Portal:India/Quiz/Archive15

[edit] Questions

[edit] Q1

An obscure one to kick-start this round. This medicine was the first of be found effective for a particular illness, and in a significant departure from the usual trend, it was first used in India sometime in the 20th century for this particular purpose, and then taken up by the physicians of the West. What medicine and what illness? -- Longhairandabeard 18:39, 26 November 2006 (UTC)

• Answer Malaria and Quinine --Agεθ020 (ΔT • ФC) 21:08, 26 November 2006 (UTC)

Nope. There are several firsts of Malaria and Quinine associated with India, but not this. Quinine was first used for malaria by Native Americans. Hint: The medicine we are looking for has been described in Ayurveda, but was used for this particular disease only in the mid-20th century. Plus, as I said it's a little obscure, as the medicine is not used first line for this illness any more. -- Longhairandabeard 22:34, 26 November 2006 (UTC)

Okay, more specific hint: The Sanskrit name of this medicine means 'Snake-Aroma'. -- Longhairandabeard 02:35, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Sarpagandha, Blood pressure. — Ravikiran 03:30, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Yup, that's right. Rauwolfia has more details about the medicine, and the history can be read here. -- Longhairandabeard 04:00, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q2

This is either very easy or very difficult. I don't know which. Connect the movie Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro with the TV serial Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi. — Ravikiran 04:23, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

I dunno what you are looking for - so I will give all the connects I have. JBDY was the debut film and YJHZ was the debut TV serial for Kundan Shah. Both JBDY and YJHZ were instrumental in giving a big fillip to the career of Satish Shah. Both of them have this famous dialogue: "Yeh Kya ho raha hai?". JBDY was produced by NFDC and YJH by DD - thus being the first comedy film/ serials to be supported by government funded institutions? --Gurubrahma 05:57, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Wow, I did not know that there were so many connects. The one I was looking for was slightly different - Bhakti Barve, who played the evil magazine editor in JBDY, was the wife of Shafi Inamdar in YJHZ. All yours Guru. — Ravikiran 11:32, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

Thanks Ravi for giving it, despite it being not what you are looking for. btw, I am not sure about my last connect though. We have at least 3 red links then - Kundan Shah, Bhakti Barve and Shafi Inamdar. --Gurubrahma 15:36, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

Objection, btw. According to the WP article on Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi, the role of the wife was played by Swaroop Sampat. Bhakti Barve was the wife of Shafi Inamdar in real life [1]. --Gurubrahma 15:40, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

I meant real life vonly. — Ravikiran 01:43, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q3

A friend of a fictional spy shares his first name with a cartoon character. What is the name I am looking for? --Gurubrahma 15:36, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

Hint? -- Longhairandabeard 22:05, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

How about Kim? Kimball O'Hara is a friend of the spy Mahboob Ali in the novel Kim by Kipling. Kim Possible is the name of a disney character that I don't know anything about.Cribananda 01:57, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Wow...I thought I had it in my pocket! Apparently not. Cribananda 07:06, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

I somehow keep coming up with Celsius, maybe that was some spies' dog.. it is a cartoon character though. --ti 04:11, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Archie? Archibald Haddock <-- Tintin —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 202.177.244.67 (talk • contribs).

Hint? The name is a common, popular Indian name. The fictional spy series has been retconned recently. --Gurubrahma 04:48, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Is that Ajit Bandyopadhyay friend of Byomkesh Bakshi then? --ti 05:12, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

oops, i dont know if the cartoon connection was Ajit Ninan, who created Detective Moochwala and Funny World for Target (comics)? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by tejas81 (talk • contribs).

Nope, nope, nope. Byomkesh Bakshi had a retcon? didn't know about it. btw, Ajit Ninan is not a cartoon character, so doesn't fit. OK, both these characters have a single name, which is a popular first name. I urge you to think international, though this is India Quiz ;). You can probably get this if you think of our beloved late PM Lal Bahadur Shastriji. --Gurubrahma 06:16, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

BB apparently has a re-run on DD, see comments on [2]. I'll put in one last guess for Bahadur itself. --ti 06:31, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

