Wikipedia:WikiProject India/Quiz/Archive31

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Q1
Assuming last connection question was appreciated, here is another one. Connect: a coral island around a body of shallow water; a chemical element; one of the world's businest ports; a green coloured gem; a spice of medicinal value; a dish of fish, eggs and rice; and  one of the most expensive ingredients of certain perfumes. (Enough clues here itself, so should be easy to crack)

P.S.: Thanks nichalp for setting up this page -Admishra (talk) 10:43, 22 December 2008 (UTC)


 * User:Amondal and USer:Abecedare needs to get the credit for the archive. =Nichalp   «Talk»=  11:22, 22 December 2008 (UTC)


 * Guess: their English names all derived (ultimately) from Sanskrit - atoll; sulfur; Singapore; sapphire; ginger; kedgeree; sandalwood.
 * Abecedare (talk) 11:44, 22 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Sapphire is blue right? Gem mentioned is green. =Nichalp   «Talk»=  11:57, 22 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Wikipedia says it can be any color except red, and who among us doesn't trust wikipedia ?! But perhaps emerald, was the intended answer. Abecedare (talk) 12:03, 22 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Found this source. Interestingly, emerald is a type of beryl and even the word beryl has Sanskrit origins. Abecedare (talk) 12:09, 22 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Correct Abecedare! Though the ingredient of perfume that I had in mind was Musk; an the gemstone was Emereald. Will await your question -Admishra (talk) 12:21, 22 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Thanks Admishra. On Googling I found that "natural aged sandalwood from India" is listed as the base note for the "World's Most Expensive Perfume", , in case someone is still looking for a Christmas present. :)
 * Have to sign off now, so next question will be up in around 12 hours. Abecedare (talk) 12:37, 22 December 2008 (UTC)

Q2
If it had kept producing only mica, most Indians wouldn't have heard about it. But because it became so conspicuous - though real - many thought it didn't exist. Abecedare (talk) 01:37, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Is it feldspar? --Amondal (talk) 03:12, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Got it. It has to be Jhumri Tilaiya. Good, though sitterish question. --Gurubrahma (talk) 05:07, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Right, as usual, Guruji. The baton is yours. Abecedare (talk) 05:10, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Thanks. --Gurubrahma (talk) 06:18, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Lovely question. I knew about Jhumri Tilaiya, but not about mica. Fantastic ans by Guru. --Su_hit (talk) 10:01, 23 December 2008 (UTC)

Q3
A lateral sort of question - I'm a world champion in a contact sport where my compatriots have also been doing well. However, I have not taken part in any Olympic Games so far and hope to do so in 2012. Who am I and why didn't I take part in Olympics so far? Hint: I'm a red link on WP. --Gurubrahma (talk) 06:18, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Mary Kom who couldn't participate at 2008 games, because Women's boxing is not yet an Olympic sport. Abecedare (talk) 06:25, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
 * ... oops, not a red link. More googling! Abecedare (talk) 06:26, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
 * OK, Sarita Devi or Jenny R. L. or Lekha K.C. ... all 2006 World Amateur Champions! I didn't know India had so many world chapmions in this sport. Abecedare (talk) 06:29, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
 * ...oops, last time I checked, "Mary Kom" was a red link - it has been created only this month and indeed, it was the answer I was looking for - good tht u cd find three red links to work on! --Gurubrahma (talk) 11:16, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Thanks. Next question will be up shortly. Abecedare (talk) 14:23, 23 December 2008 (UTC)

Q4
I was conceived in Shimla by A and B in early twentieth century, but moved to (pre-partition) Punjab (Pakistan) in my teens. Starting then, and for decades forward, I was guided and greatly influenced by C. I was awarded university scholarship in the mid-1930s, and published the first volume of my monumental work P. Partition was a period of upheaval for me and I moved back to India, carrying a precious cargo with me. I settled in Punjab (India) and during the 1950s-60s I was first affiliated with and later joined a university there. All this time I continued with my scholarship, and finally completed P in 1965 - C was even honoured in the 1960s by the President of India for the role he played in my and P's development. During my peripatetic life I have had several designations and even names, but currently I am known by the names of A and C. Who am I and can you identify (at least) P and C ? (Forgive the poetic license I have taken.) Abecedare (talk) 14:32, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
 * IS it:-*I - Vishveshvaranand Institute (or as now known as 'Vishveshvaranand Vishva Bandhu Institute of Sanskrit and Indological Studies’)


 * A - Swami Vishveshvaranand
 * B - Nityanand
 * C - Acharya Vishva Bandhu
 * P - could be either of the 2 -A Complete Etymological Dictionary of the Vedic Language or A Vedic Word Concordance?  -Admishra (talk) 16:12, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Hi Admistra, some tips on formatting: A Instead of the br tag, you can use bullets * or indent each answer with a colon. B. We do not bold the names of books, we always italicise them. Regards, =Nichalp   «Talk»=  17:08, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Nicholas, didn't know about these rules.. and was also not aware that people are so particular abt these things. glad to see someplace where discipline is maintained. At the same time, would like to know how does it make a difference? :)- Admishra (talk) 17:19, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Here are the rules, rather style guide: Manual of Style Know this page by heart! :-D Italics when used for books and publications are available here Manual of Style (titles). About the formatting, on wikipedia, its preferable to use wikisyntax instead of HTML. The intitial idea of setting up the syntax was to make things easy -- The Wiki Way. Best you get into good wiki ettiquette as early as possible. =Nichalp   «Talk»=  17:48, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Must say- brilliantly worded question.'affiliated', and'my development' were the keywords which meant 'I' was not a person but an educational institute -Admishra (talk) 17:19, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
 * I knew it was a red herring. Abecedare's PINQ questions are usually this type :) =Nichalp   «Talk»=  17:48, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Just to confuse you all, it seems I will have to mix in some straight clues :) Abecedare (talk) 19:24, 23 December 2008 (UTC)

Wow, that was quick and perfect Admishra. By the way, I thought Vishva Bandhu Shastri getting the award (Padma Bhushan in 1968) for the work done by Vishveshvaranand Institute would be the clue that I was not a person. The history can be read at Hoshiarpur city page (scroll down to Sadhu Ashram) or a short version at A Vedic Word Concordance. The floor is yours, Admishra. Abecedare (talk) 19:22, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
 * The word conceived was a big enough clue for me to figure it was not a person. After all, nobody can be certain where and when human conception occurs! ;-) =Nichalp   «Talk»=  19:24, 23 December 2008 (UTC)

Q5
A long question, but bear with me- as this is non WP answer:-

Though actually founded earlier in central India, it got its current name in 1925 only.It is said to have been inspired by a radical revolutionary who had formed a small youth army with aceess to weapon training and warfare literature. With British rule in place, it could not publicize its agenda properly and instead had to depend on its cadre members to pass on the message. Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, the founder of BHU once lamented about BHU not having such an organization.

With Mahatma Gandhi giving it support, by early 1930s its workers were indulged in the nationalist movement, and used various forums to create an awakening to push its objectives. Many known revolutionaries have praised the efforts of these people, who were parallely indulged in social activities like fire fighting, medicine distribution, volunteering for controlling public gatherings, controlling anti-social elements etc.

