Tuesday, February 24, 2009
II MID ONLINE BITS
1. The frame Datta recommended to his customer: A frame with gold leaves and creepers.
2. Datta was: a silent and hardworking man
3. What was the appearance of the owner of the ‘Modern Frame Works’? A concave figure with silver rimmed glasses and the complexion of seasoned timber.
4. What was “The Modern Frame Works”? An extra large wooden packing case mounted on wobbly legs.
5. Datta had learnt by experience that: his customers never came punctually.
6. The ‘Modern Frame Works’ looks like a: fabulous world awaiting order and arrangement.
7. When the samples were shown to the customer he: was baffled
8. When the customer came to take the photograph, Datta tried to composite himself by : letting a whole minute pass without answering
9. Datta was forced to accept the disaster with a: hopeless resignation
10. Every nerve in Datta’s head throbbed: when he thought of what answer he would offer to his customer
11. The customer clearly remembered that he had asked Datta for only: A cut mount with an oval shape.
12. How was the photograph? Sharp & highly glazed
13. What was the colour of the photograph of the old man that the customer wanted to be framed? Sepia brown
14. What are the extravagant qualities of the old man described by the customer? Nobility, Compassion, and Charity.
15. Why did they want to frame the photograph? To demonstrate their homage
16. Datta had learnt by experience that: his customers never came punctually.
17. Datta was always seen sitting ---- up, surrounded by a ---- of cardboard pieces: hunched , confused
18. Many times Datta had to stand up and shake his dhoti vigorously to: dislodge the lost object 19. C.V.Raman remembered that one day he was standing between: the Libyan Desert and the Valley of the Nile in Egypt.
20. In one sense water is the commonest of liquids, in another sense it is: the most uncommon of liquids.
21. The finest silt of the valley of the Nile was brought down by the river from the highway of: Abyssinia and from Central Africa.
22. The Nile flows inot the: Mediterranean sea
23. In the body of all living creatures water plays an essential part in its: Physiological activity.24. Alluvial areas formed by silt are usually: Very fertile
25. Common substance which we call water: is the most potent and most wonderful thing on face of earth26. Much of Indian agriculture depends on: seasonal rainfall
27. The ------ and ------ of water is thus fundamental for human welfare: Conservation and utilization.
28. The problems of soil erosion are closely connected with: inadequate and irregular rainfall.
29. The rain fed tanks play a vital role in: South Indian agriculture.
30. The problem of ---- is one of the serious important in various countries and especially in many parts of India.: Soil erosion31. India, being a country which has only seasonal rainfall: has the problem of an immense quantity of rainwater running off the ground
32. The harnessing of water supplies helps on developing: hydroelectric power.
33. Hydro-electric Power helps in tapping: underground water
34. The most advantageous result of having availability of electric power is that: it helps inderground water to be tapped to a greater extent than at present
35. The soil on the earth’s surface has been formed from: The rocks of its crust.
36. Kalpana was not a topper at the school, but she was among the first : Five
37. Kalpana was one among the --- astronauts selected by NASA : 19
38. The first woman astronaut to go into the space is : Kalpana Chawla
39. Kalpana Chawla was offered attractive job by: Overset Methods Inc.
40. Kalpana Chawla had her schooling in the : Tagore Bal Niketan
41. At PEC Kalpana was actively associated with: Aero & Astro society
42. After obtaining PhD Kalpana joined: NASA Ames Research Centre
43. Kalpana pursued her pre-degree cpurse from: Dayal Singh College
44. Kalpana initially sought PhD admission into the discipline of: Mechanical engineering
45. After graduation, Kalpana decided to seek admission into: University of Texas
46. Kalpana moved to ------ after her Master’s programme: Colorodo
47. Kalpana’s dream was to become: Flight Engineer
48. For STS-107 mission Kalpana’s assignment was: conduct research on micro gravity
49. Kalpana’s thesis guide at Arlington was: Don Wilson
50. Kalpana got married in the year: 1983
51. Kalpana Chawla’s pet name was: Montu
52. For STS-107 mission Kalpana’s assignment was: to conduct research on microgravity.
53. The code name of Narayanana’s missile project was: Devil
54. The project director for Prithvi: Col.V.J.Sundaram
55. “Don not make rocketry your profession or your livelihood- make it your religion your mission” who said these words? Wernher Von Braun
