Sehwag 219

This number 219 has become very famous in the past few days thanks to Sehwag.  The sizzling batsman has always been an entertainer and when he is on the field, you never know when he will get out because he never slows down for the bowlers and always accelerates the score board of his team. He is the one who never looks like trying to save his wicket unnecessarily wasting the balls. He tries to bring as much runs as possible quickly, as an opener.

What to say about his innings of 219? He has scored that in just 149 balls! That tells itself! Just think about the fielders and bowlers there when he was playing that innings. They knew that his bat is re-writing a new world record and they might be enjoying his innings as cricket lovers though they were trying their best to stop that happening.It is good to see the sportsmen coming and congratulating him when he was returning to the pavilion after making his mark.

It looks like when somebody makes the batting record,it will be Sachin and when somebody breaks it, it will be Sachin's. I don't know too many statistics in cricket. With the cricket knowledge I have, that is what it looks like.The person has created such an impact. It will not be a surprise if Sachin bounces back and breaks this record of Sehwag's soon. Why, Sehwag himself can set a new record breaking his own. On that day of his 219 itself, while watching TV, we expected 20 or more runs from him. He was in such a form on that day, isn't it? Let us see, if it is one of them or who is that human hurricane who is going to script the new record.

Well, Coming to other sports, India has won both men ,women world cup Kabaddi titles.

Congratulations to the teams. Hope they will achieve more and more and wish the limelight be on them also, as bright as it can be.

Watching the Lunar eclipse yesterday was a treat for the eyes.It was nice to feel that we were in between Sun and Moon, on the same line. We have seen our shadow on the ground, in the day time. It was great to see our shadow (I mean the shadow of the earth) on the moon, in the night time. Nature scripts beautiful scenes every second, breaks its own record every now and then and scripts new ones too.

Not sure why there is a belief that we are not supposed to have food during the eclipse time. Have to get to know if there is any specific reason behind this. Yesterday I had food even before the eclipse.

Today is Sunday. Let the coming week be peaceful, prosperous for all of us!

Life is colourful!

One colour one information......You know these already?

Violet  

In UK, it is traditional to package chocolate in violet colour packaging.

Indigo

It was Issac Newton who introduced Indigo as a spectral colour.

Blue

The Blue House is the residence of the President of South Korea.

  

Green

Green Computing refers to the use of computers and related resources in an environmentally responsible manner.

Yellow

Yellow journalism refers to the  journalism that exaggerates ,distorts or exploits news to make profit.

Orange

Orange is the national colour of the Netherlands

Red

Red colour is used as the ‘STOP’ sign in traffic signals because it gets less scattered and so reaches great distance.

'Mayakkam Enna'  -  Film Review

Yesterday saw the movie 'Mayakkam Enna'. 

The movie had expectation as it is a Selvaraghavan - Dhanush combination again.

As Dhanush has mentioned in his interview to a weekly magazine, his brother has not casted him as a psyche in this movie, for a change he comes as a freelance photographer, in normal state of mind for most part of the movie, though.

This is the story.. Karthik (Dhanush) has few friends. Sundar is one of his friends. Karthik is a photographer and he wants to make his mark in his career and looking for an opportunity to breakthrough. He meets Madesh who is a great person in wildlife photography. He requests Madhesh that he wishes to be his assistant so that he can learn from him and achieve his goals. Madhesh insults him. As Karthik requests again and again, he asks Karthik to take some 'bird photographs' and show him and based on that he will decide if to take him as his assistant.Karthik agrees.

Meanwhile, Sundar introduces a girl called Yamini (Richa) to Karthik saying that he loves her. But Richa tells that she is dating Sundar and that does not mean that she is in love with him. 

Karthik goes to a forest to take photographs of birds. With him, Sundar and Yamini are also travelling.Karthik works very hard, and gives his best to take wonderful photos.

With Yamini's behaviour, Karthik thinks that she is in love with himself and advices the girl that it is not right. But she does not agree.

Madhesh  rejects the photos of Karthik,insults him and sends him back. Karthik feels very bad as all his dreams get shattered inspite of the hard work and he feels depressed and dejected. At that time Yamini consoles him and tells soothing words. Love blooms between Karthik and Yamini. 

Sundar comes to know about this, gets shocked. As there is no other go, he is forced to accept , attend and bless the couple on their wedding.

After few days, Karthik happens to see in a famous magazine one of the bird photos which he took with Madesh's name as the photographer. He realizes that the expert Madhesh has cheated him. He gets shocked and in that shock meets with an accident. He behaves differently after the accident and he is not in his normal self. At those times, his wife Yamini supports him.They face many problems later. What happens next and how the couple manage then forms the rest of the story.

No wonder that Dhanush, the actor, got national award at this young age. A very good performance from him. He is able to show even the minute expressions very well. He is able to gel very well with the role and he has done that with ease. Good job Dhanush!

Richa looks serious for most part of the movie. Not sure why so in the initial part. For the second half it is understandable but for the first few minutes, it is not known.While smiling, she looks sweet. She has done well in the scene where she gets angry with her husband after the big loss to them. Her role in this is not the normal Tamil heroine one.

Hatsoff to the camera man. He steals the heart in the forest photography scenes. We fly with the bird, and open our wings in the cinema seats. The camera is good throughout the movie.

Ravi Prakash as Madhesh has done a neat job.

The role of Sundar reminds you of 'Yaradi Nee Mohini' Karthick. The look he gives his wife when she tells about the cup he won brings smile.

