Shanaka dismantled Afridi and Paki

What a climax ! - 28 required off the last over.

Shaheen Shah Afridi to Dasun Shanaka !!

4 – 6 – 6 – 6 – 0 and a close to Wide. Shanaka pulverized  Paki and almost won the match

Lanka won hearts – lose match, shut Pak out !

 

28.2.2026 @ 10.54 pm

Paki run out ! - both the batsmen at the same crease !!

 

Comedy of errors – Run out with both the batsman scurrying to the same crease !

 

Towards the end – ball hit towards deep cover – Kamindu Mendis fumbled but recovered in time.  Usman Khan  wanted the strike and Naseem Shah too was running towards the striker – it was a competition between the two.  Third Umpire had to intervene to rule Naseem Shah out as Usman had ground his bat !!  

National Science Day ~ Scattering of lights !!!

 

Often we spend time discussing worthless things – people are so worried about the scenario of Pak making it to Semis !!   Today 28^th Feb is a  great day and we should be hailing a genius from this motherland .. .. did WE ??.. . in a Nation where even Science projects have been named after Nehru / Indira / Rajiv and not after great great Scientists – do you know which place has Pincode 560093 ???

 

 

A major question in physics is the maximum size of a system that can demonstrate quantum mechanical effects. This year’s (2025)  Nobel Prize laureates conducted experiments with an electrical circuit in which they demonstrated both quantum mechanical tunnelling and quantised energy levels in a system big enough to be held in the hand.

Quantum mechanics allows a particle to move straight through a barrier, using a process called tunnelling. As soon as large numbers of particles are involved, quantum mechanical effects usually become insignificant. The laureates’ experiments demonstrated that quantum mechanical properties can be made concrete on a macroscopic scale. 

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis for their groundbreaking discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling and energy quantization in electric circuits. Their experiments proved that quantum behavior can be observed in electrical systems large enough to be seen and held. 

              The Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded 119 times to 230   laureates between 1901 and 2025. John Bardeen is the only laureate who has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics twice, in 1956 and 1972.   Does that strike a chord?   

Rhishard Llewellyn Jones (1865 – 1932) was a Welsh professor of physics who worked at the Presidency College Madras and also served as a director of the Madras Observatory. The man of this post was his student !  Jones  worked at Dulwich College and joined as a professor of physics at the Presidency College, Madras in 1889. He received an MA in 1893. At Madras he also served as Government Meteorologist from 1899.  

In 1902, the man  joined Presidency College in Madras  where his father had been transferred to teach mathematics and physics.  In 1904, he obtained a B.A. degree from the University of Madras, where he stood first and won the gold medals in physics and English.  At age 18, while still a graduate student, he published his first scientific paper on "Unsymmetrical diffraction bands due to a rectangular aperture" in the British journal Philosophical Magazine in 1906.  He earned an M.A. degree from the same university with highest distinction in 1907.  Aware of his capacity, his physics teacher Rhishard Llewellyn Jones insisted he continue research in England.  Sadly, the man was of  poor health and was considered as a "weakling." And was considered not healthy enough  to withstand the harsh weathers of England.  

His was an illustrious family.  His father was a Maths & Physics teacher.  His elder brother joined the Indian Finance Service (now Indian Audit and Accounts Service),  the most prestigious government service in India. In no condition to study abroad, our hero  followed suit and qualified for the Indian Finance Service achieving first position in the entrance examination in   1907.  He was posted in Calcutta   as Assistant Accountant General where he developed acquaintance with  Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), the first research institute founded in India in 1876.   In 1909, he  was transferred to Rangoon, British Burma   to take up the position of currency officer. After only a few months, he had to return to Madras as his father died from an illness.  He came back and   was promoted to Accountant General in 1911 and again posted to Calcutta.  Not any story of a successful bureaucrat !  - but that of a Great Scientist  - Sir C.V. Raman ! 

C. V. Raman was born in Tiruchirapalli,   to Tamil Brahmin parents, Chandrasekhara Ramanathan Iyer and Parvathi Ammal.  He was the second of eight siblings.  Raman discovered that when light traverses a transparent material, the deflected light changes its wave-length and frequency. This phenomenon, a hitherto unknown type of scattering of light, which they called "modified scattering" was subsequently termed the Raman effect or Raman scattering. Raman received the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery and was the first Asian to receive a Nobel Prize in any branch of science.  