In order to spread its wings further, it sent its members to various countries, and one among them ended up being so famous in Japan, that the local press compared him to to legendary William Tell of Scotland.However, its most known contribution came in 1936 in the arena of sports. What did it do? -Admishra (talk) 21:22, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Weak guess: Is it Jamia Millia Islamia? --Gurubrahma (talk) 06:53, 24 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Nope, - in any case- JMI was created in Aligarh, and that wouldn't classify in Central India! -Admishra (talk) 06:57, 24 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ? Abecedare (talk) 07:13, 24 December 2008 (UTC)
 * no - not that - was expecting this answer :) -Admishra (talk) 07:30, 24 December 2008 (UTC)
 * as I said, this does not have an article on Wikipedia; not even a red link -Admishra (talk) 07:32, 24 December 2008 (UTC)


 * Is it the Naujawan Bharat Sabha?  Sniperz 11 @CS 11:19, 24 December 2008 (UTC)


 * no Sniperz, not that either - to give another hint - the organization in question also has to its list of achievements, something that it did in 1972, which was very similar to what it did in 1936. - Admishra (talk) 11:28, 24 December 2008 (UTC)
 * and yet another hint - the organization members take a pledge not to forget the contribution of Indian Armed forces in ensuring our safety and well being - I think it might be unique in that aspect! In case someone doesn't crack it in 3-4 hours, would provide a dead giveaway clue- Admishra (talk) 11:32, 24 December 2008 (UTC)


 * Hmm... is it the Indian Hockey Federation???? Formed Gwalior 1925. Long Shot, and most likely wrong. If its not the answer, I give up.  Sniperz 11 @CS 11:53, 24 December 2008 (UTC)

-- unfortunately sniperz, thats not the correct answer!nd I am surprised that we do not have a dedicated page for it on WP!! Would post the clue in another 2 hrs time :) -Admishra (talk) 15:03, 24 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Is it Anushilan Samity, by any chance? Shovon (talk) 15:28, 24 December 2008 (UTC)
 * No Shovon, its not Anushilan Samiti. Again it wouldn't qualify simply because it has a WP article! I think people are concentrating far more on its nationalistic connection! Would help if you guys thought about the achievements per se -esp look at the years mentioned! - Admishra (talk) 15:35, 24 December 2008 (UTC)
 * On hindsight Shovon, your answer is related in a way to the actual answer to this question -Admishra (talk) 15:41, 24 December 2008 (UTC)
 * As promised, here is the give-away- the achievements being talked about were in international sporting events; and one of the modern day arms of this organization is scheduled to be given a status in the country which would be first of its kind in India, on the lines of specialized universities in China, Denmark,Japan and Germany-Admishra (talk) 19:48, 24 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh or Bal Gokulam?? -- KnowledgeHegemony talk 20:07, 24 December 2008 (UTC)
 * not even that! phew- so many answers!!! would it help if I said that its cadres are called prasaraks? and I have managed to find 2 pages in Wikipedia which have a mention of the organization in question, one confirming the achievement asked in the question -Admishra (talk) 20:35, 24 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Ahilya Vyayam Prasarak Mandal is what I got when I googled it. =Nichalp   «Talk»=  20:37, 24 December 2008 (UTC)

Shree Hanuman Vyayam Prasarak Mandal or Dnyan Prasarak Sabha or simply Vyayam Prasarak Mandal (may be same as Nichalp's!) -- KnowledgeHegemony  talk 20:42, 24 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Yep, I guess it is HVP mandal - they demonstrated kabaddi in Berlin Olympics. --Gurubrahma (talk) 20:46, 24 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Finally someone managed to get it! :) Guys I have had 3 edit conflicts in the last 5 minutes. Wrote first to nicholas to check whether he had typed it correctly, and later to KH to ask for the achievement; but finally Guru has cracked it! to be fair to KH, I would pass the baton to him as he gave the organization's name first, after which it would have been easy enough to get to Kabaddi funda. points get split between KH and Guru. Nichalp, hope you wouldn't mind it

meanwhile, have a look at HVPM site for more details about this organization -Admishra (talk) 20:53, 24 December 2008 (UTC) Not a problem Admishra. I realised that my answer was not correct, so when I proceeded to paste some alternate entries, KHP had already beat me to it. I'm ok with it, wouldn't have really felt that I earned it by googling around six clues. :) =Nichalp   «Talk»=  07:19, 25 December 2008 (UTC)

Q6
What distinction (or common thing) do India, Norway and Bangladesh hold that no other country has in terms of a something which is symbolic of a country? -- KnowledgeHegemony talk 08:54, 25 December 2008 (UTC)


 * Is it the Lily/Lotus (water flower?)- Lily = National Flower of B'desh, and lily-of the valley=Natl flower of Norway. Lotus=Natl flower of India.  Sniperz 11 @CS 11:26, 25 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Sounds close, and sounds similar to this ;-). Merry Christmas! --Gurubrahma (talk) 11:38, 25 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Nope Sniperz11 nice try and in the right direction...but not what I was looking for!
 * Clue: I came up this question while reading the Wikipedia article on the national symbol (which I disclose is not national flower).-- KnowledgeHegemony talk 17:06, 25 December 2008 (UTC)
 * National anthems written by Nobel laureates: Tagore and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson ? Abecedare (talk) 19:01, 25 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Correct! So its ur turn now! -- KnowledgeHegemony talk 17:01, 26 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Thank, KH. Next question will be posted in 7-8 hours. Abecedare (talk) 18:46, 26 December 2008 (UTC)

Q7
X forms the basis of a mainly export-oriented industry, which was booming in the 1960s, slumped in the 70s, but has since recovered and is booming again. Traditionally exported in its raw form with minimal processing, more recently at least one Indian company has used X to derive Y, which is exported as a additive in chocolates, pharmaceuticals etc. Identify X, Y and explain why some rabbis in Israel objected to the use of a particular form of X (that form, paradoxically, is highly prized elsewhere!) ? Abecedare (talk) 02:07, 27 December 2008 (UTC)
 * No guesses ? Shout out if a clue is needed. Abecedare (talk) 08:02, 27 December 2008 (UTC)
 * AAAAAAAH!!!! Loud enough?? :-D.  Sniperz 11 @CS 08:26, 27 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Loud and clear! Hint: The rabbis objected to, what is known as, "temple X", the use of which they considered idolatrous. Abecedare (talk) 08:41, 27 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Wigs and human hair? ref =Nichalp   «Talk»=  09:03, 27 December 2008 (UTC)
 * and L-Cysteine  =Nichalp   «Talk»=  09:04, 27 December 2008 (UTC)
 * You got it!
 * X = Human hair. Y = amino acids (don't know which kind). Other links:, , . PS: So I guess no one reading this will be eating chocolates this new year's eve :) Abecedare (talk) 09:17, 27 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Yuck! I just ate one 2 minutes back! -- KnowledgeHegemony talk 09:22, 27 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Double yuck. I too ate one a while back! I would like to know which !@#$% chocolates use human hair. =Nichalp   «Talk»=  09:30, 27 December 2008 (UTC)

(unindent) - I will!!! But well, would never have guesses hair!!from what I thought, it might have been coz of Kosher rules (Islam forbids eating anything of human origin), rather than the name itself.... Plus, I saw use of L-Cysteine on mostly baking products. Btw, which is the company??  Sniperz 11 @CS 09:24, 27 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Protein Chemicals Ltd. Abecedare (talk) 09:27, 27 December 2008 (UTC)

Q8
I was awarded one of India's highest civilian honours and featured on an Indian postage stamp for my work, which at one point of time was illegal. My illegal and mostly clandestine work was undetected for almost two decades. Who am I, and what is the work I am known for? =Nichalp  «Talk»=  09:53, 27 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Nek Chand got Padma Shri for the Rock Garden, Chandigarh, which was featured on a stamp in 1983. However, he was not featured on the stamp. --Gurubrahma (talk) 16:42, 27 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Excellent! I'm terribly sorry about the stamp part. I had misread the text. Over to you. =Nichalp   «Talk»=  17:07, 27 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Thanks, I thought that Nek Chand was fitting the clues though he did not make it to the stamp. I figured that it'd be too much of a coincidence for anyone else to have a similar accomplishment. --Gurubrahma (talk) 17:56, 27 December 2008 (UTC)