56. In area Sriharikota is as big as: Chennai57. Who calls Kalam with his full name? T.N.Seshan
58. Who has demonstrated his mastery over the art of team building? Prof. Vikram Sarabhai.
59. Who played a very important role in shaping Dr. Kalam’s leadership skills? Dr.Brahm Prakash
60. When Abdul Kalam visited DRDL in April 1982 who was the Director? Mr.S.L.Bansal
61. Which missile was the first IRBM with a 3,000 km range? : Jupiter missile
62. The formulation of re-entry experiment (REX) later became : Agni
63. The vaccum created in Kalam by the Diamont was filled by : RATO
64. Who succeeded Prof.Ramanna after his retirement? Dr. V.S.Arunachalam
65. The failure of the timer circuit of the nose cone jettisoning mechanism led to the birth of: A rocket engineering laboratory.
66. Dr.Brahm Prakash died on: 3 January 1984.
67. INCOSPAR was reconstituted as an advisory body under the : INSA
68. What is the commonest denominator among all successful men and women? Total Commitment
69. The SLV rocket flight was terminated after: 317 seconds.
70. Who became the technical director of German Missile laboratory at Kummersdorf? Wernher Von Braun
71. The development of an indigenous surface-to-air missile was taken by: DRDO
72. An altitude control system and an on-board computer were developed by: D.P.Benerjee, K.V.Ramanna Sai and their team.
73. The fourth stage apogee motor has given the required velocity to put ----- satellite into orbit: Rohini
74. The anti-tank missile project became: Nag
75. Who was the French visitor & President of CNES (Centre Nationale de Etudes Spatiales) brought to Thumba by Prof. Sarabhai: Dr Curien
76. What was Kalam’s dream project? Agni
77. Dr. Brhm Prakash died on: 3 January 1984.
78. The Indian Rocket society was found in : 1968
79. ISRO became a government body in: 1975
80. The velocity of SLV-3 satellite is: 25,000km per hour
81. The SLV rocket flight was terminated after: S17 seconds
82. The surface-to-surface weapon system became: Prithvi
83. What was the position of India, in its satellite launching capability, when SLV-3 was launched? Fifth in the world.
84. Who was Kalam’s sheet anchor? Dr.Brahm Prakash
85. Indian Space Research Organization was created under the: DAE
86. Who was Abdul Kalam’s mentor? Ahmed Jallalluddin
87. For all scientific projects in India , the Management pattern of the SLV project became: the blueprint
88. Since the space at DRDL was inadequate for IGMDP, Abdul Kalam selected: Imarat Kancha area.
89. The 1st launch of the missile programme was conducted on: 16 sept 1985
90. PM Indira Gandhi visited Thumba to dedicate TERLS to: The International Space Science Community.
91. “You are beautifully clothered in your success” who said these words? Prof Satish Dhawan 92. Kalam considered Prof. Sarabhai as : Mahatma Of Indian Science
93. The Indian Rocket Society was formed in: 1968
94. The rocket that put the first man on the Moon was: The Saturn rocket in the Apollo mission.
95. Who was the first director of Vikram Sarabhai Space centre? Dr Brahm Prakash
96. The tactical core vehicle was called: Trishul
97. Dr. Curien testified that SLV-Project team has achieved in a year what the Eurpoean team could do in: three years.
98. The Nandi project was aborted at: ADE
99. Who is India’s Industrialist scientist? Prof. Vikram Sarabhai
100. The first experimental flight trial of SLV-3 was scheduled on: 10 Aug 1979
101. The Defense Minister R.Venkataraman suggested Kalam and his DRDL team to launch: an integrated GMDP
102. Indian Space Research Organization was created under tac: DAE
103. Who appointed Kalam, the Project manager of SLV: Prof. Satish Dhavan
104. ISRO was lucky to have two helm leaders : Prof. Sarabhai and Prof.Dhawan
105. The development of an indigenous surface-to- air missile was taken up by: DRDO
106. The surface-to-surface weapon system became : Prithvi
107. Who was the director of Prithvi? Col.V.J.Sundaram
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Inspiration :Kalpana Chawla
I N S P I R A T I O N
R E A C H I N G F O R T H E S T A R S
Kalpana chawla was born in 1961 in karnal to Banarasi Lal Chawla and Sanjyoti. She was the youngest to the family of four children. She has two sisters and a brother. She was fondly called ‘Montu’ at home. The ancestors of Kalpana had come to India form Pakistan during the riots that followed partition carrying nothing with them than their innate optimism and resourcefulness. Although the family was economically comfortable, Kalpana and her brothers and sisters grew up on account of their remarkable hard work and perseverance. She became India’s first woman astronaut to go into space. Before the launch of the Columbia in 2003, kalpana said that in her early years in India everyone as a rule should work hard. It instilled the notion that no matter whatever the circumstances could be one should follow one’s dreams. It happened to be the characteristic of her family members and left a deep and lasting impression on young Kalpana.
