The IPL tamaasha

I love cricket.

And living in India means you cannot escape the Indian Premier League (IPL).

And how could you miss it? The silken drives of Dravid, the brilliance of Jayawardene and Sangakarra, the fiery pace of Dale Steyn and the fearsome accuracy of Malinga... these and many more cricketing delights are on offer.

Yet...

 There was this post by Tom Alter on watching Sunil Gavaskar, his cricketing hero, reduced to a gimmick on what they call 'Extraaa Innings'. "Cricket," writes Alter, "is reduced to a sideshow of a sideshow."

And that is when I realised that the game of "cricket" that I knew and loved had been lost.

In the last couple of weeks, when I had crashed onto my bed at night, excited tweets of "Chennaaaaaaiiiiii.....you rock!!!!!" didn't spur me out of bed to switch on the TV, but those describing the courageous declarations of Michael Clarke and the close finishes that the test matches of the West Indies vs. Australia were producing, did.

Someone wrote about how IPL is the perfect "timepass" for a country which loves "timepass". David Dhawan-Govinda movies worked because they were "timepass", so will the IPL. It is entertainment for the masses.

I realised today how true the "timepass" tag is for the IPL; I now keep the TV on mute and go about my daily chores as I normally would. The game is itself of little consequence; watch a bit of it when passing by and move on.

Mukul Kesavan in this article hit the nail on the head on a number of reasons why the IPL is more a farce than cricket. He compares the IPL to WWF; of how the two are nothing but orchestrated entertainment orgies. It has become a carnival of big hitting where all the audience wants to see are sixes. Sixes did you say? Well, let's sell that and make it a "DLF maximum". Stunning catch? Why not "Karbonn Kamaal catch"? And ultimately, it is all about stringing together "Citi Moments of Success".

Its like selling the soul of cricket to the devil.

Of course, you should completely forget how rules are tweaked and conflicts of interest are shoved under the carpet (and I'm talking about YOU Mr. N. 'India Cements' Srinivasan).

Where the question "Why Munaf Patel and Harbhajan Singh, team member and captain of Mumbai Indians (owned by one of the wealthiest men on the planet), should not be banned from subsequent matches after a behaviour like this?" is never asked.

It is not that the IPL doesn't bring forth moments of cricketing joy. There was *that* six by Sachin off Albie Morkel in the first game of this season's IPL, awesome enough to inspire Sidvee to write this post.

The "away" game that Saurav Ganguly played at the Eden divided loyalties in the city. Sidharth Monga aptly described the excitement and the anxiousness of the days prior to the game and during the match itself.

Then there was that over that Dale Steyn bowled to Richard Levi. Six balls of sheer brilliance, resulting in a maiden over. The last ball of that over was a perfect in-swinging yorker that bowled Levi. And here's what breaks my heart. When today I search for the words "Dale Steyn Richard Levi" on YouTube, all that is available is the last ball of that over. This is the perfect example of what we have reduced this great game to.

Not a game. Not a celebration of skills. But a tamaasha.

If it wasn't evident enough that this was a tamaasha, there are the "cheerleaders". Thankfully, a PR lady in Bangalore interviewed these beautiful girls and showed us how they are actually well qualified young girls from respectable families. Unfortunately that is not how the Indian masses switching on TV see them. Most of them, I'm sure, are waiting to ogle at the slow motion replays of these girls dancing.

But don't I watch the IPL myself? Have I too, like millions others, sold my cricketing soul to the devil? Have I too not defiled the sacred game that was handed over to me by Dad when he took me to Eden Gardens on a chilly winter morning to watch a Test match between India and England?

And then, it struck me. The answer lies in this ad for the 2012 IPL.

I was like the two boys who are discreetly looking for some entertainment. Some "tamaasha". The carnival. Where I can watch the greats of the game peddle their craft for a few coins. Where girls dance atop platforms in front of the crowds. Where the thrill is heightened by the sense of excitement at having watched something which I know was impure.

Is this cricket? Of course not.... "Yeh IPL hai boss!!"

#ThingsILoveAboutKolkata

You know how they say that it is because of Twitter that the number of blog posts have gone down.

Well, today is the day blogs pull back one of their own. For here is a post inspired by a Twitter trend.

Sometime earlier today, self-confessed Calcutta lover @thesatbir started the hashtag #ThingsILoveAboutKolkata innocently enough. "Please contribute," his tweet read.