If the spy is Bahadur, the friend would be Bela, who shares her name with Bela from Brotherhood of Mutants. (Although the question says his name..) -- Longhairandabeard 06:48, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Probably LHAB got it. Still, another guess. Maya, a character from GameWorld trilogy (The Simoqin Prophecies, The Manticore's Secret and ?) by Samit Basu shares her name with Maya (comics).--Dwaipayan (talk) 06:55, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Very good guesses, but not what I am looking for. Bahadur and Bela are popular in India, not international. Maya isn't what I am looking for either - doesn't fit retcon. Lay stress on "late" in late PM and look at what his tangible legacy is. btw, you "office-goers" hv no work? This question has seen lot of activity. --Gurubrahma 07:33, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

No guesses still. Ok, this should be a sitter - think of Amitabh Bachchan's greatest celluloid hits in his prime. Also, don't forget to answer all the connects thrown as hints above. --Gurubrahma 13:39, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Short answer: Jay.. Long answer: Blue Jay (comics) is the cartoon character, Jay is friend to Silent Bob from Jay and Silent Bob (doubtful, as I don't know much about the series), Big B plays Jai in Sholay, Shastriji gave the slogan Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan. -- Longhairandabeard 14:15, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Nope. So near, yet so far - you may want to try a variant; and there has been no retcon of Blue Jay to the best of my knowledge. I'm becoming "the world's most desperate" quizmaster. --Gurubrahma 14:29, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Vijay. So near to, and a variant of Jay. Vijay Ghat for Shastri. AB was Vijay in Roti Kapda aur Makan, Don, Deewaar, Trishul, Hera Pheri, Kaala Patthar, etc. Jasoos Vijay is the retconned detective series partner produced by BBC WorldService Trust. Vijay's friend seems to be Jeet, maybe there is a cartoon character Jeet, friend of Billoo and Pinkie. what have i missed out? :) --ti 15:10, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Can't be nearer and farther. Vijay and the secondary connects are right. And btw, Jasoos Vijay is the spy himself, not the friend of the spy. Neither Jasoos Vijay nor Billoo/Pinkie are famous internationally. So, while Vijay is the correct answer and while you'll get half the credit, the question basically remains unanswered as to why "Vijay" is the answer to the question. Whoever establishes it correctly will get the remaining credit and the baton. Look at all my exhortations carefully and you'll land it. --Gurubrahma 15:43, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

"Hello Inspector" is the spy series.--Dwaipayan (talk) 16:18, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Parmanu is the comic strip.--Dwaipayan (talk) 16:24, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Dwaipayan sounds like he has it, I thought it might be Tehkikaat with Vijay Anand as Inspector Sam. here is a nice page on TV serials of the past. --ti 16:40, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

You guys are going horribly off-track. Is Parmanu international? No. Is Vijay the name of the character or the friend's name in Tehkikat? No. Who is arguably the most famous fictional spy? Which is one of the most famous cartoon strips in the recent past? why did I have to accentuate "World's most desperate." This is so easy, now that you have the answer, "Vijay" as well. A bit of googling itself should be enough. You ppl. will wonder why you were spending time for such a simple question. C'mon guys, recently retconned fictional spy franchise. --Gurubrahma 16:52, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

The cartoon character has got to be Vijay from Dilbert, the world's most desperate venture capitalist. Now onto the most famous fictional spy. --ti 17:05, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

that would be Vijay, Indian ally of James Bond in Octopussy, played by Vijay Amritraj. Jeez people, read the lines, not between them! ;-) --ti 17:07, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Good, you get the full credit and the baton. Ask the next question fast. --Gurubrahma 17:28, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q4

OK, a sitter after that last one! Connect the crocus flower, Lokmanya Tilak and the Voyager program. --ti 18:13, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Ok, definitely not a sitter, I'd say. Anyways, the answer I have is Kesar/Kesri, the word in many Indian languages for Saffron. Crocus flower gives the spice saffron or Kesri; Kesri was the name of the Marathi Magazine started by Tilak (the English version was called Maharatta, btw); Surashri Kesarbai Kerkar's voice recordings were on Voyager1 and Voyager2. I got the last one just now and am not sure if that is the connect you are looking for. I am more or less confident about the first two. --Gurubrahma 19:07, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

Correct. It's reasonably sitterish since the crocus article mentions saffron in the introduction. Oh well, atleast easier than the last question where we came up with all possible cartoon characters evarrrrr! :) i was always misled into thinking indian cartoons and comics all the way.. --ti 19:59, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q5

This retired sportsperson has made an appearance in a 2006 film connected to that sport. A product of Indian and Russian parentage, this sportsperson has won a silver medal in Olympics for a team event. Identify the person and the film. --Gurubrahma 10:32, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

