படித்த பாசுரத்தில் பிடித்தது - 1

என்னப்பன் எனக்காயிகுளாய் என்னைப்பெற்றவளாய்
பொன்னப்பன் மணியப்பன் முத்தப்பன் என்னப்பனுமாய்
மின்னப்போன்மதிள்சூழ் திருவிண்ணகர் சேர்ந்த அப்பன்
தன்னொப்பாரில்லப்பன் தந்தனன் தனதாள் நிழலே!

This paasuram is by Nammazhwar and he perceives the Lord as Ponnappan, Maniappan, Ennappan, Muthappan and Vinnagarappan.
The presiding deity in this kshetram is Lord Oppiliappan who is considered comparable to none.
The meaning is like this:
He is my father... He is my sevili-thaai (mistress / one who takes care).. He is my mother...
He is my gold.. my pearl and the pupil of my eye..
He is the one who is in ThiruviNNagar and who glitters and is surrounded by golden ramparts...
There is no one equal to him..
He has given me shadow of his Lotus Feet (Lord has given shelter for him under His Feet) for my redemption. There is nothing for me except taking refuge under his Feet!

Take(ing) diversions

Whenever I come across these words,"Take Diversion", I am so reminded of Vivek's dialogue in a Vijay movie. I have wondered if it would even happen!. But, surprisingly I witnessed it today.

My sister and I wanted to do a small bit of shopping in Pondy Bazaar. We decided to get in to a share auto(!) due to time constraint. Traveling from West Mambalam to Kasi Arcade( Pondy Bazaar) it took us 60 minutes. Wait a second!.. Did I say One hour. Yes, I am right!. It took us solid one hour to reach there... It was not because of the

- traffic jam

- mad rush/crowd wanting to shop in the city's shopping base - T Nagar.

Thanks to the traffic Police(festive season, election galatta). The diversion from Duraiswamy subway was a real DIVERSION!. Yes, just to go to Pondy Bazaar, we got(!) the privilege of traveling for one hour passing- Rangarajapuram, Kodambakkam, United India Colony, Mahalingapuram, 2 overpasses ( just a few minutes away from my office), North Usman Road, Panagal park...huh... I am tired... finally reached Pondy Bazaar. When the driver took a turn and looked for alternate routes, I began to think if he is by any chance crossing my area... so much detouring..

Poor driver - he had so much amount of patience!..

By the time, we reached there, our interests levels crashed and we started wondering when we will get back home!.Guess, this is how T Nagar is going to be or even worse in the years to come!

Ads, adverts and Advertisements!!!

Recently, I happened to watch an advertisement clipping where guy#1 reports of tummy ache after eating Ladoo ( wonder how!!!) and worries what will happen to his family if anything negative happens.. The guy#2 gives a piece of advice to invest in an insurance... Although the message of taking a wise Insurance plan is conveyed, was just thinking if the storyboarding and plan was strong enough to convey the intended message.

This gave me a good thought of how the advertisements in the late 80s and early 90s used to be.. The products that was advertised might have had a full PLC and the product slowly might have faded in the market or been bought over or underwent many changes. A portion of the product branding lies in the way it is advertised. If done correctly, it definitely is a rewarding, but if done incorrectly, it could cost a huge investment. Advertisement agencies have come a long way in creating stories revolving around any product. Some advertisements seldom create an impact in the minds of the prospective customer. Some are remembered for their real creativity and hence could result in 'top of mind recall' while some are really remembered for their negative visualization or poor picturization. Just when I realized this, I was reminded of advertisments that appeared in Television a time when television itself was just emerging. Some of them are shared(not necessarily in thsi order though) - TOP OF MIND RECALL:

1. The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of a TVC (TV Commercial) is Lalita ji!. the ever green(blue) SURF - Surf ki kharidhaari mein hi samajdhaari hi!.Even after 25 - 30 years, you like to see it again right!! - Artist - Kavitha Choudhry

2. Cinkara tonic (wonder if it is still there) - Hamdard ka tonic Cinkara.- When Javed Jafrey is overloaded with work and is just about to faint, he sees a pile of files kept on the desk... The secretary hands some more papers.. (All Voice overs.. bechara kaam ke bojh ka maara!. Inhein chaahiye Hamdard ka Cinkara!. He drinks and breaks out of the glass and hands over the report!.. HAMDARD KA TONIC CINKARA!