What followed was bizzare. The topic trended at number one in India for most of the afternoon and it is almost seven hours later that the hashtag is still trending at the number 3 spot as I type this.

There was no way I could've put together *ALL* the things people said, but here are some of my favourites:

• #ThingsILoveAboutKolkata That I cannot fit in 140 characters (@diptakirti)
• Balwant Singh Dhaba ka chai, doodh cola and old Sardarji at the counter (@anushreekejriwa)
• Usha Uthup (@vijaypandey)
• Flury's
• 'Bhar' (earthen pots)
• Satyajit Ray
• Saurav Ganguly (Dada)
• Yellow Ambassadors as taxis
• White sarees with red borders
• Tarka dal at Azad Hind Dhaba (@kavibhansali)
• Maacher jhol
• 'Roshogulla'
• 'Sondesh'
• 'Mishti Doi'
• K C Das
• Ind vs. Aus 2001 test match Dravid and Laxman (@dev8th)
• The Bengali accent
• Calcutta paan

And here are some that I put forth myself:

• Fuchka
• Bob Biswas
• Jhaal Muri
• College girls in bright sarees on Saraswati Puja day
• Netaji's statue
• Eden Gardens
• @seemantinibose pointed out "In a packed bus "Dada ektu shore darate parchen na?" and the fight starts :)" which reminded me of my friend Rahul Chawra's (@srahula) debate histrionics when he said the following
• Conductor shouting at the driver, "AASHTE.... LADIES... KOLE BACCHA..!!"
• Coffee House-er shei adda ta
• A. C. Market
• 'Daak naam' aar 'Bhaalo naam'
• Mahisasurmardini on radio on Mahalaya mornings

It's what you believe in

It is not often that I lose sleep over an article that I read in a business magazine. I admit it used to happen a lot when I was in college, but not any more.

Which is why the last few days have been unusual.

I came across this on the Harvard Business Review blog the other day.

In 2009, when Tim Cook was asked by an analyst how Apple might change if he (Cook) were to permanently replace Steve Jobs (who had just taken a leave due to ill health), Cook's reply was little short of awe-inspiring.

"We believe we are on the face of the earth to make great products, and that's not changing."

"We believe in the simple not the complex... We believe in saying no to thousands of products, so that we can really focus on the few that are truly important and meaningful to us."

Even if this were a doctored answer, what hit me the most was the conviction that Tim Cook's words seem to have.

As the article goes on to say, "It's not what you sell it's what you believe."

The student learns...

Walking in the footsteps of a great is a special joy reserved for few. And uncovering a path which has been previously explored by someone and was thus far hidden from you means that the joy reaches another level altogether. The serendipity of stumbling upon something which was left there precisely to help you can bring a smile to your face. The student always remembers what he learnt by doing or discovering something himself rather than learning by rote.

The Shiva Panchakshara Stotram took me a few weeks to memorise. The stotra praises Lord Shiva and each stanza ends bowing to the five letters (hence 'Panchakshara') that constitute Namah Shivaya.

It isn't that the meanings or the words are difficult to understand. What I was grappling with, however, was the order in which the stanzas were to be recited.

Till one morning, while I was reciting the said stotra during my morning prayers, it struck me like lightning: as a mnemonic clue, the first word of each of the stanzas begins with the letter in the order in which it appears in Namah Shivaya.

The thrill of excitement that I experienced with this discovery cannot be expressed. More than the fact that I will never get the order of the stanzas wrong, I was super kicked about the fact that I had discovered this clue on my own: no elder or website or book had alluded to this hidden fact.

For benefit of the readers, here is the text of the Shiva Panchakshara Stotram:

Nagendra Haaraaya Thrilochanaaya
Bhasmaanga Raagaaya Maheshvaraaya
Nityaaya Suddhaaya Digambaraaya
Tasmai Nakaaraaya Namah Shivaaya.

Mandaakini Salila Chandana Chaarthitaaya
Nandeesvara Pramatha Naatha Mahesvaraaya
Mandaara Pushpa Vahu Pushpa Supoojitaaya
Tasmai Makaaraaya Namah Shivaaya

Shivaaya Gauri Vadana Aravinda
Sooryaaya Dakshaadhvara Naashakaaya
Sree Neelakantaaya Vrisha Dhvajaaya
Tasmai Shikaaraaya Namah Shivaaya

Vasishta Kumbhodbhava Gautamaaya
Muneendra Devaarchita Sekharaaya
Chandraarka Vaishvaanara Lochanaaya
Tasmai Vakaaraaya Namah Shivaaya

Yajna Swaroopaaya Jataadharaaya
Pinaaka Hasthaaya Sanaatanaaya
Divyaaya Devaaya Digambaraaya
Tasmai Yakaraaya Namah Shivaaya.