CV Raman  topped the bachelor's degree examination of the University of Madras with honours in physics from Presidency College at age 16. His first research paper, on diffraction of light, was published in 1906. In 1917, he was appointed the first Palit Professor of Physics by Ashutosh Mukherjee at the Rajabazar Science College under the University of Calcutta. On his first trip to Europe, seeing the Mediterranean Sea motivated him to identify the prevailing explanation for the blue colour of the sea at the time, namely the reflected Rayleigh-scattered light from the sky, as being incorrect. He founded the Indian Journal of Physics in 1926. He moved to Bangalore in 1933 to become the first Indian director of the Indian Institute of Science. He founded the Indian Academy of Sciences the same year. He established the Raman Research Institute in 1948 where he worked to his last days.

The Raman effect was discovered on 28 February 1928. The day is celebrated annually by the Government of India as the National Science Day. In 1954, the Government of India honoured him with the first Bharat Ratna, its highest civilian award. He later smashed the medallion in protest against Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's policies on scientific research.  

Here is something extracted from Nobel Prize web :  Prize motivation: “for his work on the scattering of light and for the discovery of the effect named after him”  

When light meets particles that are smaller than the light’s wavelength, the light spreads in different directions. This occurs, for example, when light packets—photons—encounter molecules in a gas. In 1928 Venkata Raman discovered that a small portion of the scattered light acquires other wavelengths than that of the original light. This is because some of the incoming photons’ energy can be transferred to a molecule, giving it a higher level of energy. Among other things, the phenomenon is used to analyze different types of material.  

Sir CV Raman was a great personality – awards at least the ones pertaining to Physics must be named after people like him but in our Nation, we have -   Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR); Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai; Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR);  Indira Gandhi Science Complex / Planetarium (Taramandal), Bihar; Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram  .. .. and more !!!!   

.. .. and did you remember him today .. .. if not, though late, let us celebrate and remember that great Scientist, Nobel Laureate  who brought glory to mother India.  The Pincode mentioned  at the start 560093 is CV Raman Nagar in Bengaluru named after the great Scientist. It is a residential area near tech hubs of Indira Nagar and Kaggadasapura.    

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
28^th Feb 2026 
 
Biblio :  https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1930/raman/facts/
Science day poster : X post of @madhav_ghodekar
Sir CV Raman teaching : X post of @Sudarshn_chakra

 

Dawn of Planet of Apes and Oscar for Andy Serkis ?

ALZ-113 virus causes the collapse of human civilization following martial law, civil unrest and the economic collapse of every country in the world. Ten years later, Caesar leads and governs a new generation of apes in a community located in the Muir Woods. While walking through the forest, Caesar's son Blue Eyes and Rocket's son Ash encounter a human.  The remaining humans in San Francisco, genetically immune to the virus, are living in a guarded tower within the ruined city. ……….  ..that is the storyline of ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’  a 2014 American science fiction film directed by Matt Reeves and written by Mark Bomback, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. It stars Andy Serkis, Jason Clarke,  and is a sequel  to the 2011 film Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which began 20th Century Fox's reboot of the original Planet of the Apes series.

It is everybody’s dream to win an Oscar – the  Academy Awards is an annual American awards ceremony honouring cinematic achievements in the film industry. Winners are awarded the statuette, officially the Academy Award of Merit,  popularly known as Oscar award. The awards, first presented in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, are overseen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).  The awards ceremony was first televised in 1953 and is now seen live in more than 200 countries. The 87th Academy Awards is scheduled for February 22, 2015.

In the Kamal starrer Dasavatharam, in a song the director KS Ravikumar had the lyrics that even Oscar would wonder Kamal calling him ‘Ulaga Nayakan’.  Have heard many Sivaji fans say that Sivaji Ganesan could not win the Oscar for his nine distinct roles in Navarathri ("Nine Nights"), a 1964 Tamil Drama film by A. P. Nagarajan because foreigners could not believe (or rather accept) that the same man could show so much of differences in 9 different roles !!!!