Q9
Should be tough but workable - Connect these three: The state police force of Pennsylvania; A movie directed by Tapi Chanakya in 1970's and Pondicherry. Hint: The best way to crack it would be to crack one of them to start with and see if it holds in other two cases. --Gurubrahma (talk) 17:56, 27 December 2008 (UTC)
 * You should use "Pennsylvania State Police" for your search to be search-engine friendly; I am looking at a Telugu movie directed by Tapi Chanakya; Apart from French, think of who/what made Pondicherry cosmopolitan. --Gurubrahma (talk) 10:08, 28 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Hallo, anyone out there? The connect comprises two words and is a personification. --Gurubrahma (talk) 07:45, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Well, I know much more about Pennsylvania State Police than I did a day back, but nothing struck me yet. The only discovery I have made so far is that Chanakya directed 4 Telugu movies in the 70s: Vidhi Vilasam, Bangaru Talli, Bandhipotu Bhayankara and Ganga Manga. Hopefully this knowledge will lead someone further than I went! :) Abecedare (talk) 08:17, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Thats where I am stuck too...all the movies contain 2 words!!! -- KnowledgeHegemony talk 08:29, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Well My guess would be Ganga Manga...which means "Mother Ganga"... a personification? -- KnowledgeHegemony talk 08:53, 29 December 2008 (UTC)

Close KH, but too far. Btw, Ganga Manga is a remake of Seeta aur Geeta or the other way round. The Telugu movie that I am referring to is a remake of a much older and arguably more famous Hindi film. --Gurubrahma (talk) 09:01, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Bangaru Talli, a remake of Aurat (1940 film)? In fact, Mother India was a remake of Aurat and Bangaru Talli was a remake of Mother India. A connection could be Telugu Talli, which is used to refer to Telugu people. Maybe they are the ones who render a cosmopolitan character to Pondicherry??! But what about the Pennsylvania State Police?!-- KnowledgeHegemony  talk 09:07, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
 * (after ec :) ) OK, so the movie is perhaps Bangaru Talli, which was a remake of Mother India. The Pondicherry connection could be to The Mother. Abecedare (talk) 09:12, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
 * ... and this book on Google Books titled Mother India mentions Pennsylvania State Police on page 9. Hope that is not the expected answer! :) Abecedare (talk) 09:16, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Naah...No way! Come on GuruBrahma, please say it isn't so! If that is the link then I am gonna file a mediation case against you :P ! -- KnowledgeHegemony talk 09:20, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Actually, Katherine Mayo wrote both Mother India and Justice to All: The story of Pennsylvania State Police, so the link is not that tenuous. But I'll still be on your side in the case. :) Abecedare (talk) 09:22, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Oh! Fine! That makes me feel better. Well then I would settle for an RfC... Hehe!! -- KnowledgeHegemony talk 09:25, 29 December 2008 (UTC)

Mother India (journal) is also the cultural review journal of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry. Abecedare (talk) 09:32, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Yep, Abecedare gets it. The two-word connect that is a personification is Mother India - Mother India (book), Mother India (film) and Mother India (journal). --Gurubrahma (talk) 10:00, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Thanks Guruji, that was a tough one! In fact, I don't think I could have got it without the competitive collaboration with KH (who beat me to Mother India (film)). So would you object to splitting the points between us ? If that is agreeable, I would also request KH to pose the next question since my presence on wikipedia will be intermittent during the next 60 hours or so. Abecedare (talk) 10:15, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Nay Abecedare! I object! I don't deserve any point... You deserve full points as you came up with the book and journal. Also, I can't come up with such tough/competitive questions...so Abecedare its your point and your turn! Please spare me from the burden of asking a question! -- KnowledgeHegemony talk 10:25, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
 * I'll let Gurubrahma figure out the point distribution, but to keep the quiz moving, here is a easy one ...Abecedare (talk) 19:59, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
 * The point goes to Abecedare wholly. --Gurubrahma (talk) 16:02, 30 December 2008 (UTC)

Q10
Identify E. Abecedare (talk) 19:59, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
 * E : a periodic event listed in the Guinness book for record sized crowds. (I know what you are thinking - it's not that. Read the second part below.).
 * X : the person central to E, once sued for plagiarism, represented self, and won.
 * - A train of clicks led me here here... noticed BeeGees.. then Saturday Night Fever... can't connect any of these to a Guiness record yet. If there is any connection at all, will leave that others here.  Gotta run.  bye. Sarvagnya 20:22, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Nope. Much much stronger India connection. Will add a hint if nobody gets it in a few hours. Abecedare (talk) 21:52, 29 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Should clarify: X was accused of plagiarism. He wasn't the accuser. Abecedare (talk) 21:55, 29 December 2008 (UTC)

A correction and a hint: Abecedare (talk) 05:12, 30 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Correction: I was mistaken about the "represented self" and have crossed it out.
 * Hint: Event E was held in Bombay (different venues on different occasions) and followed another event D that is held in Delhi.
 * Is X an Indian?--Su_hit (talk) 11:55, 30 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Yes, he is, and the work he co-authored with Y (for which they were accused of plagiarism), has been the standard work in its field for decades. Incidentally Y is a redlink, even though at least two pages on wikipedia refer to him as "legendary" (i.e., celebrated, not fictional :) ) Abecedare (talk) 13:38, 30 December 2008 (UTC)
 * X:Dr. P. Parija; E:Indian Science Congress annual meet. --Gurubrahma (talk) 16:02, 30 December 2008 (UTC)
 * No again. Hint: D is typically held annually at the end of February, and E used to follow it soon after. Also try to figure out why I (mistakenly) thought that X may have represented himself :) Abecedare (talk) 16:24, 30 December 2008 (UTC)
 * E:The annual budget speech given by Nani Palkhivala at Mumbai, X is Mr. Palkhivala, D is the annual budget presentation by the government of India and the book in question is "The Law and Practice of Income Tax," which he co-authored with his guru Sir Jamshedji Kanga. --Gurubrahma (talk) 17:30, 30 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Yes! This obituary and this book have some more information, besides the main Nani Palkhivala page. I think both The Law and Practice of Income Tax and Jamshedji Behramji Kanga should be developed into articles eventually. Abecedare (talk) 17:45, 30 December 2008 (UTC)

That was a great and "stumped me!" kind of question. Thanks!! --Gurubrahma (talk) 18:01, 30 December 2008 (UTC)
 * I had thought this would be straightforward. Its amazing how each one of us thinks: "I know what I am thinking, so everyone must too" :) Abecedare (talk) 18:16, 30 December 2008 (UTC)

Q11
Fill the blank:_________, Number, Radio, Light; these are the first four entries in a finite set. --Gurubrahma (talk) 18:01, 30 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Guess! Is it Colour?--Su_hit (talk) 05:30, 31 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Naah. You'll also have to explain the logic. Some may argue that the fourth entry should not be light, but stars, as, in 1968, the entry with respect to light was withdrawn. --Gurubrahma (talk) 06:12, 31 December 2008 (UTC)
 * I think I got it. Indian Fellows of the Royal Society. Blank is Marine Shipbuilding for Ardaseer Cursetjee; Number is for Srinivasa Ramanujan; Radio for JC Bose; and Light for CV Raman. Raman's fellowship was withdrawn in 1968, and Meghnad Saha was the fifth Indian fellow. -- Longhairandabeard (talk) 14:16, 31 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Here's the supporting link:, until 2000, there were 39 in the 'set'. The reasons for Raman's resignation from the Society are not that clear, ranging from his displeasure at not being included in a London Times article about Nobel laureates of the Society, to his displeasure at one of his articles being rejected for publication and receiving unfavorable review by one of the members of the Society. However, per , neither of these is borne out by primary sources. -- Longhairandabeard (talk) 14:52, 31 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Yes, LHAB, you got it! Naval architecture, Number theory, Radio waves and scattering of light were some of the respective accomplishments of these Fellows. I think there is enough info to start a list of FRSs from India or at least a category. And advance wishes for a very happy new year to all of you. --Gurubrahma (talk) 16:03, 31 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Thanks! What better way to usher in a new year than on PINQ :-) Next q coming up in a few mins. -- Longhairandabeard (talk) 16:33, 31 December 2008 (UTC)