During the days of her childhood a girl child has to overcome many social barriers and restrictions. There was no importance to education to academic excellence among all its children. Kalpana also found immense strength and support in her mother who believed that one should always do what one loves best. She had studied in the Tagore Bal Niketan School headed by a principal who loved children and it had teachers who were caring and deeply committed to their profession. As it played a great role in shaping of kalpana, she remembered her school with gratitude all her life.
Kalpana was always fascinated by aircraft. She enjoyed making pictures and models of airplanes in her art and craft classes. She loved watching trainer aircraft land and take off. Seeing her passion for flying her father managed to arrange a few joyrides aboard. On hot summer nights, when the family would sleep in the open on coir cots, Kalpana would lose herself watching the twinkling stars which bring several basic questions to her curious mind. Kalpana remarked that those nights raised the deep sense of fascination for the sky. By the time she left school, she was certain that she wanted to be an aerospace engineer. kalpana completed her pre degree from Dayal singh college in Karnal and joined the Punjab Engineering college (PEC) in chandigarh. Even the conservative chawla family was uncomfortable to send her outside their town; she succeeded in convincing her family. At the PEC she opted to study aeronautical engineering. The determination of kalpana to become a flight engineer could not be stopped by the principal and the teachers of the college who tried to persuade kalpana to change her choice of study. With her indomitable attitude and persistence she began to be noticed by her teachers and classmates .Very soon, she rose to the top of the class. In her view not only the final destination was important but also the means. She believed that one should enjoy whatever one did in life. She was equally interested in sports as well as the activities of Aero and Astro society. At the PEC, she learnt about aircraft materials, propulsion and theoretical aerodynamics which gave her a strong foundation for her future years of study and later when she became an astronaut. When she left her small home town to join the University of Texas at Arlington, Kalpana chawla took yet another small step to lead her to the grand finale of the dream.
Kalpana chawla joined the NASA Ames research center in California after completing her PH.D in aerospace engineering. While at the research centre, she had applied to the NASA space centre to become an astronaut. Kalpana never took success for granted and worked hard to prepare herself for the interview. She paid special attention to improve her public speaking skills. In the interview, she stood one among the nineteen candidates selected to be members of NASA’s fifteenth batch of astronauts. The training at the NASA centre comprised of an instruction in land and sea survival as well as in operating aircraft. She had spent for months in high- fidelity simulators and under zero- gravity conditions. In November 1997 Kalpana was given a chance to go into space as one of the six crew members on board the Columbia shuttle’s STS- 87 mission. Kalpana was assigned the job of the prime robotic arm operator. Also she had to monitor experiments conducted on board and perform extra- vehicular Activities. Apart from the wonderful experience she had in her first sight of the earth from the shuttle, she realized that the earth was a very small part of the universe and the need to make a serious effort to save its environment and natural resources.
Kalpana never forgot her friends or the institutions that she had been associated with. She had an intense yearning to give back a part of what she had gained, to society and to all those who had inspired her. She arranged a program through which two students form her school could visit the NASA facilities every year. Kalapna also planned to sponsor a young student to a university in South Africa. When faced with options Kalpana had always chosen the more difficult and challenging one. It was evident, when she chose to be a crew member for the STS- 107 launch, instead of choosing the relatively easy path of being ground crew just as a top position in Silicon Valley, which she left two years ago. When her family and friends were waiting at Cape Canaveral to receive her, all communication with the Columbia snapped. The seven crew members on board lost their lives due to a blast in the shuttle. She was a truly remarkable woman who presented a rare combination of a brilliant mind and an intensely human spirit. Her courage to dream to reach stars would have seemed unattainable to most of us. Her determination and relentless perseverance in striving to achieve her goal led her to a meaningful life.