3. The famous Pan Paraag featuring Shammi Kapoor ( I was reminded of this advertisement when I heard he passed away) and Ashok Kumar meet to discuss on one thing that Shammi Kapoor and his wife (girl''s parents) forgot to tell AK and his wife. They meet AK, his wife and SK says, "hum aapse ek baat kehne ke bhool gaye". Puzzled AK looks at his wife, and SK says "Ghabrayiye nahi.. Hume kuch nahi chaahiye. Hum to sirf itna chaahthe hain ki aap baaratiyon ka swagat Pan Parag se kijiye!. Relieved AK laughs and says "Humein kya maalum tha ki aap bi Pan Parag ki shaukeen hain".. PAN PARAAG PAN KA MASALA PAN PARAG!

4. The wonderful Godrej Shaving cream advertisement - I think it is Vivek Vaswani(not sure though) approaches a clean shaven guy in a neat suit and asks Which Shaving cream do you use?

The man says, "Godrej"with a confident smile. VV: Why?

He responds quickly in a rush "Great Shave, Cologne Fragrance.. Wife loves it"

He approaches another in the elevator and asks "What shaving cream do you?"

The man with a beard says, "Me?"

The phrase says "The one bright spot in a man's morning" - I am reminded not because of the product but a person who is interviewed reminds me of a family friend!

5. Liril Advertisements - Subliminal message

6. Lijjad Pappad - Hain hain hain .. the rabbit

7. Vicks- Father, daughter combo.. Excellent one.. and the daughter pretending to cough for Vicks..Vicks ki goli lo..kich kich dhoor karo

8. Dinesh suiting - many models..

9. Vicco turmeric - the underline message has never changed.. Vicco turmeric - nahi cosmetic!..(ad featuring Sangeetha Bijalani)

10. Washing Powder Nirma Doodh se yi safedi Nirma se aaye ..... sab ki pasand Nirma

.....and many more..

Somehow none of the present days advertisements like hair being so strong to pull something, and total dandruff control, age miracle, fairness creams never impact because the product per se can not guarantee them and many other factors contribute! It is a very evident factor that advertisements play a very crucial role in creating an interest in the minds of viewers.. Getting the attention, and kindling interest and desire will mostly yield in action - purchase - Clear AIDA model.. Readers, share which advertisements that has impacted you strongly!.

Hope advertisement agencies come up with wondeful storyboards and impress the viewers to use the product..

My 2c worth!

Signing off,

SPH

Savor the Coffee!, not the cups!

Many of us in our lives want to taste success. Not just once or twice, but always!... We always want the best in our lives. Right from dress to shoes to the friends and society we move with, there is always an inner feeling that I want the best!.. While for some, it comes automatically even without any search, for others they go in search of it and the search continues.....In the search process, we get stressed in our lives that we start cribbing.. That adds further..

I came across this interesting piece of story. After reading it, I felt I must share it with readers.. I am sure everyone of us would have encountered or coming across the same in our lives. A very thought provoking story indeed....

The story is about a group of alumni who have a highly established careers. They were the busiest kind of people. One day, they get together to visit their old university Professor. They were recollecting their memories in the past. The conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in Work and Life. Everybody had a story to talk about the stress they faced in life. The professor was observing all this. Offering coffee to his guests, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - Porcelein, Plastic, Glass, Crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite. He told his guests to help themselves.

After everyone had a cup of coffee in their hand, the professor said, "If you notice all the nice looking expensive cups have been taken up leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cups adds no value or quality to the coffee. In most cases, it is just more expensive and in some cases, even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup. But, you consciously went for the best cups. And you began eyeing each other's cup to see who had the best one......"

"Now relate this to life. Life is like a Coffee; the jobs, money, position in society are the cups.How true isn't it!!! They are just the tools to hold and contain LIFE and the type of cup that we have does not define nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup we fail to enjoy the coffee... We are no exceptions to it!. Are we???