Q12
X and Y are two legendary Indian kings who established their own independent kingdoms. Legend has it that both of them learnt a basic lesson in warfare from an old woman and a common Indian dish D. Who are X and Y and what is D? -- Longhairandabeard (talk) 17:16, 31 December 2008 (UTC)
 * D is hot Kheer. X is Chandragupta Mautya. Is Y Parvataka or Chanakya? --Gurubrahma (talk) 17:54, 31 December 2008 (UTC)
 * X is right, but D is not kheer. It seems there are multiple legends around the same idea. Just to clarify, X and Y are separated by several centuries, and since legend doesn't specify that the old woman was immortal, we can assume there were two of them, and two bowls/dishes/servings of D. -- Longhairandabeard (talk) 05:27, 1 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Y:Hoysala King Veera Ballala; D:Boiled beans. --Gurubrahma (talk) 07:35, 1 January 2009 (UTC)

Comment: Interestingly, Google Books has at least three references saying that the dish involved was a chapati: India (John Keay), Chandragupta Maurya and His Times (Radhakumud Mookerji) and The Great Latke-hamantash Debate (Wendy Doniger). As LHAB noted, there are likely to be varying versions of the story. Abecedare (talk) 08:07, 1 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Nope. D is neither boiled beans nor chapati. There is another version with another dish, which was served to both Chandragupta and king Y with the same lesson. One of the ingredients of that dish is common to one of the dishes mentioned above.. -- Longhairandabeard (talk) 09:48, 1 January 2009 (UTC)
 * D is Khichdi. X is Chandragupta. My guess on Y is Humayun. Shovon (talk) 11:48, 1 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Y is ShivajiMaharaj. Luckeychap (talk) 11:55, 1 January 2009 (UTC)
 * and the lesson was to secure the borders of their Kingdoms first then handle the internal matter. Luckeychap (talk) 11:58, 1 January 2009 (UTC)
 * I have also heard the same story about Samrat Vikramaditya .. may be this is also an answer. Luckeychap (talk) 12:02, 1 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Very interesting. Once again, we have three different users answering three parts of the question. The verdict: Gurubrahma gets half a point and the baton for taking the longest leap of thought (Chandragupta Maurya), Luckeychap and Shovon get 0.25 point each for Shivaji and Khichdi respectively. Now I'm off to dinner :-) .. -- Longhairandabeard (talk) 13:59, 1 January 2009 (UTC)

Eek! How did I type Kheer instead of Khichdi? x-( --Gurubrahma (talk) 14:55, 1 January 2009 (UTC)

Q13
Let us agree on the convention that if I am in generation X, then my father is in generation X+1, OK? Now, a relation of mine in generation X+5 fought in wars with support of the armies of A, against B. Later on, after many years, I fought in a war for A and was recognised for my gallantry by B. Find who I am and who my relation is (both his name and relation) for full credit. --Gurubrahma (talk) 14:55, 1 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Ok, the person in X+5 generation is directly related to me, i.e. he is a great grand father of my grand father. His son, i.e., the guy in the X+4 generation is probably more popular and he too has fought in wars with support of the armies of A, against B. --Gurubrahma (talk) 10:01, 2 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Good to be back after a hiatus. HNY to all of you guys :). Is it Noor Inayat Khan who fought for A =France and was awarded George Cross by B = English. Obviously X+4  & X+5 would be Tipu Sultan and Hyder Ali respectively, who fought against the British with tacit support of French -Admishra (talk) 13:45, 2 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Yes Sir, the floor is all yours, except that I am dreading another HVP Mandal-ish question (Q5 in this round for the uninitiated) from you. --Gurubrahma (talk) 14:03, 2 January 2009 (UTC)

Q14
Well Guru, hope that this is going to be a walk in the park - What would be common to P- a Nobel Laurete; Q- the most famous disciple of a man from present day Bangladesh, who himself was a disciple of a relative of Vivekanand;R- a golden globe nominee; S- an ex rajya sabha member and T- one of the sikh gurus? -Admishra (talk) 14:46, 2 January 2009 (UTC)
 * HNY to all. Admishra, I am not clear how many persons I need to correlate. Do you mean all are Bengali? I can figure out Allaudin Khan, Amartya Sen, etc.--Su_hit (talk) 16:07, 2 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Hi Suresh, have now clarified the question in response to your query -Admishra (talk) 17:31, 2 January 2009 (UTC)
 * People named Hargobind? Holds true for Sikh Guru and Nobel laureate at least, not sure about the others.. -- Longhairandabeard (talk) 17:57, 2 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Nope Longhairandabeard, its not as trivial as that! In fact its something so unique that I could find only 2 other people of world-wide repute to share the commonality- one of them being a spiritual leader in the US (lets call him X) -Admishra (talk) 18:22, 2 January 2009 (UTC)
 * would only be back in 7-8 hrs; so am leaving a hint- while connecting the aforementioned 6 people, you would end up connecting an Oscar nominee,a Nobel prize nominee, a scientist of world wide fame,  a master in western classical music, a literary genius, and well a sikh guru (these qualifiers are not necessarily in the same order as in the original question)-Admishra (talk) 19:06, 2 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Thanks Admishra. I could figure out partially. Q = Ravi Shankar, R = A R Rahman, X = Varun Soni. For P, S, T, many options are possible depending on the approach.--Su_hit (talk) 05:22, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Suresh, you have figured Q & R correctly but X is wrong. Incidentally, with these two identified, you should be able to get the rest easily (via the answer to this question)! Let me just say that the answer to this question has two names, one of them having a persian origin, and with that the Sikh Guru connection figures. - Admishra (talk) 05:47, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
 * T = Guru Arjan Dev, commonalities: Sitar, which is a persian word.--Su_hit (talk) 07:02, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Afraid not Su_hit, though you are very close to the right note here - Admishra (talk) 07:10, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Esraj? Developed by Guru Gobind Singh, Pt. Ravi Shankar & A R Rahman among its exponents, used exclusively as an accompanying instrument in Rabindra Sangeet. Will work on S. --Gurubrahma (talk) 11:54, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Actually, a counterpart of Esraj, the Dilruba was developed by Guru Gobind Singh which itself was influenced by Taus designed by Guru Hargobind. Dr. S N Bose, the great physicist was also a Rajya Sabha member and a player of Esraj - so, he is the S in the question. While I'd be happy with the baton and some credit, partial credit should also go to Su_hit for leading me here, though i leave it to Admishra to decide. I guess Dilruba is the Persian word. More info, right here on WP, at Esraj. --Gurubrahma (talk) 12:08, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Bingo Guru. See I told you- it'd be a walk in the park -

Since there has been a precendant of less than .5 marks being awarded; I think it'd be fair to give .25 to Su_hit and .75 to Guru for this. The baton passes to Guru. - Admishra (talk) 12:45, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
 * P = Rabindranath Tagore, who extensively used Esraj in Rabindra Sangeet
 * Q = Ravi Shankar, who played Esraj in his early days
 * R = Rehman, who used it in Dil Se
 * S = Satyendra Nath Bose, of the Bose- Einstein condensate fame, who was also known for his Esraj playing
 * T = Guru Gobind Singh who is supposed to have invented Dilruba (a persian word, meaning the heart stealer) - a word often used as a synonym for Esraj (both of them are called Indian Violin in the western world)
 * X = Sri Chinmoy, who was known for his Esraj concerts worldwide - the only link which couldn't be cracked between Su_hit and Gurubrahma.