I have seen this question somewhere in a quiz; identify the person in the picture, and goddamit, I'm unable to remember who he is! His face is floating in front of my eyes, but I can't remember! ARRGH! --May the Force be with you! Shreshth91 11:33, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

I remembered Mohini Bhardwaj from the Olympics, is it her? The film is Stick It. --ti 16:50, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Yes, you got it. She is the first Indian-American to have won a medal in Olympics. --Gurubrahma 19:31, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

yay! next question in 3-4 hours when i get off work. --ti 21:35, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q6

Sorry for the holdup, here's an easily googlable question. What does Jawaharlal Nehru have in common with William Shakespeare, Vladimir Lenin, Pablo Picasso and Ho Chi Minh? --ti 04:40, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

They are all on the list of articles any wikipedia should have according to [3] Cribananda 04:58, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

The answer I am looking for is something more specifically related to India. Hint: an Indian literary genius was in the news recently for analogous reasons. --ti 05:23, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Hey not fair... Was looking for Tagore, and now is Nehru? =Nichalp «Talk»= 05:28, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

They all have places named after them?72.153.51.172 05:36, 2 December 2006 (UTC)sorry that was me forgetting to sign in.Dv vignesh 05:37, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

The link could be syphilis. The first three are speculated to have it. Picasso was afraid of catching it, but painted prostitutes suffering from it. Can't link Ho Chi Minh though. -- Longhairandabeard 05:58, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Each one read shakespeare?Bakaman 06:00, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Streets in Kolkatta are named after all of them? [4] — Lost^(talk) 06:10, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

I believe Lost's got it - I got to it before him but was working on something else <notetoself>Next time you get an answer, be humble and fast; don't think that others wouldn't be able to get it</notetoself> This is interesting reading on the same subject. --Gurubrahma 06:21, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Lost has it right and the baton, and Guru has the link I got it from. Vignesh was close, but I couldnt proffer any hints then. Sorry Nichalp - I wasnt sure about whether the Tagore on the link was Rabindranath Tagore or Abanindranath Tagore so I swapped that. The Indian literary genius in the hint was Jnanpith Award winner U.R. Ananthamurthy who proposed the name change from Bangalore to Bengaluru. --ti 16:08, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q7

This person was not Indian by birth. Came to India to do social work. Went to prison during the freedom struggle. Was most famous for giving a boost to a state's economy. Name the person and the task with which he boosted the state's economy. — Lost^(talk) 05:18, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

Don't tell me the answer is Satyananda Stokes, who worked for rehabilitation of lepers. He became famous for boosting Himachal Pradesh's economy with apple plantations. I had already asked this question on one of the previous rounds, though not structured in the same way. --Gurubrahma 05:35, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

Dang, I should have checked the archives!!! All yours GB — Lost^(talk) 05:45, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q8

Connect NTR and Puneet Issar. --Gurubrahma 13:30, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

NTR played Ravan, Puneet Issar played Duryodhan? I remember a similar question in a past quiz — Lost^(talk) 13:52, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

NTR played Duryodhan as well in at least a couple of movies. However, Issar's role of Duryodhan was in a TV series, not a film. I'm looking at a connection that builds on their film performances. --Gurubrahma 14:16, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

NTR is famous for this Krishna roles. Puneet Issar's latest movie was Krrish which is really short for Krishna. Cribananda 17:50, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

Nope. Think international, not just devotional. Fantasy track is right, though not necessarily mythological. Think of top billing or almost top-billing roles. --Gurubrahma 18:47, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

They both acted as Emperor Ashoka in different films in the year 1992? --ti 19:38, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

Both have acted as Indian versions of Superman. [5] and [6] -- Longhairandabeard 20:07, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

I was going to guess this too but was too busy working on the article on NTR. However, ti has a point too. Cribananda 20:10, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

The Superman connection must be the one, I just didnt see Superman for NTR on IMDB or WP. The Ashoka thing is actually not true, cribananda: Ashoka was just the name of Essar's character, not the role of Emperor Ashoka. --ti 20:50, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

de-indenting Yeah ti, you are correct in surmising that LHAB has got it. Both NTR and Puneet Issar have acted in unauthorised versions of Superman. The former, however, was made in early '80s and was an Indianized version with an ordinary kid getting super powers due to the blessings of Lord Hanuman. In fact, NTR wears a "H", not a "S", on his cape; Jayaprada co-starred with him. The Puneet Issar version is believed to be an unabashed copy of the 1978 Hollywood film with allegations that some of the footage was lifted from the original movie - surprisingly, this Puneet Issar version has become something of a cult classic on the internet these days. btw, Dharmendra essayed the role played by Marlon Brando in the original. The baton passes to LHAB. --Gurubrahma 07:55, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q9

