The religion called Cricket World Cup, the God called Sachin Tendulkar, the team Bleeding Blue, the followers that outnumber the followers of any creed……
The Cricket World Cup – a 4 yearly phenomenon which infects people far and wide reaching nations. This time around, there’s something even more special about this episode. Its being held in the Asian subcontinent which makes us Indians even more crazy than we already are.
When the various-colored people of the gigantic populace forget their differences and bow down to the sport that swells up to assume the importance of a religion & the ruling God of this religion “Sachin Tendulkar”.
CWC 2011 is even more behemothish because one, the Indians are counting upon their God to bring home the sacred World Cup plus the possibility of this one being his last chance to do so.
All eyes shall be glued to the Master Blaster throughout the tournament. Fans & team-members, alike, are expecting him to uphold and embellish the nation’s honor, something that he has been doing ever since he wore India’s jersey. After crossing milestone after milestone, he is now on his way to achieve the most coveted trophy in a sportsman’s career, the World Cup trophy.
People of all age groups talking about CWC'11 everywhere - at workstations, outside a paan shop, over BBM, over FB, and now over the Librarywala blog! It speaks for volumes for its(grand)self.
The feeling of competition, of defeating the opposite team and proceeding a step ahead to walking away with the trophy is so pure and untainted - even profanities aren’t taken offense to.
Yesterday’s victory celebrations at Carter road(Mumbai), India Gate(Delhi) and possibly every other nook and corner of the country stands as a concrete testimony to this. A first person account is all it takes to realize how sacred the cup is to the Indians and the sheer spirit of sportsmanship that took birth in every Indian soul, the day India played its first match.
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A group reveling in Delhi |
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people mounted on a hoarding frame in Mumbai |
One day when reveling on the roads with strangers won over any high-end start studded “private party”. The noise surpassed the human audibility meter as drums played at the loudest and hardest, songs blared from different cars, people loudly cheered & danced to the tunes of “INDIA..INDIA”. For the less loud, whistles did the trick!!!!
When some people stayed back in their car and enjoyed the view outside, some chose to sit on the window of the cars to feel the swing of the celebration while the rest jumped out when they saw the cheering people & ultimately joined the swelling crowd. Every flag that passed by was greeted with an applause –it was almost like hooting but all in good spirit.
Meanwhile, the drummers continued playing different tunes – inspired different rants (using language that isn’t otherwise accepted), but the good cheer absorbed all and sundry.
Lucky ones, like us, managed to lay hands on the candy being distributed. The unlucky ones, ran into cops who hindered the merry making but let off in good spirit.This celebration went on till the wee hours of the morning, and would continue even further had it not been for the cops.
Blinded by the victory over our neighbors at Mohali, but brought to light by the fact that the next ordeal (at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai) shall be the final and the fateful.
Every Indian, including the ones outside of the physical boundaries of the subcontinent is waiting for the calendar to show April the 2nd, 2011 and the clock to strike 2:30 IST. The tingling anticipation will be much more edgy, the spirit a lot more intense, the celebrations, if India reigns and wins the sacred trophy, a lot more colorful. And the town shall be painted a lot more redder than it already is!!!!
- Arjun Gupta
A Librarywala fan
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