Q15
I feel that this round has been great so far, hence a sitter: Connect an Academy award winning actress of Italian origin to a Bollywood family. --Gurubrahma (talk) 13:13, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Not sure whether you are looking for this connection - Marisa Tomei won the Oscar for her role in My Cousin Vinny which is being remade in hindi by the Chopras (Ravi Chopra) with name of Banda Ye Bindaas Hai - Admishra (talk) 14:34, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
 * or it could be Susan Sarandon and the Bachchans - for being UN Goodwill Ambassadors -Admishra (talk) 14:52, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
 * No, I'm not looking for these connects. The actress I have in mind was born in Italy and has been acting in movies for close to three score years. But for POV, I'd have called the Bollywood family as the first family of Bollywood. You'd get to the answer by looking at the respective filmographies. --Gurubrahma (talk) 16:30, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

Valeria Golino Italian actress worked with Shashi Kapoor in Side Street. -- KnowledgeHegemony talk 17:13, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
 * I doubt Valeria Golino won an Oscar- further if the connection is purely based on filmography- is it a film starring/ featuring both of these becs other wise, with 2 links I am able to connect Sophia Loren as well a Anne Bancroft in anumber of ways. Admishra (talk) 18:38, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
 * One Two more interesting finds- Mera Naam Joker, which starred both Raj and Rishi Kapoor, also has Sophia Loren listed in its cast, according to the NBC site. Further, Karishma Kapoor starred in a TV soap titled -Karishma: The Miracle Of Destiny; in the same way as Sophia Loren starred in Sophia Loren: Her Own Story. I guess this is small a connect as I could have found!-Admishra (talk) 19:04, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Admishra, you've got the actor as well as the family correct but not the connect I am looking for. Please pay an attention to the question and subsequent hints - why wd I say respective filmographies? and why wd I say connect the actor and the family instead of just a particular actor from the family? --Gurubrahma (talk) 19:39, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
 * That was the whole point- if we talk abt two filmographies; then it could have been fine. given one side of the connect is a family and that too Kapoors, I dont know whose/ how many filmographies to look :( - Admishra (talk) 19:57, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

I think it wd help if I were to say that of the "Two more interesting finds" guess u took, the answer would be more analogous to your second find, that is, I am not looking at Sophia and Kapoor Khandan acting in same film but am looking for 2 different films that can be linked up easily. --Gurubrahma (talk) 20:22, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Dont tell me you were looking for Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow and Kal Aaj Aur Kal!! -Admishra (talk) 06:10, 4 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Indeed that was what I was looking for. Daft may be, but definitely a sitter. :) --Gurubrahma (talk) 06:15, 4 January 2009 (UTC)
 * would post the next question in 3-4 hrs - Admishra (talk) 07:56, 4 January 2009 (UTC)

Q16
Another longish question- as again one part of this question is non-wikipediaish.
 * This person X was the second president of the institution Y. Y is presently known by a different name (just an alphabet short of the original name)	and is renowned for its library which has nearly 1.5 lakh books from all over the world, most of them being rare. X was also a colonel, and is credited with a series of remarkable achievements- he was the first to contact a dreaded tribe in India, and his linguistic abilities allowed him to compile a word list for the tribal language, which was only deciphered a century later. X also participated in the second Mysore War. On the behest of his cousin Z, X was one of the first men to set foot in the Himalayan foothills with an intention of identifying militarily strategic locations. The equally illustratious cousin Z eventually finished X's work ( X died during the course of this task); and in doing so became the first person to officially claim that "Himalayas is the loftiest range of mountains which has yet been noticed, its most elevated peaks greatly exceeding the highest of the Andes". Z published this claim in a paper for Y. Z also being a linguist, as well finished the monumental unfinished work of X's immediate predecessor at Y. X is also renowned for his paintings, while Z was a known botanist, and he named a few plants thereby adding his name to these botanical names.  Idenify X, Y, Z.

—Preceding unsigned comment added by Admishra (talk • contribs) 13:15, 4 January 2009 --Gurubrahma (talk) 16:36, 4 January 2009 (UTC)

My answers: X is Robert Hyde Colebrooke; Y is Asiatic Society, earlier known as Asiatick Society and Z is Henry Thomas Colebrooke. However, according to this, X does not seem to have been a President of the society ever - this is what threw me off track actually. According to this, he was the first to contact Jarawas. Also see page 253 onwards of this book. --Gurubrahma (talk) 16:36, 4 January 2009 (UTC)


 * My answer is essentially the same. X is Robert Hyde Colebrooke and Z is Henry Thomas Colebrooke;However Y is The Himalayan Club. This is my source. And the library mentioned would be The Library of the Himalayan Club.-- Arjun (talk) 05:58, 5 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Guru gets it again! Its indeed Asiatic society that I was looking for; but for some reason John Keay in his The Great Arc: The Dramatic Tale of How India Was Mapped and Everest Was Named mentions that Robert Coolbrooke succeeded William Jones (the founder of Asiatic society) as its president. Robert also succeeded William as the Surveyor General of Bengal, and thats when he undertook the voyage into Himalayan terai. It was Henry, who finished the Digest of Hindu Laws, left unfinished by William Jones. So- off to you Guru (yet again) - Admishra (talk) 06:25, 5 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Thanks! In all the external links above, there is enough info to write a new article and bag a DYK. Anyone game? --Gurubrahma (talk) 07:41, 5 January 2009 (UTC)

Q17
The way my first name is spelt in English, it means a word connoting forcible seizure or capture. If -ing is added to it, the word becomes enchantingly beautiful. What is my full name? I am probably the most famous runner-up in post-independence Indian history. --Gurubrahma (talk) 07:41, 5 January 2009 (UTC)
 * are you sure about it/him being the most famous runner-up?? I'd say that its a subjective thing - as for me Gandhi would be the most famous runner-up (he was second to Einstein in "Person of the Century" award by Time). Would help if you could give a less subjective clue. - Admishra (talk) 09:03, 5 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Nothing subjective about it - does Gandhi's first name Mohandas mean capture? and I use "probably." btw, instead of "The way my first name is spelt in English, it means a word connoting forcible seizure or capture." read the clue as "The way my first name is spelt in English, it denotes an English word connoting forcible seizure or capture." --Gurubrahma (talk) 09:58, 5 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Is it Aishwarya Rai? Though in no way could I manage to get Aishwarya denote a word to connote seizure/capture :( I guess its time for another clue! -Admishra (talk) 11:49, 5 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Alternatively, I also reached the word arrest which connotes forcible seizure/ capture & arresting would mean enchanting (usually used along with beauty). But again nothing linking to it - Admishra (talk) 12:02, 5 January 2009 (UTC)
 * No doubt that Aishwarya has been a successful runner-up but the person I have in mind is probably a more famous runner-up from a historic sense, if not successful. Arrest is not the word, if it is the word, then the first name of the person has to be spelt "Arrest." The word also means "to violate." The person I am thinking of has a common last name, a last name shared among others, by an actor who has acted in films like Don (New) and Jab We Met. --Gurubrahma (talk) 12:22, 5 January 2009 (UTC)


 * Ravish Malhotra - ravishing -Admishra (talk) 13:00, 5 January 2009 (UTC)

Yes. Unfortunately, it seems that I gave the give-away clue a bit too fast :). All yours!--Gurubrahma (talk) 15:11, 5 January 2009 (UTC)