There are rules and according to the rules of Academy Awards – a film must open in the previous calendar year and be screened for at least 7 consecutive days  in Los Angeles County, California, to qualify (except for the Best Foreign Language Film). The film must be advertised and exploited during their Los Angeles County qualifying run in print media, and……….. this rule would make Indian language films disqualified. !!

Daily Mail reports that Hollywood is divided on whether Andy Serkis should get an Oscar for his 'motion captured' role in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.  Serkis is tipped as a contender for his role in the summer blockbuster hit – but  Hollywood is yet to decide if performance is acting or 'made in a lab'.  Animation companies say industry is 'teetering on the edge of recognition'.

The report states that Hollywood is split down the middle over whether Andy Serkis should get an Oscar for his 'motion captured' role in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.  The cinematic star is being tipped as a contender for a golden statuette for his role as Caesar (ape)  in the summer blockbuster. The movie proved a smash hit in cinemas internationally and brought in box office profits of $707.4m. The stars of the Apes are currently in Hollywood promoting the DVD release of the movie. Studio 20th Century Fox is promoting its cast for the supporting acting categories in the Academy Awards, and Serkis would be the first actor to win an Oscar for a 'motion capture' role, it emerged.

A managing director of UK film and television post-production house Molinare, said the star should be considered for an Oscar because whether he's played an ape or a man, it's all performance. Phil Elderfield, entertainment product manager at Vicon, which makes motion-capture systems, said Serkis's acting should be counted in as the award season in Hollywood gets into gear. 'We are teetering on the edge of recognition for some performances motion capture has delivered. This is a remarkable piece of work and Andy's performance is deserving of consideration.' But actors themselves are divided over whether the 'motion capture' performance is actually acting. Serkis's co-star Gary Oldman has cast doubt over whether his performance was 'the sort of thing' the Academy will accept because of the heavy use of computer generated imagery. There are also worries that the acting profession will end up redundant if Hollywood does consider the British man's performance to be acting and therefore entitled to be nominated for awards. Actors' unions have no objection though, and see the possible shift to accepting a performance made part-animation lab, part-acting is a good thing for actors.

Mankind can confuse and remain eternally confused on every quarter and see issues where there are none.

The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, given to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States of America with a predominantly non-English dialogue track.  Unlike other Academy Awards, the Best Foreign Language Film Award is not presented to a specific individual. It is accepted by the winning film's director, but is considered an award for the submitting country as a whole.

Motion capture (Mo-cap for short) is the process of recording the movement of objects or people. It is used in military, entertainment, sports, medical applications, and for validation of computer vision and robotics.  When it includes face and fingers or captures subtle expressions, it is often referred to as performance capture.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

10^th Nov. 2014.

powerful laser to burn away leaves on tracks - trial by Dutch Rail

George Gideon Oliver Osborne is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Second Lord of the Treasury since 2010 and the Member of Parliament for Tatton since 2001.  Osborne  who comes from one of the oldest Anglo-Irish aristocracies, has dismissed "totally hyperbolic" coverage of future spending cuts following his Autumn Statement. The chancellor said arguments made against cuts in 2010 had been wrong. Forecasters predict public spending will fall to levels not seen since the 1930s, suggesting the loss of one million public sector jobs by 2020. George Osborne described some BBC coverage on spending cuts as "nonsense"

At Thirupathi Railway station, there was huge crowd –waiting for the various trains – and some workers were seen manually cleaning the railway tracks – tough and thankless job indeed as not many pay heed to the advice ‘don’t use toilet at Stations’.  In the twilight, Sapthagiri Express came from Chennai and started its way back in less than 20 minutes  ~ the downside is – the train is not cleaned, water not filled and toilets remain untidy !

Autumn (interchangeably known as fall in North America)  is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter- one of its main features is the shedding of leaves from deciduous trees. The falling leaves do create problem of sorts.  In Europe, autumn and falling leaves are known to create train delays.  The leaf litters from leaf mulch forms a slipper layer on tracks.  If untreated leaves are compacted into a slippery Teflon-like surface – due to this train braking distance can double on tracks. For commuters it is perhaps the most baffling annual excuse for delays and cancellations on the railways:  ‘leaves on the line’. Methods including brushing and grinding the rails, washing with jets of water or ice have all been tried, but with limited success.