SAVOR THE COFFEE!, NOT THE CUPS!The happiest of the people don't have the best of everything.. They just make the best of everything..

Live simply!

Speak kindly!

Care deeply!

Love generously!

Signing off,

SPH

The Lizard story

This is a story that I received in email. But instead of forwarding it, I chose to share it this way. This is the story of a lizard.

In order to renovate the house, someone in Japan breaks open the wall. Japanese houses normally have a hollow space between the wooden walls. When tearing down the walls, he found that there was a lizard stuck there because a nail from outside hammered into one of its feet. He sees this, feels pity, and at the same time curious, as when he checked the nail, it was nailed 5 years ago when the house was first built!

What happened?

The Lizard has survived in such position for 5 years!. In a dark wall partition for 5 years without moving, it is impossible and mind boggling. Then he wondered how this lizard survived for 5 years without moving a simple step - since its foot was nailed!. So he stopped his work and observed the lizard, what it has been doing, and what and how it has been eating. Later not knowing from where it came, appears another lizard, with food in its mouth.

Ah!. He was stunned and touched deeply. For the lizard that was stuck by nail, another lizard has been feeding it for the past 5 years!

Imagine? It has been doing that untiringly for 5 long years without giving up hope on its partner. Imagine what a small creature can do that a creature blessed with a brilliant mind can't. PLEASE NEVER ABANDON YOUR LOVED ONES!

Lesson from the Story:

"Never say you are busy when they really need you... You may have the Entire World at your feet.. But you might be the only world to them..."

A moment of negligence might break the very heart which loves you through all odds.

Before you say something just remember.. it takes a moment to break but an entire lifetime to make - author unknown.

BEE-ing Human, Deforestation

The title may sound wierd.. What has being human and deforestration got a connection? There certainly is...

Well, am not just refering to being human but also be(e)ing human. Yes, of late, I have been hearing and reading that Bees are constructing their hives wherever they feel like. Yes, there is a bee-hive at the back side of my apartment. I was actually petrified looking at it and it gave me a kind a goose bumps looking at it. The anxiety or you may call it paranoia remained in me for 2 days.

Setting my fear aside, I was thinking what made Bees construct their hives at the rear side of my apartment. It is a known fact that Bees make their hive in a dark enclosed or dry space such as a tree trunk or a top roof. I have also seen the bee hives at the entrance of a temple tower(near gopuram as the ceiling is very high). But, this time around, they chose an apartment ceiling and they constructed one... It is really interesting to see the bees ( different types - Worker Bee, Queen Bee, drone etc) doing different tasks to ensure their objective is met. There are lessons to be learnt from Bees/Wasps. We could seldom see them taking rest during day time. As soon as they see the sun, they start springing in to action. They go kilometers to bring in pollen and honey from flowers. In general, there are many people who eye for the honey they have in their hive. The honey is not for the humans to use, but for its larvae, and infants. It is very interesting to see the way they plan and execute their objectives.

Interestingly, the bees presume the tubelight brightness to be the natural light and they start swarming around the tubelight every morning. As a result, if I open the door in the early morning, say 5 am, I see many bees swarming. This has potential risk/danger. Although, I buy in to the concept of demolishing any insect/bird's nest is a sin, of late I see them as a potential risk to the apartment per se.

The bees constructing their hives has got a link to deforestation. Since, the trees are cut down both in forests and in residence, this results in many dangers.

1. Bees losing their location.

2. We do not inhale pure oxygen.

and many....

How mind travels through the week - Seize the day

Right from schoolhood days to college and to the next level, we have witnessed many good things, some stressful events, a lot of challenging times.. Whatever it is, we always eagerly await for Weekends. Ain't we?

Some of us could have been the best in the school, very studious, continuously performing in college, highly competent and successful, highly engaged at work place. However we are, I am sure every one of us eagerly look for the weekend with lots of plans!

According to me , there has been many stressful weeks which had made me to think on going back to work the following week! Am sure, people reading this may also have encountered this...

A small imagination on how our mind travels during the week!