R E A C H I N G F O R T H E S T A R S
Kalpana chawla was born in 1961 in karnal to Banarasi Lal Chawla and Sanjyoti. She was the youngest to the family of four children. She has two sisters and a brother. She was fondly called ‘Montu’ at home. The ancestors of Kalpana had come to India form Pakistan during the riots that followed partition carrying nothing with them than their innate optimism and resourcefulness. Although the family was economically comfortable, Kalpana and her brothers and sisters grew up on account of their remarkable hard work and perseverance. She became India’s first woman astronaut to go into space. Before the launch of the Columbia in 2003, kalpana said that in her early years in India everyone as a rule should work hard. It instilled the notion that no matter whatever the circumstances could be one should follow one’s dreams. It happened to be the characteristic of her family members and left a deep and lasting impression on young Kalpana.
During the days of her childhood a girl child has to overcome many social barriers and restrictions. There was no importance to education to academic excellence among all its children. Kalpana also found immense strength and support in her mother who believed that one should always do what one loves best. She had studied in the Tagore Bal Niketan School headed by a principal who loved children and it had teachers who were caring and deeply committed to their profession. As it played a great role in shaping of kalpana, she remembered her school with gratitude all her life.
Kalpana was always fascinated by aircraft. She enjoyed making pictures and models of airplanes in her art and craft classes. She loved watching trainer aircraft land and take off. Seeing her passion for flying her father managed to arrange a few joyrides aboard. On hot summer nights, when the family would sleep in the open on coir cots, Kalpana would lose herself watching the twinkling stars which bring several basic questions to her curious mind. Kalpana remarked that those nights raised the deep sense of fascination for the sky. By the time she left school, she was certain that she wanted to be an aerospace engineer. kalpana completed her pre degree from Dayal singh college in Karnal and joined the Punjab Engineering college (PEC) in chandigarh. Even the conservative chawla family was uncomfortable to send her outside their town; she succeeded in convincing her family. At the PEC she opted to study aeronautical engineering. The determination of kalpana to become a flight engineer could not be stopped by the principal and the teachers of the college who tried to persuade kalpana to change her choice of study. With her indomitable attitude and persistence she began to be noticed by her teachers and classmates .Very soon, she rose to the top of the class. In her view not only the final destination was important but also the means. She believed that one should enjoy whatever one did in life. She was equally interested in sports as well as the activities of Aero and Astro society. At the PEC, she learnt about aircraft materials, propulsion and theoretical aerodynamics which gave her a strong foundation for her future years of study and later when she became an astronaut. When she left her small home town to join the University of Texas at Arlington, Kalpana chawla took yet another small step to lead her to the grand finale of the dream.
Kalpana chawla joined the NASA Ames research center in California after completing her PH.D in aerospace engineering. While at the research centre, she had applied to the NASA space centre to become an astronaut. Kalpana never took success for granted and worked hard to prepare herself for the interview. She paid special attention to improve her public speaking skills. In the interview, she stood one among the nineteen candidates selected to be members of NASA’s fifteenth batch of astronauts. The training at the NASA centre comprised of an instruction in land and sea survival as well as in operating aircraft. She had spent for months in high- fidelity simulators and under zero- gravity conditions. In November 1997 Kalpana was given a chance to go into space as one of the six crew members on board the Columbia shuttle’s STS- 87 mission. Kalpana was assigned the job of the prime robotic arm operator. Also she had to monitor experiments conducted on board and perform extra- vehicular Activities. Apart from the wonderful experience she had in her first sight of the earth from the shuttle, she realized that the earth was a very small part of the universe and the need to make a serious effort to save its environment and natural resources.
Kalpana never forgot her friends or the institutions that she had been associated with. She had an intense yearning to give back a part of what she had gained, to society and to all those who had inspired her. She arranged a program through which two students form her school could visit the NASA facilities every year. Kalapna also planned to sponsor a young student to a university in South Africa. When faced with options Kalpana had always chosen the more difficult and challenging one. It was evident, when she chose to be a crew member for the STS- 107 launch, instead of choosing the relatively easy path of being ground crew just as a top position in Silicon Valley, which she left two years ago. When her family and friends were waiting at Cape Canaveral to receive her, all communication with the Columbia snapped. The seven crew members on board lost their lives due to a blast in the shuttle. She was a truly remarkable woman who presented a rare combination of a brilliant mind and an intensely human spirit. Her courage to dream to reach stars would have seemed unattainable to most of us. Her determination and relentless perseverance in striving to achieve her goal led her to a meaningful life.