No need to tell about G.V. Prakash, the songs are already a hit. The background music takes you into the movie and you don't feel odd anywhere. He already has many hits and is promising to go further.

The story line is simple, but Selvaraghavan's treatment and presentation makes the difference. 

While watching the movie at one place felt as though the people keep on drinking in the movie. Hero drinks, friend drinks. Then they stop for few seconds or minutes then they start drinking again. Atlast it is good to see that the hero gives up drinking. 

There is a slight humour throughout the movie, all visual without much dialogues. It is good for the ears and mind!

What is happening on the screen is a different from what you guess!

The bottomline is 'follow your heart'. And the movie tells what will happen if you do that.

I will suggest you to watch it ! It is a bit different movie!

Karthigai Deepam

Now it is the Tamil month ‘Karthigai’. Whenever I think of this month, the first thing that comes to my mind is ‘Karthigai Deepam’ festival. There is a Tamil movie song that starts with the line ‘Deepangal pesum thirukkarthigai maasam..' which means 'it is the month in which the flames lit in the earthen lamps talk' . Sharing with you some details about this festival which I heard, read and which I feel...

‘Karthigai Deepam’ is the ‘festival of lights’ celebrated in Tamil Nadu during the Tamil Month ‘Karthigai’ (from mid November to mid December) on a full moon day when the star ‘Krithikai’ is on the ascendant.

It is one of the ancient festivals celebrated in the state.

'Agananuru', a classical Tamil poetic work, which dates back to the Sangam age (200 BC to 300 AD) even has reference to this festival. Tolkappiam, the oldest available work in Tamil literarature (2000 or 2500 BC) has reference to this festival.

In this festival, rows of agal vizhakku(oil lit earthen lamps) are lit in front of the houses. People draw Kolam (Rangoli) in front of their houses in the evening and place the lamps on the Kolams and decorate. If you walk in the evening, you can see rows of deepam lit on either side of the road which will make the place look divine.The lit vizhakku is considered auspicious. 

In Hindu religion, litting a vizhakku (lamp) is a part of worship. In Vedic literature, an earthen lamp is considered to be a manifestation of yagna, which is a ritual performed by igniting the sacred fire.

A lighted earthen lamp is considered to be one of the most purest objects in Vedic rituals. It is worshipped as a symbol of cosmic energy.

This festival is variously known as Karthigai Deepam, Vishnu Deepam and Bharani Deepam.

Once Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu each considered himself Supreme. So Lord Siva appeared as a huge flame (Maha Deepam) in front of them and said that it can be tested if they can find  his head and feet.  

Lord Vishnu took the form of a boar (varaga avatar) and delved deep into the earth to see Siva’s feet, Lord Brahma that of a (Annam) swan and flew towards the skies to see Siva’s head. Lord Vishnu failed in his search and returned. But Lord Brahma, saw a piece of `Thazhambu`, a flower, heard from it that it had been floating down for thirty thousand years from Lord Siva's head. He seized upon this and claimed to Lord Siva that he had seen the other's top. 

Lord Siva realized the falsehood and announced that there would never be a temple for Lord Brahma in this world . He also said that the flower thazhambu will not be used in his worship. Lord Eswaran (Siva), Arunachaleswarar,  appeared as a flame, this day is called Maha Dheepam.

Karthigai festival in Thiruvannamalai hills is very famous. A huge vizhakku lit there is visible for several kilometers and is called ‘Maha Deepam’. 

It is told that the Thiruvannamalai hill was once a volcano and fire used to come out of its mouth. The mountain itself is considered as ‘Jothi Pilambu’ (flame of fire) and worshipped as Eswaran.

Karthigai Deepam is celebrated for 10 days in the temple town. Bharani Deepam is lit early in the morning on the final day of the festival. And Maha Deepam is lit in the evening.

 Devotees of Lord Vishnu, Vaishnavas, celebrate this festival, as ‘Vishnu Deepam’.

'Chokka Panai' is the lighting of the bonfire in temples, houses and streets during this festival. Apart from lighting numerous earthen lamps, bonfire is also created.The bonfire is created both by Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu devotees. 

The reason for the festival is based on Lord Vamana (Lord Thrivikrama) incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vamana sending King Bali to the underworld is the basis of Vishnu Deepam. It is said that the two steps of Lord Vamana are the Uttarayan and vernal equinox. And the third step which sends Bali to the underworld is the autumn equinox. The bonfire lit on Vishnu Deepam is said to signify this event.

Vishnu Deepam is also observed as 'Yanai Pandigai' by some communities in South India.

Special Pujas are also done to Lord Muruga on Karthigai Deepam day.

‘Karthigai’ is the birth star of Lord Muruga and that is why he has the other name as ‘Karthikeyan’.The lord of Karthigai month is Mars which signifies Lord Muruga.

Lord Muruga is said to have been created from the sparks from Lord Siva's third eye (netrikkan).Vayu and Agni Deva carried the sparks and dropped it in the Ganges which was carried to the Saravana Poigai. Six babies arose from the sparks and six children were brought up by six women known as 'Karthigai Pengal'.

 On this Karthigai Deepam day, Parvati (his mother) united all his six forms and so Lord Muruga has six faces.He is also called 'Shanmukha' signifying his six faces.The month ‘Karthigai’ comes in autumn season (kuzhir kalam) The climate will be cold in this month.And in the evenings, it will become dark soon. So there may also be a scientific reason for litting agal vizhakkus, (i.e.) to generate some heat and to bring light.

Wish you all a very happy Karthigai month!