Monday Blues - On a bright Monday, your mind says, "Oh my God!. 5 more days to work!". One is yet to come back from the Sunday mood. You hit the work place, see loads of mails, meetings, take on calls, so on and so forth...If your mails are positive, you kind of do away with a Monday. If you face any slightest discomfort, your entire week is souped.. So, Mondays are critical ;)

Tuesday - On a Tuesday, you come to a reality that the week has begun, you have loads of work, concentration on work. You forget about other things.. Even things you are to pick up on your way back home.

Wednesday - On a Wonderful Wednesday, a reality strikes with a pinch of sugar, that you are already approaching the mid day of the week.. So, (personally) you start planning for the weekend.. Still, focus on work and go on tight scheduled back to back meetings. If you are in a responsible position, your day gets hijacked with discussions..

Thursday - You never know how Thursday go - partly work, partly planning, partly fun,...

Fabulous Friday - a day you eagerly expect to come and countdown starts from Monday..This is when you see fun at Workplace!!

On an excellent Saturday and a Sunday your plan works - going out, meeting friends, weekend lunch/dinner, a good 8 hours of sleep, practice - anything that you learn on music so on..

I am sure this is how a week goes for all of us or at least some of us!. Some days, our time is hijacked ( yes, you are totally unaware of your time). But, all it takes is to have a liking towards whatever we do!...

The latin phrase, "carpe diem, quam minimum credila postero" translating to, "Pluck the day, trusting as little as possible in the future". So, let us enjoy the day, whatever the day is, instead of saying "Ayyo, Monday vandhuduche!! ( Oh my god, Monday has come!! :( :( )!

ராஜாவின் ராஜாங்கத்திலிருந்து....

From Gnanadesikan to Ilayaraja...
1976 ல் அன்னகிளியிலிருந்து தொடங்கிய இசை பயணம் 45 வருடங்களாக தொடர்ந்து, நம் இதயத்தையும் மனங்களையும் மெல்லிய இசையால் கட்டி போட்டுள்ளது...ராஜாவின் பாடல்களை பற்றி பேச ஒரு நாள் போதுமா.. இல்லை இல்லை பல வருடங்கள் வேண்டும்..
அம்மா என்று அழைக்காத,ஆகாய கங்கை,இசை மேடையில் இன்ப வேளையில் /இளைய நிலா,ஈரமான ரோஜாவே,உன்னை நெனச்சேன் பாட்டு படிச்சேன்,என் இனிய பொன் நிலாவே /என் கண்மணி என் காதலி,ஏதோ மோகம் ஏதோ தாகம்,ஒரு ஜீவன் அழைத்தது / ஒரே ஜீவன் ஒன்றே உள்ளம், ஓம் நமச்சிவாய / ஓம் நமஹா....

How can one forget..
சின்னஞ்சிறு வயதில், வெள்ளை புறா ஒன்று, நதியில் ஆடும் பூவனம், என்ன சதம் இந்த நேரம், இதயம் ஒரு கோவில், எந்த பூவிலும் வாசமுண்டு, பூமாலையே தோள் சேரவா, காதல் ஓவியம், காளிதாசன் கண்ணதாசன், மற்றும் காலை தென்றல், மாலையில் யாரோ, இரவு நிலவு ...
ஆயிரம் மலர்களே மலருங்கள், ரோஜா ஒன்று, தலையை குனியும் தாமரை, அழகு மலராட, தென்றல் வந்து என்னை தொடும்,
இப்படி அடுக்கி கொண்டே போகலாம் மெலடி-ஐ!!!.
3 ஜூன் பிறந்த நாள் கொண்டாடும் இளையராஜாவிற்கு 'நலம் வாழ எந்நாளும் எங்கள் வாழ்த்துக்கள்'...
Over 950 movies, around 4500 songs.. 4 National awards... Lots of State awards...I listened to a Radio channel where he had told, he is yet to learn music!!.. Such is his modesty.. You can call him whatever you want..
But the underlying truth is if you listen to any of the melodies, your day or night is made...!!

To talk about his music, my wall is not enough.. err. Even Great Wall of China is not enough!.

Village things in City!