Panchaaksharam Idam Punyam
Yah Pateh Shiva Sannidhau
Shivaloka Mavaapnothee
Shivena Saha Modate

Super 8: The Play

A little late in the day, but these are memories from a wonderful Sunday afternoon spent with good folks a few weeks ago:

Two masters and their books

Swami Vivekananda and Osho are two intellectual greats who I have always admired. Whilst in college, one of the earliest salaries from my job was spent on the 12 volumes of the collected works of Swami Vivekananda. To this day, they remain a source of inspiration and guidance whenever I feel lost.

Osho's works, on the other hand, are a source of great joy. The refreshingly different look at the world and the concepts that we have been fed from a "conventional" point of view always make me smile when I read his works. It is not only the sense of challenging the accepted truth but the very logical arguments that he presents to state his case which are a joy to read.

For those who would like to read more:

The complete works of Swami Vivekananda can be found here; and

Quite a few of Osho's ebooks are available here for free download.

Agra

Last weekend, I was in Agra to attend Herbert's sister's wedding. The fact that this wedding brought together so many college friends was an added bonus.

Bulla and Budhau came over from Calcutta, Pauki came from Bangalore and yours truly took the Agast Kranti Rajdhani from Bombay. Also joining us from Delhi were Rohit and Daddu.

Short trip, majorly sleep deprived.. But it is a special joy to meet old pals and wish a friend's sister all the best for a happily married life ahead.

From L to R: Budhau, Pauki, Traveller, Herbert, Rohit, Bulla, Daddu and Herbert's Jijaji

"Rishtey mein toh hum tumhaare...

...Maa hote hain."

Whatever you can do, I can do one better. At least, that is what it seems my Mum is hell bent on saying/proving.

So, in keeping with her newly found tech-savvy image, she sends me an e-mail informing me that come this Sunday, she is participating in some sort of a charity run. The distance? 5 km.

My heart skipped a beat when I read that. Mom? Seriously? The woman who is way past her prime? And not to forget, is also an asthma patient?

I immediately called home to speak to her about this. "Listen, there's no need to worry. If you could run long-distance, I am your mother and am perfectly capable of running/speed-walking 5 kms," is all she had to say.

And you wonder where I get my eccentricities from, huh?

A Tale of Three Poems

It is funny how things happen in a continuity at times.

Let me explain.

For some reason, was reminded of Rudyard Kipling's "If" today.

I have spoken about Kipling's "If" earlier (Wow! It has been five years since that post and so much has changed. Was just incredible reading the comments section and remembering those times. I know I sound like an 80 year old but what the heck...) and the poem inspires me as much as it did then.

And then, in the evening, chanced upon the remix version of Rabindranath Tagore's "Ekla cholo re" from the upcoming Vidya Balan starrer "Kahaani". Here is the translation of the original poem in Rabindranath's own words:

If they answer not to thy call walk alone,

If they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall,

O thou unlucky one,

open thy mind and speak out alone.

If they turn away, and desert you when crossing the wilderness,

O thou unlucky one,

trample the thorns under thy tread,

and along the blood-lined track travel alone.

If they do not hold up the light when the night is troubled with storm,

O thou unlucky one,

with the thunder flame of pain ignite thy own heart

and let it burn alone.

And this brings me to a nice poem which, I feel, has been too commercialised these days. The poem is "Agneepath" by Harivansh Rai Bachchan.

Which are the poems that inspire you?

Shivratri 2012

A quick scribble before I head to the office.

Hope everyone had a beautiful Shivratri yesterday.

Personally, had a wonderful day. Prayed and pulled off a long fast: 30 hours without food or water. It wasn't as tough as I thought it would be, albeit was feeling a little heavy in the head in the evening.

Here is a picture of the mandir at my home right after the aarti I did in the evening:

Dubai

The traveller's first international holiday and, as it happens, first post from outside the country. I'm in Dubai on a company sponsored holiday. Will post details of the trip in a subsequent post.

My latest love affair

From Blogger Pictures

One small step for Mom

Mom barely knows her way online.