WATER The Elixir of Life
E n v I r o n m e n t
W a t e r : T h e e l I x I r of l I f e
Through the ages, man has sought in vain for an imaginary elixir of life, the divine Amrita. A draught of amrita was thought to confer immortality. But the true elixir of life lies near our hands. It is the commonest of all liquids. It is the plain water. C V Raman, the famous scientist recollects the day he was standing on the line which separates the Libyan Desert from the valley of the Nile in Egypt. On one side was visible a sea of billowing sand without any life and on the other side lay one of the greatest, most fertile and densely populated areas to be found any where on the earth. It was teeming with life and vegetation. It was due to the water of the river Nile. The ancient civilization of Egypt was created and sustained by the life giving waters which comedown year after year with unfailing regularity. C V Raman gives this example to emphasize that the common water is the most potent and the most wonderful thing on the face of our earth. There is nothing which aids so much to the beauty of the country side as water. It may be just a little stream trickling over the rocks or it may be a little pond by the way side where the cattle quench their thirst of an evening. The rain fed tanks that are so common in south India play a vital role in south Indian agriculture. It is a lovely sight to sea the sun rise or sunset over one of them. Water in a landscape may be compared to the eyes of a human face. It reflects the mood of an hour, being bright and gay when the sun shines. It turns to dark and gloomy when the sky is overcast. Therefore, C V Raman compares water in a landscape to the eyes in a human face.
One of the most remarkable facts about water is its power to carry silt. This is the origin of the characteristic color of the water in rain fed tanks. The soil formed by silt thus deposited is very fertile. The flow of water can also play a destructive part and wash away the soil which is the foundation of all agriculture. If it is allowed to proceed unchecked, it will show the most disastrous effects on the life of our country. The problem of soil erosion is one of the serious problems in various countries and especially in many parts of India. Soil erosion occurs in successive steps. It gradually washes away the earth, making agriculture impossible. A sudden burst of excessively heavy rain is one of the principal factors in causing soil erosion. It can be checked by terracing of the land, construction of bunds to check the flow of water, the practice of contour cultivation and the planting of appropriate types of vegetation. The aim should be to check the flow of the water at earliest possible stage before it acquires momentum and cause destruction.
Every living creature on earth contains a substantial proportion of water in its body and no physiological activity is possible without water. The conservation and utilization of water is thus fundamental for human welfare. The problems of soil erosion and of inadequate or irregular rainfall are closely connected with each other. So the adoption of techniques preventing soil erosion would also help to conserve the water. Much of the rainfall flows down into the streams and rivers and ultimately finds its way to the sea. The harnessing of our rivers can result in transforming vast areas of land into fertile land. A forestation is another problem in India. The systematic planting of trees is one of the most urgent needs of India. They would check soil erosion and conserve the rainfall of the country and would provide the necessary supplies of cheap fuel. The cheapest form of internal transport in a country is by boats through canals and rivers. The harnessing of water supplies also makes possible the development of hydroelectric power. It would bring about tremendous changes in rural economy and would enable to tap the ground water. So water is not only the commonest of liquids, but also the most uncommon of liquids. With amazing properties, water is responsible for its unique power of maintaining animal and plant life. Therefore the investigation of the nature and properties of water is of highest scientific interest.
W a t e r : T h e e l I x I r of l I f e
Through the ages, man has sought in vain for an imaginary elixir of life, the divine Amrita. A draught of amrita was thought to confer immortality. But the true elixir of life lies near our hands. It is the commonest of all liquids. It is the plain water. C V Raman, the famous scientist recollects the day he was standing on the line which separates the Libyan Desert from the valley of the Nile in Egypt. On one side was visible a sea of billowing sand without any life and on the other side lay one of the greatest, most fertile and densely populated areas to be found any where on the earth. It was teeming with life and vegetation. It was due to the water of the river Nile. The ancient civilization of Egypt was created and sustained by the life giving waters which comedown year after year with unfailing regularity. C V Raman gives this example to emphasize that the common water is the most potent and the most wonderful thing on the face of our earth. There is nothing which aids so much to the beauty of the country side as water. It may be just a little stream trickling over the rocks or it may be a little pond by the way side where the cattle quench their thirst of an evening. The rain fed tanks that are so common in south India play a vital role in south Indian agriculture. It is a lovely sight to sea the sun rise or sunset over one of them. Water in a landscape may be compared to the eyes of a human face. It reflects the mood of an hour, being bright and gay when the sun shines. It turns to dark and gloomy when the sky is overcast. Therefore, C V Raman compares water in a landscape to the eyes in a human face.