While my mother and I stopped at a coffee powder shop (a regular place) to buy Coffee powder, there was an old man selling Greens (Keerais) and alongside, he had a few Baby Jackfruit (Palamusu / Palakkai in Tamizh) arranged neatly. Curious, the coffee powder guy who hails from a village asked my mother what is that and what they make out of it!.

I was surprised!.If only a purely city bred person had asked this question, I would not have been surprised. It was an interesting question from him and my mother gave good explanation.

Adding a surprise to me was, he said in his native place(Andhra) , they pluck Agathi leaves (don't know the exact English word for Agathi keerai) and stock and feed to goats during rainy season as they would not be able to go in rain for want of food.. And also I heard from him that they do not sell Maavadu also. Rather they do not use that at all!. And he also said, "Madras la dhaan madam ellathaiyum kaasakkaranga!". (Only in Madras, they make money out of everything).

The surprise element was I was on a thought that only in villages, they make food out of such types(full utilization). Perhaps he does not know what Tamilnadu villages do!...

I heard that they make Koottu, Vegetable (poriyal/ karamathu) out of Palakkai. Why not we also try it :-)!!.

Trust

We often hear this word in one form or the other.. The word trust has several connotations. It may be a combination of emotional and a legal act. I am not going to give any gyan on Trust. And everyone of us have the trust understood in our own terms. There is always a golden rule associated with Trust - Be it creating a trust or building it or holding -'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!'.

On that note, I am going to share a short story (I came across) - I mean really short. The story is between a father and a daughter.

Once, a father and his little daughter were crossing a bridge. The father was a bit scared and wanted to be safe and told to his daughter"Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don't fall in to the river".

The bright little daughter said, "No Daddy, you hold my hand".

The father was a little confused and wanted to know the reason behind his daughter's statement. "What is the difference?", he asked.

The girl said, "There is a big difference".

"How?" asked the father.

The daughter gave her view - "If I hold your hand, and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go" and continued saying, "But, if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go!"

In any relationships, trust is the bedrock on which it is built. The essence of trust is not in its bind but in its bond!

Signing off

SPH

The Burned Biscuits..

One of an interesting message I stumbled upon!!!...

When I was a kid, my mom would prepare special breakfast every now and then. And I remember one night in particular, after a long tiring, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage, and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed!. Yet, all my dad did was reached for his biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and ate every bite.

When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I will never forget what he said. Honey, I love burned biscuits.

Later that night, I went to kiss my daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your momma put in a hard day at work today and she is real tired. And besides - a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!. You know, life is full of imperfect things.. and imperfect people. I am not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversarys just like everyone else.

Whatever I have learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's faults - and choosing to celebrate each others differences - is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing and a lasting relationship.

And that's my prayer for you today. That you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where a burned biscuit isn't a deal-broker!

We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship!.

Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket - keep it in your own!!!

God Bless everyone.. and always!!!

Just a matter of Rs 25/-

Recently I came across an inspiring story. I wanted to share this with all of you(I have added a couple of points).Very true in our lives! Please park a few minutes to read this!
A woman came home from work very late. Coming late is many a times tagged with tiredness, irritation, hunger. She saw her five year old son patiently waiting for her at the door. The conversation began between the tired mom and the calm son.

Son: "Mom, may I ask you a question?"

Mom: "Yeah, sure son!. What it is?"

Son: "Mom, How much money do you make in an hour?"

Mom got irritated (the added irritation) and said, "That is none of your business!, Why do you ask such a question?".

Son: "I just want to know Mom. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?"

Mom:"If you must know, I make Rs 50 per hour!"

Son(putting his head down):"Oh!.. Mom, may I please borrow Rs 25?"

The mother was furious and said, "If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense stuff, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I don't work hard everyday for such childish frivolities" The little boy extremely disappointed went quietly to his room and shut the door.

The woman sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he asks such questions just to get money?". The mother's ego was on a little high and we generally don't like being questioned on salary right!

After about an hour or so, the woman calmed down. She started to think. May be there was something he really needed to buy with that Rs 25 and she really did not ask for money very often. The woman went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.

"Are you asleep, my son?" she asked.

"No mom!, Am awake" replied the boy.