Apologies for the delay. Here is the next question. Fill up the blanks.. Shimla : Chandigarh :: Ahmedabad : __________ :: Dehradun : ___________ -- Longhairandabeard 18:44, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

My guess: Shimla : Chandigarh :: Ahmedabad : Bombay (or Mumbai) :: Dehradun : Lucknow. The logic being: 'Capital at time of state's creation' : 'Previous Capital'. Abecedare 18:54, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

Nope. The previous capital before Punjab was trifurcated was Shimla itself, not Chandigarh. Another pair that can be added is: ___________ : Bhubaneshwar . All three blanks must be filled to get points.. -- Longhairandabeard 19:24, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

My guess is that the state captals were moved to these cities after independence.

So Gandhinagar(Ahmedabad), Lucknow(Dehradun) and Cuttack(Bhubaneshwar). --Agεθ020 (ΔT • ФC) 21:11, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

You are almost there. Keep in mind that it's important whether the blank is the first or the second in a pair. Another hint: There is something common to the second city in the first, second and fourth pairs, and that may soon apply to the second city in the third pair. Let me put them down again together:

Shimla : Chandigarh :: Ahmedabad : __________ :: Dehradun : ___________ :: ___________ : Bhubaneshwar -- Longhairandabeard 21:26, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

OK my answer sticks to everything except Dehradun. It will be Gairsen as a possible future capital for Uttaranchal. --Agεθ020 (ΔT • ФC) 21:40, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

Yup, you got it! Over to you.. -- Longhairandabeard 21:43, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

so is the connection "capital at time of state creation : current capital", or is it something about independence - confused! --ti 21:56, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

The connection is just Earlier capital : Shifted to new capital, but the new capital was built de novo/enhanced/will be enhanced for becoming the new capital. And the states in question are Punjab, Gujarat, Uttaranchal and Orissa. -- Longhairandabeard 23:09, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

thanks LHAB. for no credit, the person who sees this first can answer right here: what is Naypyidaw the new capital of? no googling! --ti 23:02, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q10

My first question on India quiz. I'll make it easy. The person in question is the owner of one of the largest textile firms in India. During the 80's, he was involved in a tussle with the Jute Baron and the Polyster Prince. Who is he? ( A hint will be available after 24hrs) --Agεθ020 (ΔT • ФC) 22:55, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

Nusli Wadia of Bombay Dyeing ? I may not answer right, but I answer first :-) Abecedare 23:04, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

You do answer correctly as well. It is Nusli Wadia. The Jute Baron is Arun Bajoria and the polyster prince is Dhirubhai Ambani. --Agεθ020 (ΔT • ФC) 23:09, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

Yoohoo, my first ! Now for the really tough part: thinking up a question ... will get back in an hour or so Abecedare 23:23, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q11

This is a simple one, so to make it interesting I'll pose it in form of a (non-metrical) limerick:

Immense riches is the source of his fame,
Or was protecting the Earth his life's aim ?
What makes necrophobics truly apprehensive,
Is his profession of medicine - forensic !
Practiced albeit under a variant last name.

To get full credit, you should be able to explain the references in Lines 1,2 and 4-5. Abecedare 01:30, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

Very interesting question. The answer is Anil Agarwal. Line 1 refers to Anil Agarwal (billionaire) of Vedanta Resources, Line 2 refers to Anil Agarwal (environmentalist) who founded the Centre for Science and Environment. Another Anil Aggrawal is Professor of Forensic Medicine at Maulana Azad Medical College.[7] -- Longhairandabeard 01:58, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

Correct ! All yours. Abecedare 02:08, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q12

Thanks! Your lyrical puzzle has inspired me to form another cryptic question: The teacher who got East and West together once met the dead leader who asked for blood... What am I talking about? -- Longhairandabeard 02:30, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

Dr. Radhakrishnan's (i.e. Teacher + author of "East and West in Religion", "Eastern Religions and Western Thought " etc) (rumoured?) meeting with Netaji who famously said "Give me blood, and I shall give you freedom!" Abecedare 02:43, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