In Advanced countries, they strive to find solution to most problems – mostly with the help of advanced technology.  Mail Online reports the new innovation being tried upon trying zapping autumn litter into oblivion with lasers. The report reveals that Dutch rail company Nederlandse Spoorwegen is working with the Delft University of Technology and a British inventor to fit powerful lasers under two of its trains to burn away leaves from the tracks.

Fallen leaves cause delays on the rail network because they can cover and stick to the tracks when wet. This can make the tracks slippery in itself, but the problem becomes worse when heavy metal train wheels pass over the top, compacting the material into a hard, shiny substance that has been compared to Teflon. When this layer becomes wet, the tracks become excessively slippery and braking distances can double. Once stationary, trains can also struggle to get going again as they are unable to get traction on the tracks. Leaf mulch can also insulate train wheels from the rails, meaning signallers get less information about the location of trains on the network, meaning trains need to run with bigger spaces between them. The perennial excuse of fallen leaves causing travel chaos has long been seen as a running joke, but according to Network Rail in the UK, leaves caused 4.5 million hours of passenger delays in 2013.

Rail operators hope a new laser system will help them clear the dangerous leafy mulch that builds up on rails. The technology will use intense beams of infrared light to vaporise the build up of material on the rails before the wheels of the train passes over them. The laser device sits just in front of the wheels while a specially designed suspension system helps to keep the high powered beam focused on the layer of mulch that builds up on rails as leaves get wet and break down.  The Laser Railhead Cleaner (LRC) which has been installed by the researchers on a Nederlandse Spoorwegen DM-90 train, sits under the train just in front of the wheels.  The device uses a Nd:YAG laser to pulses of laser light with a wavelength of around 1,064 nanometres, which is infrared. According to experts the wavelength used is specifically absorbed by the leaves and other organic matter that can build up on the tracks, but not by metal. This means that the energy from the lasers is reflected off the rails without damaging them while the leaf material is vaporised, a process known as ablation.

A spokesman for Strukton Rail said: ‘The LRC briefly heats the organic material on the rails and because the organic material expands more rapidly it separates from the rails. The Laser Railhead Cleaner system is being put to trial underneath Nederlandse Spoorwegen DM-90 trains.  The Laser Railhead Cleaner technology was first invented by a former British navy engineer called Malcolm Higgins, who has developed the technology under the company name LaserThor. Their device also uses a suspension system to help protect the optics of the laser from vibrations while the laser also temporarily switches off if it misses its target.

They claim their laser is so precise it can etch a diagram into the head of a match without setting it alight.  A good innovation to the benefit of Rail passengers.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

5^th Dec 2014.

festive spirits !!

 

The festive spirits … canvas of colours and happy people – Thiruvallikkeni beckons – Sri Parthasarathi Emperuman uthsavam (a few years ago)

who is on your pillion ??

 

An unusual pillion rider on a bike !! 

Is Pillion rider a Third Party and are Insurers liable ! – depends on the type of Insurance Policy as there are varied judgments [am not writing on Insurance now a days !] 

சில வருஷங்கள் முன்னர் - புதிதாக திருமணம் புரிந்த தம்பதியினர் இடையே சண்டை வரவைக்கும் கேள்வி - உங்களுடன் ஸ்கூட்டரில் பின்னாடி அமர்ந்து வந்தது யார்  ?!!?

 

அந்த காலம், அது அது வசந்த் & கோ - கறுப்பு வெள்ளை காலத்தில் - நல்ல உத்யோகத்தில் உள்ளவர்கள் - ஜம்மென்று இரு சக்கர வாகனத்தில் [ Bajaj / Vijay/ Lambretta / Vespa scooters] அலுவலகம் சென்று வருவார்கள்

 

Greens in life !! ~ கீரை, கீரை, கீரை !!!

 

Every day  social media is replete with advice and suggestions and we get to read so many !!  

If your family head reads, feels that post is  significant and errands you to buy greens daily !!!