Mom said, "I have been thinking, may be I was too hard on you earlier". "It has been a long day and I took my aggravation on you. Here is Rs 25 you had asked for!"

The little boy happily sat straight up smiling. "Mom, thank you so much". He said in very happy tone!. Then reaching under the pillow, he pulled out some crumpled up bills.

The woman on seeing that he already had some money got wild and angry again. The little boy not bothering about his mom's reaction, slowly counted all the money and then looked up to his mother.

The mother asked him, "Why do you want more money when you already have some?"

"Because, I did not have enough, I asked you Mom!" pat came his reply adding, "Mom, I now have Rs 50 with me. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home soon tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you!"

The mother was crushed. She put her arms around her little son and pleaded forgiveness!

How true it is!. We get engaged in to work so much that sometimes we fail to think about family. We work so hard in life. It is a good reminder to all of us that we should not let time slip through our fingers withing having spent some time with those who really matter to us and those who are close to our hearts.

If we die tomorrow, the company we work for will immediately find a replacement within hours/days. But the family/friends we leave behind will only feel the loss for the rest of their lives!!

Please remember to share that Rs 50 worth of your time with the someone you love and care.

PS: Not only for Moms, but all hard working people!

Signing off

SPH

Elections

Elections have always been a tension filled, fun and a fan-fare activity. Once in every 5 years, we get to listen to faces (unseen so far) campaigning for their parties and for themselves. Political campaigns have undergone a big change. Politicians have changed their strategies in approaching voters.

There used to be blaring loudspeakers, cut-outs, hit-songs, wall posters, and a relentless 9 - 6 campaign in the hot sun. It has become passe now. It used to look like a festival time. These days, may be because of less time to campaign, these have become very less or almost nil.

It is an interesting experience and a transformation in terms of elections being conducted. Migration from paper ballot to Electronic Voting Machine (if only, Sujatha had been alive, he would have been extremely happy witnessing the usage of EVMS; It was during his tenure @ BEL, EVM was designed!) Lot of changes..Even campaigns are run through the media - the individual party's television, radio. With the advent of technology and free money flow, campaigning perspectives have changed though the motive still remains and will ever remain the same - Hunger for Power.

Technology has helped the politicians give a personal touch to the voters - by way of social networking (some independent candidates), SMSes, calls, what not...I only wonder what if all these changes are bringing in the desired change in the government and minds of people? Sigh.. I doubt so.. Time and again, we have only seen the change of power seeming to be the change of person and not in ideologies, progressive approaches and design a growth path!!

Freebies have come an integral part of the campaigning strategy during this election. Voters are wooed with freebies, alchohol, cash or kind. I used to wonder this whenever I hear the statement - Your vote counts!!. Yeah, for money, for freebies, every vote counts.. But that should not refrain from voting. Voting is a right!. You can always use 49-O too if you don't like any party. But never forget to cast your opinion. I have exercised my franchise!!!

Election 2011 for TN is over. Let us hope the new government (whoever it may be) take TamilNadu in to a REAL growth path and not spend the term in PERSONAL family growth path!!!

Signing off,

SPH

3G - Guru Genius Gary

Here is a hero who is very silent, unassuming but a strong person.. Yes it is Proteas genius (here is another g).. Guru "Gazza" Gary Kirstein.

Cricket is in his genes. Hailing from a cricketing family where his father, brothers all played cricket, naturally the young Gary was no exception to it.. He is an excellent cricketer. Just when apartheid was lifted, Proteas's first visit was to India to play one dayers and test matches. Peter Kirsten went on to play the innings. But, there was a guy watching his brother Peter and growing up under his(Peter's) shadow.. The one and only Gary Kirsten.

A foreword by Jonty Rhodes in his book where in he quoted an incident. - When the Kirsten brothers opened the innings and were playing strong. Gary and Peter were peppered by some hostile bowling by the Aussies such that Glenn's ball hit Gary's brother had to leave the ground to hospital to have his cheekbone operated on. That is when Jonty had seen this man's strong character and doggedness of Gary - setting aside the scene of his brother falling and stretchered off the field behind him and concentrating on the work!.