Yup, that's what I'm talking about. Hmm.. less cryptic than I thought.. Over to you Abecedare.. -- Longhairandabeard 04:07, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks. Here goes ... Abecedare 04:30, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

By the way, I loved the "met the dead leader" touch ! Abecedare 04:35, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q13

It is a clerihew this time. You have to fill-in the first line:

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Ex-MP. Ex-dancer
Famously wrote:
Occident is carnivore

The fun is in finding the reference for the last two lines (Note: The last line is not a literal quotation).
Bonus: Improve end of line 2. I have one in mind, but it makes the answer too obvious :-) Abecedare 04:30, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

Is that Pandit Ravi Shankar, with his composition West Eats Meat? I think that was part of his concert West Meets East. --ti 04:49, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

Yup. I am not sure though whether "West eats meat" was part of the "West meets East" concerts with Yehudi Menuhin, or a follow-up piece of work. Perhaps someone here will know for certain ...

I had thought "Ex-MP. OK plunker" would have made the puzzle obvious, but apparently it was simple enough anyway! Your turn Abecedare 04:59, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

according to [8], it sounds like it may have just been a joke. next question coming up in an hour. --ti 05:02, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

One can hear a snippet here. Abecedare 05:13, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q14

Z, on being asked to return all that he had learnt, chose to regurgitate it instead in the form of food! Z's peers then assumed the form of a flock of X's and then ate all this refuse to try and gain the knowledge that Z had absorbed. This body of knowledge derives its name from the Sanskrit word for X. Who is Z, and what is X? --ti 05:35, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

Z = Yajnavalkya. X = Taittiriya which gives rise to the title Taittiriya Samhita. The legend is told here. Anybody know what bird taittiriya refers to ? Abecedare 06:00, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

that's correct Abecedare, taittiriya is a (possibly kind of) partridge as explained in Yajnavalkya. off you go. --ti 06:13, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q15

I hope this one hasn't already come up:

99.94 : Donald Bradman :: ~1.44 : ?

Hint: The first pair is somewhat of a red herring. The answer has nothing to do with sports Abecedare 07:19, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

Isn't the average population growth rate in India 1.44% as per the 2004 estimate? I don't know if that has anything to do witht the answer though.Dv vignesh 07:37, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

That factoid may well be true, but I am looking for a famous person. Abecedare 07:44, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

Any hints?

This will help you get closer to the right track:

99.94 : Donald Bradman :: 1729 : ? :: ~1.44 : ?

Abecedare 08:03, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

Ramanujam and Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar? 1729 was a number made famous by Ramanujam. Ramanujam inspired Chandrashekhar and his calculation of the Chandrasekhar limit which is approximately equal to 1.44(times the solar mass). S. Chandrasekhar also established the Ramanujam Institute of Mathematics at Madras University. Dv vignesh 08:08, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

You got it ! The answer indeed is

99.94 : Donald Bradman :: 1729 (number) : Srinivasa Ramanujan :: ~1.44 : Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar

1729 is known as the Hardy-Ramanujan number, while ~1.44Mo (Mo=mass of sun) corresponds to the Chandrashekhar limit; and of course as any cricket fan knows 99.94 was the Don's career batting average.

(By the way, I am not sure if Ramanujan inspired Chandrashekhar's calculation. Any links on that ?)

Your turn to pose the question. Abecedare 08:19, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

I didn't really mean it that way. Ramanuajan was an inspiration to Chandrasekhar. I didn't mean just the calculation of the limit. Next question might take a while. Its 3:30 in the morning here. It will be up in the morning (for me).Dv vignesh 08:24, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

Oh, got it. I'll go get some sleep too. Abecedare 08:33, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q16

A and B are brothers. B played the violin. Once A had died, B started playing an intsrument C his brother used to play. D is now one of the only females to play C. Tsunami can be related to C. Another clue can be found on my user page. Identify A,B,C and D.Dv vignesh 20:00, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

here's my guess: C is the Jal tarang, and D is Dr. Ragini Trivedi as mentioned on that page. A and B are Kannada music-composing duo Nagendra and Rajan respectively. --ti 21:19, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

It wasn't the answer I was looking for. Your answer seems to be correct, though. Dv vignesh 21:52, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

Did Rajan ever take up the Jalatarang after the death of his brother? We have two articles on WP namely Jal tarang and Jalatarangam. Do they need to be merged?Dv vignesh 21:56, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