 

‘தினமும் ஒரு கீரையை சேர்த்துக் கொள்ளுங்கள்’ என்று மருத்துவ அறிவுரை! படித்துவிட்டு வீட்டுக்காரம்மா கீரை வாங்கி வர சொன்னால் என்ன கீரை வாங்குவது என குழப்பமா  

அகத்திக்கீரை; காசினிக் கீரை ; பசலைக்கீரை; அரைக்கீரை; பொன்னாங்கண்ணி ; முருங்கைக்கீரை; வல்லாரைக் கீரை ; முடக்கத்தான் கீரை … … …

சந்திரன் பிறை பார்த்தேன் ! ~ Moondram Pirai !!

 

சந்திரன் பிறை பார்த்தேன் !  தோழி சந்திப்பு நிகழ்ந்ததடி!! 

19.2.2026 was Moonram Pirai – the Third Crescent !!  

 

In various spiritual and cultural contexts, the "Third Crescent" (the third day after the New Moon) is considered highly significant for its symbolism of growth, divine protection, and mental clarity  

அமாவாசைக்கு அடுத்த மூன்றாம் நாளில் தோன்றும் வளர்பிறை சந்திரன் (துவிதியை), 'மூன்றாம் பிறை' என வழிபடப்படுகிறது. இது சிவபெருமான் தன் தலையில் சூடியிருக்கும் வடிவம் என மிகவும் புனிதமாகக் கருதப்படுகிறது. இதை காண்பது சிவபெருமானின் சிரசையே (சந்திர மௌலீஸ்வரர்) தரிசிப்பதற்குச் சமம் என சிவபக்தர்கள் ஆனந்திக்கிறார்கள்.  .இதைத் தரிசிப்பது முற்பிறவி பாவங்களைப் போக்கி, வம்ச விருத்தி, செல்வச் செழிப்பு, மன அமைதி மற்றும் நீண்ட ஆயுளைத் தரும் என்பது நம்பிக்கை.  

The song at the start is from movie ‘Paalum  Pazhamum’ released in 1961 starring Sivaji Ganesan & Saroja devi, directed by A Bhimsingh.    The film was remade in Kannada as Beratha Jeeva,  in Hindi as Saathi, the latter was remade in Turkish as Yarım Kalan Saadet [tr] (1970). The film's title also became the name for a  pattern of silk saris.

 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
19/2/2026

'Poomazhai thoovi vasanthangal vaaztha – oorvalam nadakinrathu’

 

This song ‘Poomazhai thoovi vasanthangal vaaztha – oorvalam nadakinrathu’ – was a hit  - MGR would play instrument and sing this in ‘Ninaithathai Mudippavan’ (the man who concludes what he thinks) had MG Ramachandran in dual roles – this movie released in 1970s was a remake of blockbuster Hindi Film ‘Sachaa Jhutha’ starring Rajesh Khanna and Vinod Khanna. Years later, came ‘Mazhalai pattalam’ – a nice movie of Mouli came, it was directed by Lakshmi ….it was a story of persons with children marrying and the problems of  bringing up so many children… a car played a significant role in that film……. 

All that is about ‘Jhanvasam’ ……. Popular ritualistic occurrence in South Indian (or is that restricted to Tamilians only !) - equivalent of a North Indian Baraat. Understand that in good olden days, marriage alliance would often outside village – bridegroom would be taken around in a chariot in procession from the place of his stay to the marriage hall………… by some accounts, it was an introduction of groom to the elders of the village and also by parading, people could voice their opinion on the groom … which many a times lead to trouble too…

 

A jhanvasa oorvalam in Triplicane yesterday !!  How well do you remember your jhanvasam and what would be your reaction, if it happened to get delayed or was to be by a closed Car !!!

 

20.2.2026

Elite multi-sports athletes : MJ Gopalan to Zach Lion-Cachet

 

Even their worst detractors would not  have possibly predicted Australia would be in this   position.  Tomorrow they play an insignificant match against Oman, when everything else is settled and T20WC would move to next phase.  After a nightmarish week, having been soundly beaten by Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, Australia's T20 World Cup dreams are over in the blink of an eye.  For the first time since 2009, Australia have been knocked out at the group stage but, instead of flying home,    they have the ignominy of having to front up against Oman in a match with very little meaning.  