Such was his determination and will power to play for the nation and succeed!! The determination must have been transfered from his dad. During the years, he earned a good reputation in both one dayers and test matches. He retired in 2004 after playing for 10 years. Perhaps, the only batsman who scored test century against all Test playing nations.

Kirsten is certainly a different coach! India has not seen a coach like that for a long time. He did not come out of any recommendation, nor did he had any experience. He was interviewed, and got selected as Indian team coach. When he signed the contract, every one would have thought him as yet another "foreign" coach. There is a fantasy adding the word "Foreign". He had little or no experience in being a coach. I read somewhere that Ravi Shastri called him for the position of Coach and he was offered post interview. For a long time, India lacked the hard-edge. It definitely was not a Midas' touch that as soon as Gary entered the scene, it was victory all over the place.

He took and gave time to settle down and establish a good rapport with all the team players. It is important at the first place for a coach to be treated as a respected and coach!!. He moved his coins very carefully. Perhaps his success mantra was in giving as much space as they desired to the top players. Surely not letting anyone's I factor on the rise. He instilled the confidence, so called "devil-may-care" attitude and most importantly, he removed the fear that was set in from the minds of Indian players.

In Bhagavad Gita, there is a saying where - "do your duty to the best of your ability". Perhaps it was also in Kirsten's mind. His philosophy was also to prepare hard for the game and forget about the result. That gave a good confidence to all the players.

Kirsten is an excellent motivator. He found out the strengths and weaknesses of each player and asked them to improve and helped them to do so!!. He won the hearts of many players. Seldom you could see such a coach!! It was only during his hugely successful and path-breaking tenure from 2008 to 2011, India rose to the summit of Test Cricket by claiming the number one ranking before embarking on their World cup journey!!

He is approachable, friendly yet a tough man. He has the uncanny knack of being quick enough to put an arm on your shoulder when you are in trouble times. The best part is - He speaks in a postive way and motivates the team!. He has never been tempted by Money, Power or Prestige. In fact, he treats them with disdain. Perhaps that is why he is well suited for the job of a COACH!

He has set clear expectations of how a coach should be. It would really be hard for his successor to sustain the expectations and take the team from there. One marked difference between GK and his predeccessors is that GK is shy to media. He always played his part behind the screens(ground). You could have hardly seen him giving interviews after every match. He spoke only when warranted. His predeccessor Chappell tried his level best to take India to good height.. In the process, he did not work on his fundamentals and missed the essentials!.Being first to media!

Even after the victory, he was calm and composed and duly credited the success to the team's effort. He said "It is humbling to hear that Indians want him to stay on".

He is a perfect family man. As a responsible father and a caring husband, he is leaving to his hometown to spend good quality time with his children and wife. Surely, it was due to their sacrifice, he was able to stay committed and focussed. He admits that humbly and says it is time for him to repay for the family's sacrifices.. Sure shot, the kids have the best dad! " There are lots of lessons for every one of us to be learnt from this silent bald 43 year old young man!

He has set a clear example and would be a role model for all future coaches..He is of the belief that sportsmen can improve only if they want to. Coaches can only facilitate the process. They can not thrust it. A profound truth!. This applies to our lives as well!

One of the best triumvirates the universe has produced till date is the Google team. Perhaps, the next example of a triumvirate would be Kirsten, Dhoni and Tendulkar!.Such a perfect understanding!!!. Gary, you are a real GURU!

From 1983 to 2011..

Yes. You got it right... This is about Cricket, world's most popular one of the most prefered and interesting game...After watching this World cup (2011) I got so excited that I decided to pen down my feelings on Cricket World cup comparing '83 and '11!!

1983..

A period when Indians were considered underdogs..Wait a minute!. Did I say underdogs? Even worse, no-one would have even in their wild dreams had dreamt of an Asian country winning a prestigious and coveted title. I vividly(yes, it is so green in my memory) remember 1983 Prudential World cup. Growing up along(and surrounded) with cricket lovers - parents, brothers(their friends as well).. There were a set of die-hard Kapil Dev fans, a set who loved Gavaskar, and a set who cheered our own Chikka aka Srikkanth's fans. I grew up listening to and watching their talk on the game. I, as a young girl, might not have tried to play/follow the game immediately, but nevertheless, the interest deeply stayed in me and is... (till now).. Recalling the victorious moments of 1983, I am sure my brothers would have enjoyed it much more than I.