I think they should be merged, with just a mention of the different names in North and South India. Here's another guess: C is still the Jalatarangam and D is Sita Doraiswamy ref [9]. --ti 23:21, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

C and D are correct ti. The A and B that I thought of are different (not that yours are wrong). But did Rajan ever play the Jalatarangam and stop playing the violin?Vignesh 23:30, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks Vig. Is B then Anayampatti Ganesan - he seems to have 2 brothers as well? I do know that Rajan played the violin and Nagendra the Jalatarangam, but my knowledge on Carnatic music is a subset of what Google yields; so guesses are all I can afford! The Jalatarangam/Jaltarang page certainly could use a list of exponents. --ti 23:41, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

B is Anayampatti Ganesan. A is his brother Anayampatti Dhandapani. C is Jalatarangam and D is Sita Doraiswamy, who happens to be my grandmother.I know you didn't answer A yet, but you would have anyway. The next question is yours.Vignesh 00:04, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Vignesh, do you have any weblinks related to the question ? It would be helpful in creating pages on the persons involved, or adding details on currently existing wikipedia pages. Thanks. Abecedare 00:08, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks Vig, what is the link to Tsunami though? Abecedare, here is a link with a list of many South Indian percussionists - South India Percussionist Page by N. Scott Robinson. I have requested the two articles to be merged. Carnatic music does deserve a portal of its own! next qn coming up soon. --ti 00:18, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks ti. Abecedare 01:30, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

A Tsunami has to do with waves. Jalatarang literally means water wave.
All I know about this question and Carnatic Music in general is from my knowledge. I am sorry that I have no weblinks as of now, but I will start working on it. Vignesh 01:40, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

vig, did not notice you said D was your grandmother till now. very cool. you should get down to article creation asap! :) --ti 03:02, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q17

Baptism Under Fire, Bleach, Anytime At All, Delicious, The Alchemist, Copper Blue. quick: what's the connection? --ti 02:48, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Albums by bands whose name is derived from Indian languages ?

• Baptism Under Fire : Juggernaut
• Bleach : Nirvana
• Anytime At All : Banyan
• Delicious : Shampoo
• The Alchemist : Avatar
• Copper Blue: Sugar

(I am linking to the word pages since they often have the etymology, rather than the band pages) Abecedare 03:32, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

on the money. in retrospect, an awful 2nd level connect. here's the full list. your turn Abecedare. --ti 03:52, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

I had fun working it out. The last two questions seem to have covered the whole gamut of music. Abecedare 04:44, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q18

Fifty-nine years old
Bespectacled
Indian Forrest Gump ?

Abecedare 04:44, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Salman Rushdie is 59, bespectacled and of Indian origin. But alas, I cannot figure out why he might be "Forrest Gump". Pradiptaray 05:22, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Nope. By the way, 59 may not be the exact age, for reasons that hopefully will be clear once the answer is revealed. Abecedare 05:32, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Ok, I'll have one more long shot. The Common Man ? Bespectacled and Indian. Like Forrest Gump, as in omnipresent with regard to major happenings. But now I dont know about 59. Pradiptaray 05:36, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Yup. The answer is R.K. Laxman's The Common Man.

Laxman moved to The Times of India in 1947 and the common man character developed was born soon after ... hence the ~59 years. [10] I thought Forrest Gump comparison was apt because like that character Laxman's sketches relate "a simple man's epic journey through life, meeting historical figures and experiencing first-hand historic events while largely unaware of their significance", except that The Common Man is uninvolved rather than unaware. Also the description "Through the eyes and fate of this long-suffering, harried, cheated and burdened, yet brave and uncomplaining character, LAXMAN gives his readers a sense of identity with the experiences that constitute India's national life" [11] could be applied to Forrest Gump with appropriate substitutions.

The floor is now yours. Abecedare 06:04, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

The "exact age" comment helped. I think The Common Man came about in 1951 or thereabouts. But nice question anyway. The R.K. Laxman and The Common Man articles definitely could do with some work. Pradiptaray 06:27, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the info ! I searched but did not find an exact date when the common man first appeared. Here is another article on his genesis. [12].