Some interesting Tidbits of Cricket thanks to a Cricket Q on FB by Mr.  R Balasundaram that led to more searches on Cricket and finding something quite interesting ! (for me)

 

Unlikely that we would have followed up the career of Sam Smith, who was British No.1 female Tennis star in 90s – she retired and took up broadcasting as Career.  She worked for BBC Sport in Summer Olympics providing commentary not only on Tennis but also on Badminton and Table Tennis.

 

Today’s Cric Q of Bala read :   

1) X was an international rugby player for country A

2) Y was a tennis star who for a brief period was ranked No.1 in country B

3) X and Y met in country B and married

4) One of their sons, Z chose cricket over rugby and tennis and played in the ongoing ICC World Cup for country A.

Identify Z. 

Knowing Bala, my searches first zeroed on recent matches, possible Rugby Nations .. and the like. 

 

In their most recent cricket encounter, India defeated the Netherlands by 17 runs on February 18, 2026,   in Ahmedabad.  India posted a total of 193/6, powered by   Shivam Dube’s soaring sixers in his knock of  66 off 31 balls. The Netherlands fought back and were closer but lost eventually finishing 176/7.

 

The answer is a player from Nederlands -  Zach Lion-Cachet, who hit a quickfire 26 in 16 balls.   Born in Dec 2003, Zach has a diverse skill set and lineage.   From  Oxford, England, he quickly became a key figure in the Dutch national team, particularly noted for his   performances under pressure. His father, Marc Lion-Cachet, was an international rugby player who represented the Netherlands. His mother, Sam Smith, was a professional tennis star who reached a career-high ranking of British No. 1   in the late 1990s. His parents met in the United Kingdom   where his father played rugby and his mother competed in tennis. Although Zach was part of the Southampton FC football academy until age 16, he ultimately chose to pursue cricket over his parents' sports.  

Samantha Smith   who was the British ladies' No. 1 from 1996 to 1999  now commentates on the game, predominantly for the BBC, ITV, Sky Sports, BT Sport, Eurosport & more,    for 17 consecutive years   

Lion-Cachet follows a long tradition of "double internationals" or elite multi-sport athletes in cricket:

•       Ellyse Perry (Australia): The only player to have played in both a Cricket World Cup and a FIFA Women's World Cup (scoring for Australia in the 2011 football tournament).

•       Jeff Wilson (New Zealand): Known as "Goldie," he won 60 caps for the All Blacks in rugby and played 6 ODIs for New Zealand in cricket.

•       Suzie Bates (New Zealand): A legendary cricketer who also represented New Zealand in basketball at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

•       Jonty Rhodes (South Africa): Famous for his fielding, he was also an international-level hockey player selected for the 1992 Olympic squad.

•       Yuzvendra Chahal (India): The only player to represent India in both international cricket and World Youth Chess Championships.

•       Rudie van Vuuren (Namibia): Achieved the rare feat of playing in both the Cricket World Cup and the Rugby World Cup in the same year (2003).

 

Then there is the legendary Triplicanite [many of us would have seen him in marriages and in Temple] Morapakkam Josyam Gopalan, (MJ Gopalan),   an iconic personality, India's most famous "Double International"  representing the country in both cricket and hockey.   His career is defined by a legendary "what if" moment in 1936, when he had to choose between two major international tours happening simultaneously.  When he was a  virtual certainty for the Indian hockey team for the 1936 Berlin Olympics, he chose Cricket went on to tour England but was not picked up for a single test.  Ironically, the hockey team, led by Dhyan Chand, went on to win the Olympic Gold Medal.  

On November 4, 1934, he earned the distinction of bowling the first-ever delivery in the history of the Ranji Trophy, playing for Madras against Mysore.   He played his only Test match against England in 1934 at Calcutta. He was a stalwart of Madras (now Tamil Nadu) cricket, taking 194 first-class wickets and scoring nearly 3,000 runs.  A world-class centre-half, he toured New Zealand and Australia with the Indian hockey team in 1935, playing in 39 of the 48 matches.  Once regularly held annual first class match between Tamil Nadu and Ceylon (Sri lanka) was named after him as : M.J. Gopalan Trophy.   

 

Interesting !