Q18
It was formed by 3 9th class students in a horse stable.Its first chairman was related to "across the border (सीमा-पार)".One of the members in its first year was Sudhakar Dwivedi. With the support of prominent national leaders, within 3 years of its formation, its members helped in coming out with a mini-thesis, which according to some sources led eventually to communal riots across India. Also, very soon its members managed to conduct a country wide survey, only one of its kind till date, which eventually led to the formation of a unique institution in UP which is visited by people from world over. Yet another feather in its cap was publication of the single longest poem in a vernacular language.However, the question is - What is its single most important achievement in the history of India? -Admishra (talk) 19:42, 5 January 2009 (UTC)
 * No takers till now!! DO let me know in case hints are needed, though have provide a couple in the question itself :) -Admishra (talk) 05:27, 6 January 2009 (UTC)
 * To keep it going. A guess, Pandit Mustafa Arif, created longest hamd.--Su_hit (talk) 05:30, 6 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Not that Su_hit. Hints 1, 2 & 3: With reference to the poem, its much older than Mustafa Arif's work. Secondly, another person I who became the member of "it" (henceforth called A) within the first year, is also known for a task very similar to the one mentioned in the question but on a far larger scale than undertaken by A. I's efforts took over 30 years to finish, unlike A's undertaking, which got over in 12 years.  Finally, an exactly same effort as that of I has been started by Govt. of India recently and it is estimated to take 10 years this time ( probably because of better means of communication as well commutation available). Only this time, it would probably be a candidate for an entry in Guiness Book - Admishra (talk) 05:45, 6 January 2009 (UTC)
 * The original name of Dayashankar Pandey, an accused in Malegaon blasts case, is Sudhakar Dwivedi. Given that he is around 36 years old, I am guessing that the organization is Bajrang Dal. --Gurubrahma (talk) 06:33, 6 January 2009 (UTC)
 * No Guru -Sudhakar Dwivedi was a red-herring, and you fell for it :) . Would provide further clues if people are unable to proceed further, say in a couple of hours. Though this time, A has a WP entry. - Admishra (talk) 06:45, 6 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Vigyan Bhashya or Surya Siddhanta.--Su_hit (talk) 07:11, 6 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Is A related to some Indian Astromony Association? --Su_hit (talk) 07:18, 6 January 2009 (UTC)
 * No- neither of these two.. and no relation to Astronomy whatsoever - Admishra (talk) 07:49, 6 January 2009 (UTC)

Nagari Pracharini Sabha, started in 1893, is the organization and their achievement is Shabda Sagar, a compendium of Hindi words. --Gurubrahma (talk) 08:58, 6 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Brilliant Guru- bang on target again !! I seriously wanted the ping-pong to end (i.e. someone else to crack this question but you). On hidsight though, the acheievement I had in mind is different from the one you mentioned. Meanwhile, I was about to add following clues, something which is not available on their own website-
 * Hint 4,5,6: Probably the most unique person associated with Indian freedom struggle was also an active & passionate member of A. It can also be said, to somewhat extent, the work done by A (& its associates) has led to repetitive tensions in India, including (according to some) sowing the seeds of partition of India. Also, the result of these tensions is so important, that the definition of "Central Government Services" had to include an exception. That exception is very well visible even today and quite a few of us would have experienced it first-hand - Admishra (talk) 09:12, 6 January 2009 (UTC)
 * People interested may find this useful - I could not read it properly due to the font and background but google translate gave even funnier results! Do I have full credit and the baton? If I do hv the baton, I may be posting the question around 9.30 pm IST. Btw, other achievements of the Sabha include working on propagation of Hindi as national language and Nagari as the script; collection of several manuscripts etc. --Gurubrahma (talk) 09:28, 6 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Well, that is indeed what I was looking for. The complete funda behind the question is as follows -
 * Well, that is indeed what I was looking for. The complete funda behind the question is as follows -


 * A as rightly pointed by Guru is Nagari Pracharini Sabha.
 * The first chairman was Radha Krishna Das, who was a cousin of Bharatendu Harishchandra, the thematic character in the play सीमा-पार
 * The mini thesis that its members helped in was Court character and primary education in North Western Provinces and Oudh of Madan Mohan Malaviya. This led to Hindi replacing Urdu as the official language in North India, and that in turn to communal violence.
 * The longest poem in vernacular is Chandbardai's Prithviraj Raso
 * The country wide survey was to make a list of all handwrittern sanskrit/hindi manuscripts & books
 * The person I in the hints is George Abraham Grearson, who was a member of NPS, and conducted the first Linguistic Survey of India spanning from 1894-1928. Govt of India has started the second version of the same in 2007, under the auspices of the Central Institute of Indian Languages
 * The most unique individual that I was hinting at was Satyananda Stokes as in the only American (and non-British foreigner) to go to jail in India's freedom struggle
 * The work & the achievement that I was looking for is "actively pursuing the cause for making Hindi as the national language of India". It was during the Kashi session of Congress,in 1905, that for first time indication was shown by Tilak, at an NPS meeting, that Hindi be made national language. Eventualy, the efforts of NPS, and other similar organizations (including NPS's offshoot Hindi Sahitya Sammelan) led to Hindi being officially included as the National language in the Constitution of India.
 * The original draft of constitution allowed for English to be used as an official language only for a period of 15 years, after which it was to be dropped. However, major opposition faced by then Govt of Lal Bahadur Shastri in Tamilnadu, forced the Govt to include a clause in the Official Languages act of 1963, that the Official language apply to all Offices of Central Government in India, except within the state of Tamilnadu! See this
 * And this exception is still visible in filling the railway reservation forms, in Tamil Nadu where, the reservation form is printed in English & Tamil (instead of Hindi)!
 * Hope that junta liked this Gyan. Will await yet another stumper from Guru - Admishra (talk) 10:05, 6 January 2009 (UTC)

Q19
A sitter to make up for the lost time and because I believe that an article or at least a mention should be available about this person: I teach finance and I practice a religion that had its adherents at least 2500 years ago in a coastal state of India. On 26th November, 2008, I was busy speaking on phone till 7 pm in the night. Identify me. --Gurubrahma (talk) 17:20, 6 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Is it Prof. P V Viswanath? Shovon (talk) 17:35, 6 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Yes Shovon, it is Prof. P V Viswanath - the 7 pm that I mentioned in the question is EST - he teaches in NYC and he is a Jew by religion. I was expecting that Knowledge hegemony will break the Gurubrahma-Admishra hegemony but you get the baton. --Gurubrahma (talk) 17:46, 6 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Hey Shovon/ Guru- nothing moving till now? Guru could you please post another question just to keep things moving. or if you wish, I could post one. - Admishra (talk) 04:28, 8 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Just logged in. Q20 will be up in about 30 mins. Shovon (talk) 08:17, 8 January 2009 (UTC)

Q20
Connect the following years/periods - 1821, 1858-1860, 1873 & 1951. Although, these do not make an exclusive list, but they definitely mark the 1st in a particular field. Shovon (talk) 08:28, 8 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Is it Geological Survey of India - I got this from here - Admishra (talk) 09:05, 8 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Yup.


 * 1821 First Geological Map of parts of India was of Hyderabad region by Dr H. W. Voysey.


 * 1858-60 Geological map of the Ranigunj coal fields by W. L. Wilson published. This is the first geological map of 1" = 1 Mile published by the Geological Survey of India.


 * 1873 Ram Singh becomes the first Indian to join Geological survey of India.


 * 1951 M. S. Krishnan becomes the first Indian to be a Director of the Geological survey of India. Batton passes to you. Shovon (talk) 18:57, 8 January 2009 (UTC)

Q21
D. X has a number of members, Y whose numbers have varied over time. According to some, X existed as Z long before it got its present name in the medieval period. At different times there have been 96,120,144,& 288 members in X. Today X can have 20, 96, 108 ,120, or 192 of Y. Y in X have often been grouped in different number of ways. In one way of grouping, Y fall under the different categories. The number of these categories has also varied from 2 to 24. In one grouping, these categories have had names symbols like that of an omnivorous mammal, musical instruments of string and percussion family, one of the indian scriptures,and a natural phenomena sometimes associated with volcanic eruptions. Identify X ,Y & Z. - Admishra (talk) 05:48, 9 January 2009 (UTC)
 * X:Ganjifa. Y:Ganjifa cards/ suites. Z:Chad. Some info also at, , and . If the answer is correct, I'll be able to post the next question only after 6 pm IST and mostly around 10 pm IST. If it is wrong, we need more clues. :) --Gurubrahma (talk) 08:51, 9 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Fabulous Guru! Good Q by Admishra. --Su_hit (talk) 10:02, 9 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Guru, you are partially correct! X is indeed Ganjifa, I "could" take Ganjifa cards for Y,

though that was not exactlywhat I had in mind. Z is definitely not Chad. Further clues for Y & Z - The term   that I am looking for Y is now associated with "B8". Z could be said to be an even older name for chad. its different varieties were inspired by a hindu mythological concept, or a group of astronomical objects, or ancient navigational concepts. As of now, I'd assign Guru only the partial credit, but the race for baton is still on, if someone could give me Z. - Admishra (talk) 11:44, 9 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Didn't think another hint would be needed, as Guru has already put the key in the lock. Its just a question of turning the levers!. Anycase, just to help you, in case you need it, Z was different from Ganjifa and any other similar later games, in one crucial sense- pertaining to its raw material -Admishra (talk) 12:31, 10 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Is Z the "Krida-Patram" made of cloth? I am surprised that there have been no attempts to take the baton. --Gurubrahma (talk) 12:46, 10 January 2009 (UTC)
 * That is indeed the answer Guru, and given that no one else showed interest, le me give the Y part of the question to you as well. I was looking for "Playing Cards" for Y. B8 is the standard size (paper-size) for modern day cards. over to you Guru - Admishra (talk) 13:54, 10 January 2009 (UTC)