According to this 2003 article, Laxman drew the Common Man "55 years ago", which would make him ~58 years old now. The mystery continues ... :-) Abecedare 06:48, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q19

Ok, here goes. What connects :

• A brief, temporary armistice in the early days of 1988 in the Soviet war in Afghanistan

• A growing trend in the 1950s, pioneered by National Geographic photographers, to have subjects wear overly colourful clothes

• Nelson Mandela -- Pradiptaray 14:50, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Hi Pradiptaray, welcome to the quiz. just wanted to clarify that the question is related to India in some way. Some newcomers forget about this stipulation. If the question is not connected to India, you may want to change it. If it is related to India, my guess is Batik, though I am unable to connect it to the armistice in Afghanistan. The Vational Geographic subjects and Nelson Mandela wore Batik clothes. --Gurubrahma 15:30, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Yes, it is connected to India. Its not Batik, though. Check Nelson Mandela's Indian connections. I will give a hint soon if there are no further developments. Pradiptaray 15:39, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Ok, hint. The Nelson Mandela connection can be refined to state "The honor conferred to Nelson Mandela by India". Pradiptaray 17:04, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

So that narrows it down to: Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding; Indira Gandhi Award for International Justice and Harmony;and Bharat Ratna. I am still stuck but hopefully someone will have an Aha moment soon. Abecedare 17:13, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Think of other non-Indians who were conferred the honour. Pradiptaray 17:18, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Is that Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan who was also awarded the Bharat Ratna? His movement Khudai Khidmatgar were also known as the Red shirts, and the growing trend of the 1950's is the Red Shirt School of Photography. --ti 17:30, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

... and apparently the two opposing forces during the Afghan war promsed to allow his funeral to proceed peacefully [13] Abecedare 17:34, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Bang on, both of you ! I think the Bharat Ratna article is a little flawed in defining KAGK as the first non Indian recipient of the Bharat Ratna. As far as ethnicity goes, Mother Teresa was the first. She was a naturalized Indian citizen by the time she received the award. KAGK definitely looked upon himself as Indian during the freedom struggle and maybe beyond, it is just that he was the first recipient of the Ratna who was not an Indian citizen. Also, the KAGK article doesnt talk of the bomb blasts during his funeral. Probably worth incorporating. And maybe a stub for the Red Shirt School of Photography.

Over to you, ti. Pradiptaray 17:46, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

I knew this answer. I didn't need google for it. Too bad I live in the US and was asleep while the question was asked. Nice question though.Vignesh 17:58, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Ach! Hard luck. I live in the EST zone and was up unusually early today ! Pradiptaray 18:03, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

vig, i agree: nice question, but i think the Frontier Gandhi article does contain the ceasefire reference. any links for the red shirt school of photography? next question coming up right away. --ti 18:05, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

I live in the EST zone as well, but I have a final tomorrow and was up till 4 am and then went to sleep.Dv vignesh 18:10, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

it did contain the reference to the ceasefire, but not to the bomb blasts during the funeral. i added it in. i ll stub the red shirt school too. only reference is here [14], but this book about 100 years of the society has a chapter on it! Pradiptaray 18:20, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q20

This might be insanely easy, or just plain insane. She was born out of love of a mother in the software industry, and a father who managed the electricity supply for the region. For her own safety, she does not live with her parents. Who is she? --ti 18:12, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Are they real people or is this a metaphor?Vignesh 18:20, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Sounds like an industrial merger to me. Pradiptaray 18:23, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

I know this is irrelevant in the current context, but someone should check out the Anil Ambani page.Vignesh 18:24, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Reverted vandalism. Pradiptaray 18:29, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

I assume the question refers to some mythological persons ... Abecedare 18:31, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

... actually industrial merger is more likely. Abecedare 18:33, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

ok, these are interesting takes on the question. so i will give one hint now and then reveal more later: it is very likely that more Americans than Indians know about her family. --ti 19:23, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

oh oh, to answer vig's original doubt, the girl in question is fictional. also, more specifically, her father works in the recycling division of the power plant. --ti 19:45, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Got it! It's Sati from the Matrix Revolutions, daughter of Rama Kandra and Kamala. Thanks for that last hint! -- Longhairandabeard 20:05, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Sati it is LHAB! damn last hint: i was planning to create clues into the night! :-) waiting for your question. --ti 22:51, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

Next q in a couple of hours.. -- Longhairandabeard 03:13, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q21

Apologies for the delay.. An easy question to make up for it: An authentic Indian dish X Y was modified in a different country A by chefs from another country B to form a new dish X Y Z which became the most popular dish of country A for a while. What are A, B, and X Y Z? -- Longhairandabeard 04:53, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

A = Britain , B= Bangladesh, XYZ = Chicken Tikka Masala .Bakaman 05:02, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Yup! Over to you, Bakaman.. -- Longhairandabeard 06:39, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q22