 

Regards – S Sampathkumar

19.2.2026

 

Sun ~ கதிரவன் எழுந்தான் .. .. பரம்பொருள் நாமம் பாடி பறந்தன புள்ளினம்.

 

கதிரவன் எழுந்தான் கனையிருள் அகன்றது

கடல் அலை மீது நடந்தது காற்று

பரம்பொருள் நாமம் பாடி பறந்தன புள்ளினம்........

 

அன்பு எனும் ஒரு மந்திரம் போதும்;  ஆருயிர் எல்லாம் ஓருயிர் ஆகும்

வானம் நிலம் யாவும் தேவன் அருள் மேவும்.. ..

 

An early morning picture of Sun, clouds, waves of Bay of Bengal and people .. .. on a Masi Magam day few years ago !! 

பண்டைக்கால  வானியல் அறிவில் ஞாயிறும் திங்களும் ஒரு முக்கிய இடத்தைப் பிடித்திருந்தன. இரண்டும் காலத்தைக் கணக்கிடுவதிலும், வாழ்வின் சுழற்சியைப் புரிந்துகொள்வதிலும் அடிப்படை அலகுகளாகப் பயன்படுத்தப்பட்டன. ஞாயிறு (சூரியன்) காலத்தின் தொடக்கமாகவும், நாளின் அடையாளமாகவும், பருவ கால மாற்றங்களுக்குக் காரணமாகவும் இலக்கியங்களில் போற்றப்படுகிறது. புறநானூற்றுப் பாடல்கள் ஞாயிற்றை உலகின் ஆதாரமாகப் போற்றுகின்றன.  பெரும் பொழுதுகளான கார், கூதிர், முன்பனி, பெரும்பனி, இளவேனில், முதுவேனில் ஆகியவை ஞாயிற்றின் தெற்கு, வடக்கு நோக்கிய இயக்கங்களாலும், அதன் ஒளிக்கதிர்களின் தீவிரத்தாலும் ஏற்படும் மாற்றங்களை அடிப்படையாகக் கொண்டவையே.  

சங்க இலக்கியத்தில் கதிரவன் (ஞாயிறு) இயற்கையின் அங்கமாகவும், காலத்தைக் காட்டும் குறியீடாகவும், உவமையாகவும், கோள வடிவிலும் சித்தரிக்கப்படுகிறான். செஞ்ஞாயிற்றுத் தெறல் (மிகுந்த வெப்பம்) உடையவனாகவும், மாலையில் மலைக்குச் சென்று மறைபவனாகவும், நிலத்தில் உயிர்களை வாழவைப்பவனாகவும், மன்னர்களின் புகழுக்கு இணையாகவும் கதிரவன் பாடல்களில் போற்றப்படுகிறான். 

The song at the start written by Kavignar Vali, set to the tune of Isaignani Illayaraja featured in movie “Sri Raghavendra” – Rajnikanth’s 100^th film, directed by SP Muthuraman, produced by Kavithalaya.    

The Sun is the star at the heart of our solar system. Its gravity holds the solar system together, keeping everything — from the biggest planets to the smallest bits of debris — in its orbit.  The Sun, as the source of energy and light for life on Earth, has been a central object in culture and religion since prehistory.  The Sun has many names in many cultures. The Latin word for Sun is “sol,” which is the main adjective for all things Sun-related: solar. 

The sun is revered globally as a primary symbol of life, power, and divinity, often worshipped as a creator god or celestial ruler. Cultures, including Egyptians (Ra), Greeks (Helios/Apollo), Hindus (Surya), and Incas (Inti), historically personified it as a radiant deity controlling life, agriculture, and cosmic order. In Aztec culture, the sun was worshipped as the vital, life-giving deity Tonatiuh (or Huitzilopochtli), viewed as a warrior battling daily against darkness to bring light. As the "People of the Sun," the Aztecs believed constant human sacrifice was required to nourish him and prevent the apocalypse, following the belief that they lived in the final, fifth era.  In Mesoamerican culture, Tonatiuh ("Movement of the Sun") is an Aztec sun deity of the daytime sky who rules the cardinal direction of east.  According to Aztec mythology, Tonatiuh was known as "The Fifth Sun" and was given a calendar name of naui olin, which means "4 Movement

 

Interesting !
 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
19.2.2026