Uri Adi @ Shols!

The pic on the left could also go as "What happened next??" kindof question in a Quiz round. Uri adi was a part of Onam celebs at Shols, Chn. Ours was the only team which came mentally prepared to attempt this competition. During strategic planning for this game, I was chosen to be on top, considering my physique. Though a bit nervous initially, I gradually recollected my previous attempt of pricking the balloon competition held as a part of farewell party at CECRI (the golden olden days) and felt confident. I swear my focus was only on the pot and not anywhere else(unusually ofcourse!).

On Sep 7th, the brave guys(of course our team mates!!) gathered in the lawns where competition was held. A troup of drum beaters specialised in traditional kerala music were entertaining the audience while audience were tapping feet to its tunes.

The organizer called upon the teams to perform and could find only one team ready for the game and that was ours..hee hee.

Making our trial attempts to win the competition, we all toppled down and one among our guys got a minor injury too. In this trial attempt, I could feel that I was feeling imbalanced at the top and the contest appeared tougher when we were asked to break the pot with a coconut. I was determined to hit the target and said myself "If I would fall I would somehow break the pot and fall". It was a do or die! situation for me.

Then started the real game. Ours was a lotus strategy which was 6+3+1 formula with all members slowly raising up together. The foundation was made concrete and strong with six big boys clustering and clasping their arms over one another. The drummers came closer to us and started playing and the audience too, making me nervous. I had to form the third tier so I was waiting on the ground. The second tier was built and I had to start. I couldn't think of where to keep the coconut in my hand since I was already feeling imbalanced with nothing in my hands when I was on top. No other go! I had to keep it on my right hand and started climbing the first tier and the second. I was balancing with one feet on left guy's shoulder and another feet on the guy at the right, holding the collars of the guy on my left for support. I was pleading them to raise slowly so that I wont topple down. To me, falling down was not at all a problem but falling down without hitting the target mattered most and there were audience too who were concentrated to see the events happening. Thinking not to give them a chance to have a laughter at our fall, I kept low, focussed and looking over my head to check out the reach of the target. But it was too high. These thoughts swept over my mind when I was in the position as shown in the pic. Slowly the second tier guys started rising up and I had to shift my grip from the left guys collars to his head. I thought of holding his hair. Alas! The guy had recently tonsured his head and there was little grip for me to hold. Concurrently I could feel our height rising. The volume of the drums too rose, making the scene scintillating. Anxiety grew among audience and people were agape. I lifted my head, feeling my position comfortable and more balanced and now I could see the pot close to my reach. I lifted my hand and striked the pot once. It shattered to pieces !!!!! hurrah!!!! It was a great relief to me and our team which was overjoyed. I had a sense of thrill after a very long time during this event.

We managed to break the pot in 4 minutes...you might ask did we win?? No :-( our strategy was not rite)...we dint concentrate on timings and hence other teams who worked on a diff strategy managed to break it in less than 4 minutes....thereby pulling us out of competition.....

But this team - me did win the first place in the Kairu pulling competition(Tug-of-war)......