We did not have television, there were no plethora of radio stations (unlike today) - only BBC and of course our AIR in Medium Wave, no Internet or FACEBOOK!. The radio station - BBC where in we could listen to commentary with aerial disturbances now and then.

We were in Coimbatore during that time and I remember my brothers, his friends going to UMS(somewhere in Avinashi Road) to watch the match in the evening (GMT + 530 as the match was being played at Lords). And the victory news created the same euphoria that the present generation and we are in now. Coming to what was different then than this time, there were many things...

1. India surely had had a learning experience in the first two world cups(either by playing or watching). From being a no hope team to emerging as a winner. Surely, 1983 was not a fluke or luck...

2. The penchant to success was there in everyone..

3. Because, they had not won a big title till then... May be a win against England.

4. The team was more than Indian. Not only Mumbaikars.. Had representatives from all states.

Would I stand right, if I say, it was a superlative effort by less (crowd) supported but with grit and determination?5. Kapil and his team went to the field without any expectations. More so, after losing the test match to Pakistan and a change in captaincy - Gavaskar to Kapil. Kapil held his chin up.

.. so on...

The match had lot of sensational moments. People who had watched it or even listened to commentary would definitely rate the victory as the BEST. I say this not because, it was the first big title but it was also an unexpected victory. And more so, beating an invincible West Indies team (I think they must have planned for a hat-trick). It brought in a paradigm shift in the way the one days are played. The test matches slowly started losing its prominence. I would rate test matches are the best.

Out of 1983 WC, specials that we would always love to watch - the amazing/astonishing/ impeccable (whatever you may call it) Kapil da's catch (one of the best catches till date). from going down to 17 for 5 to a winning 266 for 8 (175 n.o. - oh yeah, one of the best innings vs Zimbabwe, Amarnath's wobble, and the Sardar of Swing - Sandhu's banana ball, the deadly combo of Gavaskar, Srikkanth - where one is a stayer and other is a dasher. I bet, it was only after watching Chikka play dashing strokes in the initial overs, Jayasuriya followed it.

Kapil Dev Nikhanj drove the team in teh same fashion as Mahendra Singh Dhoni did!!

2011..

From 1983 to 2011.. 28 years, Cricket as a game has changed a lot.. Coaches, Media, Money, Records, Rules per se, so many factors settled in. Viewership had increased multifold. Cricketing expectations are set clearly!! Media attention. Fear of Critics!. And lastly, the fear of bookies.. This time, they had planned their victory.. And this victory did not come overnight. Preparation did not start one or 6 months back.. But soon after 2007 World cup exit!...

The current Indian team has full of young players who were not even born during 1983 World cup. May be, Tendulkar is an exception. He might have grown up watching it. Perhaps he would have been the only person who would have understood the significance of a World cup victory.

Should I say only he would have felt the zeitgeist?

I sincerly salute the team for their meticulous preparation and this time I saw a sea change in the final match. The Indians did their homework very well.. Excellent fielding, tight line and length bowling, giving room for opponent to bowl bad balls, staying in the ground for partnership so on. The team was well packed, calculated risks by Dhoni (using Sreesanth, Nehra) under the able guidance of Gary ( will write about him in my next).

Dhoni and his Men in Blue certainly did India a lot of proud. It was an elating and a happier moment for 1 billion Indians and all Indians across the world.

Certainly the World cup victory celebrations is not over .. Be it the way!. It will continue for many days, weeks and months or may be till we clinch 2015 title as well! Just before I sign off, Congratulations Team India!!!Chak De India!! . 1983 is a memorable one..

On a lighter vein: What is the similarity between KapilDev Ramlal Nikhanj and Mahendra Singh Dhoni - Both drink lot of Milk ;). I read somewhere that when Kapil's coach advised he should drink a lot of milk - it seems his father bought a Buffallo to solve the problem.. :) :)

Readers, welcome to share your experiences on 1983 and 2011 WC.