketing action, not to forget the mascot race during the lunch break in the final with very good commentary. Ooh, what else can you ask for in a span of three hours?

Its with the same aim that ODI rules are being tampered with - just to make the game more lively and pulsating. Because, its only the first 15 overs and the last 10 overs that are being eagerly watched. The introduction of Powerplay is aimed around this area. The fielding captain definitely has more options although nothing much can be done if the batsmen run berserk!! The super sub rule is crap. It gives undue advantage/disadvantage to teams based upon toss! Already the toss swings the game heavily in a side's favour, leave alone the days of rain, this one is just to add misery.

The numerous clauses to these two rules at the end will make the cricket rules books bulky and the umpire's life more difficult apart from taking the charm away from the game. Who knows? There may be a super sub rule for the umpires as well in the days to come to overcome confusion over rules!!

10K for Dada at laaaast...

So Saurav Ganguly a.k.a Dada has finally snailed his way past 10,000 runs in ODIs. Its been an extremely agonizing wait for the former Indian captain (dunno if I can use that term yet?!?) to reach the milestone taking as many as 8 matches to move from 9936 to 10,000. Dada has overcome an incredibly big ebb in his graph, redeemed himself with a stint with Glamorgan and is now back. I have never known anyone who has had so much criticism during their lean period. From the open public outburst to the 2-minute Maggi recipe jokes and featuring the most in discussion forums of IT majors, Ganguly has faced it all. The matches which Ganguly has won for India with his batting were forgotten and its been criticism, criticism and criticism all the way! Just imagine anyone's way of playing being likened to Krish Srikkanth's hindi. That's the level of insult Dada has faced.

But Ganguly has remained Ganguly and that has helped him bounce back. His blazing 124 ball 142 against a strong Surrey outfit, though on a losing effort, set the tone and he hasn't looked back with the 50 against SL in the last game being a major fillip to his much needed confidence and peace of mind. Scoring 10,000 runs is not something everyone can do and Ganguly has been such a prolific scorer in ODIs that it was only a matter of time before he would scale the landmark. Perhaps the ebb can be called 'Drishti'. I know people are waiting to kick me after reading the previous sentence. Ok, take it for a Bengali... :-)

Last week I chanced to treat myself with Ganguly's classic 144 at the Gabba. Sir Geoffrey Boycott would say 'My prince is back, my prince is back' repeatedly during that innings. He would perhaps like to repeat that now. Well, if the prince is back, its certainly great news for the struggling men in blue in the emerald Isle.