Q22
Should be a sitter though a connect question - I guess Nichalp won't mind it! Connect Lance Klusener with a film by Mani Shankar. --Gurubrahma (talk) 15:42, 10 January 2009 (UTC)
 * is it the NATO phonetic code? Tango Charli; and Zulu? Admishra (talk) 17:37, 10 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Yes, it is. Take it away! --Gurubrahma (talk) 17:50, 10 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Too bad I was offline. :( =Nichalp   «Talk»=  07:40, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Q23
Continuing with the bollywood and connections themes- connect An Academy award winner of Mexican roots, A multiple National Award winner, & an acquaintance of Stephen Spielberg - Admishra (talk) 17:57, 10 January 2009 (UTC)
 * as a hint, I could add another multiple national films award winner to this list - Admishra (talk) 17:25, 11 January 2009 (UTC)
 * no attempts yet! is it lack of visits on the page or are more hints needed? - if its latter, let's extend the list by another national award winner, and a person who acted in a national award winning film - Admishra (talk) 05:27, 12 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Is the "Multiple National Award Winner & acquaintance of Speilberg" Satyajit Ray? Shovon (talk) 09:13, 12 January 2009 (UTC)
 * No it isnt.. In any case, I dont think he worked with an "Academy Award winner of Mexican roots". Another hint: the list also includes a person who is an Oscar nominee; and yet another national award winner. - Admishra (talk) 09:44, 12 January 2009 (UTC)
 * And to make things easier for you all- the list would also include a world wide best-selling author, who is also a friend of Warren Buffet - Admishra (talk) 09:50, 12 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Is the connection Shekhar Kapur?-- Arjun (talk) 11:26, 12 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Not him either. To guide you towards the connection I am seeking, lets just say that each of the 8 people mentioned in the question and the 4 hints above, contributed directly or indirectly in a joint cause. Further, the Oscar nominee mentioned above is also a BAFTA nominee -Admishra (talk) 11:31, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

Dunno the answer but I'm guessing that the Academy award winner of Mexican roots is Anthony Quinn. --Gurubrahma (talk) 15:53, 12 January 2009 (UTC)
 * nope, its not him Guru. Guys! Do shout if you need further help, though logical guessing should lead you to the answer. By the way, the answer that I am looking for has multiple entries on WP, including the ones for one of the longest running instance of a particular style of performing arts, an iron-maiden song, & a 1996 documentary film! -Admishra (talk) 15:58, 12 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Is the connection A.R. Rahman? Shovon (talk) 03:25, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Its not Rahman! As I have written above as well, the connection is not a person, but rather something which got created with contributions from each of the people mentioned above. As a set of giveaway clues - clue 7: one of the people mentioned in this list is ONE of the world's richest people;clue 8:one of the two multiple national film award winners has also directed another multiple national films award winner who is known for his role in one of the most celebrated films of Amitabh; and finally clue 9: the list could be nearly completed by the addition of 2 more people - an actor who has worked in a film which had 3 different national films award winning actors in it; and an actress who has worked in 2 films with the same multiple national films award winner - Admishra (talk) 04:31, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Is it Virgin Comics aka Liquid Comics after a management buyout?-- Arjun (talk) 06:19, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

No Arjun it isn't Virgin Comics. I guess its streching a bit too long now, so I'd give some straight clues instead of the cryptic ones. Hope this would help. Its a film that I am looking for. The credits of the film would include the following among others:- *Art director: National Films Award Winner
 * Director : National Films Award Winner
 * Producer : National Films Award Winner
 * Actor 1: Multiple National Films Awards Winner
 * Actor 2: Acted in a film with 3 different National Films awardees
 * Actor 3: Acted in a National Films Award winning film
 * Actor 4: Acted in 2 films with a multiple National Films awardee
 * Production Designer: Multiple National Films Awards Winner, and director of a film with another multiple national award winner who is known for his role in one of the pathbreaking films of Amitabh
 * Costume Designer: National Films Award Winner
 * Camera assistant: has works as diverse as Bourne Identity, Slumdog Millionaire, Vanity Fair - Admishra (talk) 06:31, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Sorry Admishra, just checking, but for Camera Assistant, is it Bourne Identity or Supremacy?-- Arjun (talk) 07:06, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Its indeed Bourne Supremacy Arjun. Sorry for the goof.. also have struck off the art director - as I am unsure he actually won the award -Admishra (talk) 07:10, 13 January 2009 (UTC)


 * Thanks Admishra, that narrows it down :) Am going with The Namesake. Hope that is correct and we can rest this question.-- Arjun (talk) 07:15, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Unfortunately - that is not the answer. You'd have to search further I guess, as the clichers here would be the Mexican Academy Award winner, and the best selling author friend of Warren Buffet, none of which were associated with The Namesake - Admishra (talk) 07:43, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Hopefully this would be the final straw - one of the persons associated with this film, has won the "Best Screen Play" award at Cannes Film Festival; and has Ratatouille in his filmography - Admishra (talk) 07:50, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
 * I am now really getting confused with all the hints. At least, Admishra did not call this question a sitter! :) Is it Roadside Romeo by any chance? Shovon (talk) 08:58, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

OK, I am pretty sure that the Camera Assistant is G. Monic Kumar, which narrows the possible candidates to 26. Have to sign off now - but hopefully someone will take the baton and cross the finishing line. Abecedare (talk) 09:22, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
 * No Shovon, its not that either. I'd say Arjun was "relatively" closer to cracking it, and his guess was also based on G. Monic Kumar as is Abecdare's. So yes it should be crackable now. I'd say with all the elaborate hints, it should now be a sitter!! R.romeo was directed by Jugal Hansraj (not a national films award winner) and hence wouldn't qualify! I wonder would this question set a PINQ record for number of hints provided! In any case, here goes clue 11: The friend of Warren Buffet is ONE of the World's richest men; and clue 12: one of the actors in this film (mentioned in the clues above), was also a clue in one of Guru's questions in this round - Admishra (talk) 09:26, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
 * And if you read the clues carefully, you'd realize the number of candidates is not 26 but 13 - Admishra (talk) 09:29, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Well yes, G Monic Kumar was what I was working on. The only movie left from that viewpoint though is The Darjeeling Limited. Is that what you are looking for? Am still trying to connect the rest of the clues to that.-- Arjun (talk) 09:57, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Ok, I think its a bit clearer now. Probably you are talking about Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Indian AIDS eradication initiative Avahan. The film would then be Migration, directed by Mira Nair. Shovon (talk) 10:05, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Shovon- I'd say you are just 1step away from the answer!! Migration still does not connect with the academy award winner of mexican roots! Though the film I have in mind was showcased along with Migration, and the 2 linkes that you have cracked, also apply to that film! -Admishra (talk) 10:15, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