Imagine my surprise then, when yesterday out of nowhere I receive an e-mail with the subject line "now I am learning email in computer"

Here is the mail body:

Shekhar have you had your lunch? Take care of your health. Always go to the gym.

Gotta love her enthusiasm to learn new things. First SMS, now e-mail. What next, Mom? Facebook?!! ~shudders~

Treat each day...

...as if it were your, not last, but first.

If you think it is going to be your last, there's a chance you might feel demotivated and sad or worse, morose. What would be most terrible is if you laid to waste whatever good had been achieved thus far.

On the other hand, if this were your first day at something, there's always a sense of excitement and wish to achieve something you've never achieved before. What would be most amazing is if you were able to lay the foundations of something that either you or your peers can take ahead to greater heights so that it is of benefit to a larger group of people and to society at large.

Joy in the afternoon

Ishq

Random thoughts on love that I stumbled across in the last few days.

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I came across this in the latest Anoushka Shankar CD that I blogged about earlier.

ISHQ - by Jami (15th century Farsi poet)

Yeh ishq kya hua hua hai

Khud ishq ho gaya hoon

Khud mein hee ram gaya hoon

Khud mein hee kho gaya hoon

Tan saaz ho gaya hoon

Mann raag ho gaya hoon

Kabhu kar ke koi dekhe

Jo ishq ho gaya hoon

I am in love,

I have become love,

I am engrossed in my self,

Oh, I am lost in love.

My body is an instrument,

my heart is a melody.

Those who tread this path

can cherish the touch of purity.

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I went to the Iskcon temple the other day. Have you ever been there? It is fascinating!! While I stood there among the crowd of devotees, I couldn't help but smile. And why? Just because I was surrounded by people who were happy. I had nothing to be happy or sad about. But simply looking at the exuberance and the happiness that flowed around me, I repeat, I couldn't help but smile. The positive energy was contagious.

But I just didn't get it. Why were these people, aided by those singing the kirtan on the mike (in the tradition of that great devotee Chaitanya), so joyous for no apparent reason? All they were doing were throwing their hands up in the air, swaying from side to side and loudly chanting 'Hare Ram Hare Krishna'. It was like a rock concert for religious folks!! And to imagine that this happens almost every weekend, not to mention the smaller gatherings everyday.

In the one hour that I spent there, these folks just didn't stop. They continuously danced, jumped and sang to the Lord. Agreed, their tempo changed from time to time but they were having such a great time that most people were not leaving the crowd. Imagine, when a guy like me who was there more because he was interested rather than any particular devotional reason could spend an hour, what the others could do?

Perhaps they had dipped into the so called "ocean of happiness, of peace and serenity" that surrounds us; that same energy that gurus and yogis have told us is waiting for us to smile and experience it. Perhaps....

Anoushka Shankar in concert

Day before yesterday, I was at St. Andrews auditorium in Bandra to attend a concert by Anoushka Shankar.

The evening began well. Rahul reached Bandra earlier than expected and since it would take HS some time to reach, we decided we needed refreshments. Rahul was more thirsty and I was plain hungry. Since 5 Spice hadn't opened their doors for the evening yet and I didn't want to go in to Toto's so early, we just bought a couple of KF Draught cans and waited outside the Bengali eatery 'Bong Bong' while our egg rolls were prepared.

Since HS also announced that she was hungry, we decided to get her some sandwiches from Cafe Andora (a must visit place if you're in Bandra; loved the seating outside). Psst.... I couldn't resist a chocolate doughnut while we waited for her to arrive.

About the performance, well, what can one say. It was an amazing concert. The theme wasn't purely Indian classical but a fusion of Indian classical and flamenco music. I was surprised to find out that flamenco has its origins in India. All the artists on stage were brilliant. Anoushka Shankar was obviously the centre of attraction but the artist who played the south Indian percussion instruments was no less brilliant. His mastery over the mridangam and the other two instruments he played was breathtaking. Also, there was a flamenco percussionist and a lady vocalist whose clapping to the beats from time to time added to the magic (completely different discussion that HS said she hadn't noticed her since she, HS, wasn't gay ~sighs~).

After the concert got over, both Rahul and I purchased the Anoushka Shankar album where she has collaborated with the said flamenco artists. And as luck would have it, the name of the album was 'Traveller'.

Rage

Shiva has two extreme aspects attributed to him.