Connect Sylhet with Hinduism in Manipur.Bakaman 05:50, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Shantidas Goswami, was a Hindu preacher from Sylhet. He and his associates arrived in Manipur in 1728 AD, and started his mission to preach the Ramanandi cult of Vaishnavism. [15] They succeeded in converting King Pamheiba, who changed the official religion of Manipur to Hinduism. --ti 06:18, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Dang you are fast tejas. Baton goes to you. Wow, i need to work on my question writing skillsBakaman 06:31, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

thanks Bakaman, wikipedia search helped me out. do you know if the sect of vaishnavism preached then is Ramanandi as mentioned on above link, or Gaudiya Vaishnavism as mentioned in the article on King Pamheiba? next qn in 10-12 hours after a good night's sleep. --ti 06:45, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

The Hinduism present in Manipur is Gaudiya Vaishnavism, but the article never actually suggests which Vaisnavism Pamheiba converted to, merely that Shantidas Gosai was a Gaudiya preacher, and that Pamheiba was a Rama-bhakta.Bakaman 07:00, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q23

Connect Fermat's Last Theorem to Zakir Hussain the tabla player. --ti 16:33, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Two connections:

• Fermat jotted down his famous last theorem in the margins of Arithmetica; while Zakir Hussain's music is in the margins of Indian and Western forms.
• Zakir Hussain was a visiting professor at Princeton University in 2006. Princeton also has Andrew Wiles on its faculty - the mathematician who proved Fermat's Last Theorem.

Close ? :-) Abecedare 18:34, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

I'll give it to you for the second connect. The link I was looking for is budding mathematician Manjul Bhargava, who is a full professor of Mathematics at Princeton University at age 28. He did his doctoral work under the supervision of Wiles, and has learnt to play tabla under Zakir Hussain. I would guess that he arranged a visiting position for Zakir at Princeton in 2006. Manjul is closely being watched as a Fields Medal prospect, having accomplished much by an early age. Baton's yours, Abecedare. --ti 18:41, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Ah, we could have perhaps waited for someone to get a more direct hit. But I humbly accept the baton, and will post the next question in 3-4 hours. Abecedare 18:48, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q24

X marked the venture of people of Y into distant territory, but was abandoned/replaced after a few years and now lies buried. More recently it was designated a historical site and its location marked with a plaque. Too easy or too vague ? Abecedare 20:06, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

X=Dwaraka, Y=Mathura? -- Longhairandabeard 20:20, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Nope. AFAIK, does not fit all the facts. Abecedare 20:25, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

X=Agra Y= Fatehpur Sikri --Agεθ020 (ΔT • ФC) 21:44, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

No. Last I checked Agra was still above ground. :-)

Hint: Think closer in time and more distant in space. Abecedare 22:01, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

X = Dakshina Gangotri. Y = India. Ref for plaque.. Great question.. and great hint :-D -- Longhairandabeard 22:21, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Right! The answer indeed is Dakshina Gangotri, which was India's first manned station on Antarctica established in 1983, decommissioned in 1989 (when it was replaced by Maitri) and which now lies buried under snow.

More information about India's foray into Antarctica can be found at the NCAOR site. Details of Dakshina Gangotri's current condition are mentioned in the application to declare it a Historic Site and Monument in Antarctica [16] and the Polar Heritage site [17]. I think the Wikipedia page on Dakshina Gangotri and Maitri can use some work !

Over to you LHAB Abecedare 23:06, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks, next question in an hour or so. -- Longhairandabeard 23:52, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Q25

It talks of a cup filled with her on the record player. It talks of not caring about big government projects. It talks of everyone needing a loved one. It was created in the shop at the end of the lane and made famous by an oxymoron. What is it? -- Longhairandabeard 02:38, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Well Cornershop's Brimful of Asha fits in with everything except possibly the oxymoron ... did you mean pun by any chance ? Abecedare 04:18, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Oh I see the oxymoron : it was made famous by Fatboy Slim. Whew ... nice cryptic one! Abecedare 04:19, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

That's right! See lyrics of the song here for other clues. Congrats on getting this q right, and on winning the round!! This has been a great round: some great puzzles and questions, and some great new puzzlers too. Your turn to start a brand new round now.. -- Longhairandabeard 06:41, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks. New round to begin soon ! Abecedare 14:11, 9 December 2006 (UTC)