I think I finally got it. You must be looking for Blood Brothers. Damn! Can't believe I missed this one and for so long. Excellent question and an even greater effort to keep it going for so long. The clues were all there. Just had to look closer.-- Arjun (talk) 10:36, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Thats it indeed!. Finally its over!! :) While Shovon was very close to the answer, I would split the points as 0.25 to Shovon for cracking 2 links, & Arjun 0.75. Baton passes to Arjun -Admishra (talk) 11:18, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Just checking guys. When will be the next question uploaded? Shovon (talk) 08:35, 14 January 2009 (UTC)
 * In case Arjun doesn't find something to ask, I do have a nice one with me (believe me, it wouln't take this long to crack :) ) -Admishra (talk) 08:53, 14 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Please go ahead. Shovon (talk) 09:40, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Please go ahead, Admishra. Will swap for a question next time. Am inundated with work right now and can't think of a decent enough question. -- Arjun (talk) 10:33, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Q24
I was born in South India, and after finishing studies joined a student of X in Bombay. Later I became a student of Y, who is renowned in a specific field along with a person who shares his name with a major clothing brand. I received a prize set-up in the honour of X, for my work Z; which is now considered a classic in its field. I am considered as an originator of at least 3 terms, one of them having a different connotation today from what I meant when I coined it. Identify the word, X, Y,& Z ? -Admishra (talk) 11:13, 14 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Hint 1: I would be an indirect last link in the finite sub-set: Naga Hills, Kathputli of Kathiawad, Naga Hills,____ ; in relation to the award (named after X)-Admishra (talk) 03:00, 15 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Still no response! Is it my questions or just sheer coincidence that in last week or so the activity has ropped drastically :( Guys- please shout if more hints are needed -Admishra (talk) 05:58, 15 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Is there anybody out there,Somebody out there
 * That one body out there,I believe there's gotta be
 * A love for me somewhere, Who's prayin' the same prayer
 * Is there anybody out there -Admishra (talk) 11:00, 15 January 2009 (UTC)

I just popped in to see whats happening. Busy week I guess. ANd probably more clues needed. For me at least, since time is lmited for me.-- Arjun (talk) 06:52, 16 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Thankfully someone is there! Here you go for the next 2 clues-


 * Hint 2: Since my original work was incernated, I was forced to recreate my work again, resulting in one of the most unique creations in its field, which again got earmarked as a classic
 * Hint 3: Of the 2 other words I originated, one would refer to the trio of duty, deeds,& liberation amongst others. The second is a concept based on availibility of natural resources, population, education, employment, and one of the economic identifiers of well being. -Admishra (talk) 07:44, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Hi - karthik here as a first time trier. Is this C.Rajagopalachari? The word is Licence raj? Not sure about the award. BTW we are hosting an India Quiz in chennai on Jan 26, for the first ever time. More details on http://iquiz.wordpress.com - thanks.
 * No its not him Karthik. Also would help if you log in and then post with your signature. - Admishra (talk) 10:05, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Hey thanks yaar - how about anybody in chennai participating in the India quiz? we are hosting it... Quizzawiddapizza 10:44, 16 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Admishra, I am attempting and searching for ans.--Su_hit (talk) 10:57, 16 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Hint 4: My First name is an anglicized version of someone very famous in Hindu Mythology, though for all the wrong reasons. This mythological person appears in one version of stories associated with Ramayan casting an evil eye on Sita - Admishra (talk) 11:59, 16 January 2009 (UTC)

Is it in the field of scientist? deivas
 * Is the person referred 'I', R. K. Laxman? -- Sundar \talk \contribs 16:57, 18 January 2009 (UTC)
 * If correct, then X is Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art? -- Sundar \talk \contribs 17:19, 18 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Well, finally someone got a chance to take a try! Well, its neither RK Lakshman, nor a scientist. Though, as a Hint 5: I could say that RK Lakshman is in a way related to the person in question  - Admishra (talk) 04:56, 19 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Hint 6: My Second Name also has mythological roots, this time to a revered personality, having an upnishad named after it. This would be the last hint for the day, as I wonder whether I need to continue this question any longer. - Admishra (talk) 06:47, 19 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Ravana seems to be partial answer.--Su_hit (talk) 11:10, 19 January 2009 (UTC)
 * No Su_hit, as always with my question, this was a red herring. Think of someone else- am sure its not a common story you get to hear; and that is why the words - "in one version of Ramayan" - Admishra (talk) 11:15, 19 January 2009 (UTC)
 * P. V. Narasimha Rao?--Dwaipayan (talk) 02:16, 20 January 2009 (UTC)
 * M. N. Srinivas.--Dwaipayan (talk) 02:28, 20 January 2009 (UTC)

The word: Vote-bank. X= G.S. Ghurye, Z= The Remembered Village.--Dwaipayan (talk) 02:52, 20 January 2009 (UTC) With the exception of X, all the others are correct Dwaipayan. Just dig a bit deeper and you should be able to get X as well. offcourse the other 2 terms that Mysore Narasimhachar Srinivas coined are 'Sanskritization' & 'Dominant Caste' -Admishra (talk) 05:52, 20 January 2009 (UTC)
 * On hindsight, even Z is incorrect, as The Remembered Village is the work which he created after his original work was incernated (see Hint 2 above). It is considered a classic in its own, simply because of the fact that it was written purely by memory (as all previous notes of MNS were lost in the fire). Also Y needs to be cracked as well. so the baton is still up for grabs - Admishra (talk) 07:08, 20 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Is Y = A.R. Radcliffe-Brown (of A.R. Radcliffe-Brown and E.E Evans-Pritchard fame) and Z = “The Social System of a Mysore Village” by any chance? I know its only an essay. But it definately a precursor to "The Remembered VIllage" -- Arjun (talk) 10:47, 20 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Absolutely correct arjun! The credit is shared equally between Dwaipayan and Arjun. Incidentally, AR Radcliffe-browne is known for his work in social stratification along with Claude Lévi-Strauss. Since Dwaipayan got the name correct (after which it would have been easier to get the rest), I'd pass the turn to him. -Admishra (talk) 11:48, 20 January 2009 (UTC)

That sounds fair since I was following clues already laid down. All yours Dwaipayan-ji -- Arjun (talk) 12:27, 20 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Apologies guys-its been a long day (and the intention to close this long running question asap might have played its part too) - Arjun, AR Radcliff is not what I had in mind, it was in fact W.H.R. Rivers who had collaborated with Levi-Strauss, and was also the professor who granted G.S. Ghurye his PhD. - Admishra (talk) 12:57, 20 January 2009 (UTC)
 * I believe Q24 is over. Waiting for Q25 or Shall I post it?--Su_hit (talk) 08:31, 28 January 2009 (UTC)


 * Please go ahead. Shovon (talk) 09:50, 28 January 2009 (UTC)

Q25
Thanks Shovon. Here it goes.. (a) Creation by Satyajit Ray and (b) Wind Power Farm. They will lead to a western Indian city. Identify it. --Su_hit (talk) 11:33, 28 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Jaisalmer, Suzlon and Sonar Kella would be my guesses. Shovon (talk) 12:17, 28 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Correct. Jaisalmer. Sonar Kella is a movie and novel by the legend Satyajit Ray. Suzlon and other player have wind power farm there, as Wind power in India. --Su_hit (talk) 04:23, 29 January 2009 (UTC)

Bonus question
Ok, we all know who the best dancer of all is. It's Lord Shiva, no doubt. If Shiva sets his feet to poetry, its called tandava. What is it for Goddess Parvati? Quizzawiddapizza (talk)
 * n Lasya??? rueben_lys (talk · contribs) 00:27, 29 January 2009 (UTC)

that's right!! - take it away rueben 59.92.78.235 (talk)


 * Ha ha, sorry guys, that was cheeky of me :). Next question soon. rueben_lys (talk · contribs) 18:49, 29 January 2009 (UTC)


 * OK, I need some help, I dont know how to archive this page, and not sure wether that is neccessary before posting a question. rueben_lys (talk · contribs) 19:29, 29 January 2009 (UTC)