One is the quiet meditating sage.

This post is not about that.

This post is about when Shiva dances the Tandava. Rage or fury is one of the purest forms of emotion. It courses through your body with unimaginable force; a force which unleashed can scorch anything which dares stand in its path. The full blast of energy that Shiva's third eye can generate cannot be put into words. Simply put, nobody survives it... not the innocent, nor the guilty; neither the angel nor the the devil.

Na punyam na paapam

Na sukhyam na dukhyam

Na mantro na tirtham

Na vedam na yagya

Aham bhojanam naivya bhogyam na bhokta

Chidananda roopa Shiv-o-ham Shiv-o-ham

Beyond the concepts of 'paap' and 'punya',

Beyond the concepts of 'sukh' and 'dukh',

Neither to be found in 'mantras' or 'tirthas'

Nor to be attained by 'vedas' or 'yagyas'

I am THAT Shiva.

Originally meant in a very different sense, the above couplet ironically also applies to Shiva when he is angry. Sometimes, it is just necessary for the world to burn. Forests of pleasure which no longer promise fruits of happiness must be burnt down. Deep, very deep love signifies unquestioning passion. And the more energy and love that was invested in building the forest, the more anger and fury required to burn it down.

But it is a necessary evil. Without it, one just cannot go on. Not because one looks to a brighter, better future (that will inevitably follow) and certainly not because one wants to get rid of the rage, but just because there is rage right now which one must live. Right now is the time to clench one's fist and smash through every stone, every obstacle which either stands in your way or has been foolishly hurled in your direction.

Yes. Shiva is also about peace and prosperity.

Someday, I hope I shall be able to write about that too. Amen.

Have you ever

Have you ever woken up in the dead of the night and made yourself a cup of honey, lemon green tea and sipped it and soaked in the silence and the peace of the world?

Have you ever danced with abandon in your empty house?

Have you ever bought a flight ticket on a mere whim?

Have you ever gotten a tattoo done?

Have you ever climbed a mountain?

Have you ever jumped into a rushing ice-cold river for a swim?

Have you ever just picked up your car keys and driven off not knowing where you want to go but just because you want to travel?

Have you ever "created" something; a piece of pottery, a painting, a small handicraft item, a blog post?

In other words, have you ever done something for no other reason but because your soul would feel more complete if you did?

For, what fun is the world if you're not crazy enough to live it?

-- inspired by a midnight chat with SP. Thank you, girl, for reminding me of the importance of craziness in our lives. :)

Quantum of Solace

You're not married, but I think it's the same with all relationships between a man and a woman. They can survive anything so long as some kind of basic humanity exists between the two people. When all kindness has gone, when one person obviously and sincerely doesn't care if the other is alive or dead, then it's just no good... I've thought about this and I've invented a rather high-sounding title.. the Law of the Quantum of Solace.

- Ian Fleming in the Quantum of Solace

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The two friends sat down for the meal at the edge of the forest. It had been a long, arduous journey. Both had made their way through difficult terrain. Equally gifted, both had begun the adventure trusting Her. She had been kind to them, showing Her gracious, generous nature even though they encountered cuts and bruises. But in one critical aspect, she had favoured one over the other.

This alone saved him from descending into the darkness which all but enveloped his friend. He continued to have a cheerful, hopeful look in his eyes as he playfully unpacked the meal while his friend just stared. All the silence in the world couldn't drown out the sweet sounding cruel promises which rang like little bells in his ears.

He just continued to stare. Dark skinned and with a body as taut as an athlete's, he was the exact opposite of his more fortunate friend. "You know the difference between you and me?" he asked, suddenly breaking the silence. The jolly one shook his head. "Deep down below you're a nice guy," and after a pause he added, "and I'm not."

"You sure you want to do this?" asked his friend.

The dark one nodded. "I must do what She wants me to become." He looked towards the sky which had suddenly become dark with the shadow of the giant eagle which came towards them flapping its wings. "The Quantum of Solace has been lost. I must push myself over the edge to survive."

The fair one hesitated. "There will always be good within you, you know."

The dark one just gave him a look. Not even a nod nor the batting of an eyelid as an acknowledgement. With a short run and a swift jump, he got on to the back of the beast.

Just as they were about to soar away far, but into the depths of the doomed yet colourful valley, the fair friend asked him, "Will I see you again?"

With his face partially turned towards his friend, he said, "You know my name."

And with that, he was off...