One of the most remarkable facts about water is its power to carry silt. This is the origin of the characteristic color of the water in rain fed tanks. The soil formed by silt thus deposited is very fertile. The flow of water can also play a destructive part and wash away the soil which is the foundation of all agriculture. If it is allowed to proceed unchecked, it will show the most disastrous effects on the life of our country. The problem of soil erosion is one of the serious problems in various countries and especially in many parts of India. Soil erosion occurs in successive steps. It gradually washes away the earth, making agriculture impossible. A sudden burst of excessively heavy rain is one of the principal factors in causing soil erosion. It can be checked by terracing of the land, construction of bunds to check the flow of water, the practice of contour cultivation and the planting of appropriate types of vegetation. The aim should be to check the flow of the water at earliest possible stage before it acquires momentum and cause destruction.
Every living creature on earth contains a substantial proportion of water in its body and no physiological activity is possible without water. The conservation and utilization of water is thus fundamental for human welfare. The problems of soil erosion and of inadequate or irregular rainfall are closely connected with each other. So the adoption of techniques preventing soil erosion would also help to conserve the water. Much of the rainfall flows down into the streams and rivers and ultimately finds its way to the sea. The harnessing of our rivers can result in transforming vast areas of land into fertile land. A forestation is another problem in India. The systematic planting of trees is one of the most urgent needs of India. They would check soil erosion and conserve the rainfall of the country and would provide the necessary supplies of cheap fuel. The cheapest form of internal transport in a country is by boats through canals and rivers. The harnessing of water supplies also makes possible the development of hydroelectric power. It would bring about tremendous changes in rural economy and would enable to tap the ground water. So water is not only the commonest of liquids, but also the most uncommon of liquids. With amazing properties, water is responsible for its unique power of maintaining animal and plant life. Therefore the investigation of the nature and properties of water is of highest scientific interest.
HUMOUR
H U M O U R
Rasipuram Krishnaswami Laxman was born in Mysore in 1924.He began cartooning for the ‘free press journal’ in 1947.He joined ‘The Times of India’ as staff cartoonist and continued to draw for the news paper even today. .He has written and published numerous short stories and essays and travel articles. He has won numerous awards for his cartoons including Asia’s top journalism award ,Ramon Magsaysay award in 1984.In 2005 the government of India honored him with the Padma Visbhushan.
The present humorous story ‘The Gold Frame’ is also written by him. Datta, the owner of ‘the modern frame works’ ,is a silent and hard working man. His shop is actually an extra large wooden packing cage mounted on wobbly legs tucked in a gap between a drug store and a radio repair shop.Datta wears a silver rimmed glasses .He has a complexion of seasoned timber. He gives only laconic answers to the questions of his costumers and friends.
One day a customer came to his shop and showed a photograph which he wanted it to be framed. Datta with his habitual indifference ignored him. He continued with his routine work. The customer wanted a good job to be done no matter how much it costs. The customer volunteered the information and unwrapped a news paper. He exposed a sepia brown photograph of an old man. Datta felt that it was a standard portrait of a grand father, a philanthropist or a social worker of those days.
Datta asked the customer about the kind of frame he wanted for the picture. The customer wanted to have the best of its kind. Then Datta showed him different types of frames. The customer was baffled by the variety. Datta also showed him various mounts. He suggested that a cut mount with an oval shape would look more elegant. Finally the customer placed an order for a gold frame of a cut mount. Its cost was seventeen rupees. Datta asked him to come after two weeks.
Ten days later the tall, rustic- looking customer enquired Datta if the photograph had been framed. He thought that he could collect it if was ready. Datta cast a side glance at him and continued with his work. The customer realized that he had come four days earlier. He asked datta whether it would be ready by Tuesday. Datta generally do not execute the orders of his customers until they visit him at least twice as they never come punctually. Datta, realised that there would be trouble if he did not deliver the order on the promised date.
Next morning he made his first job keeping aside all others. He took the photograph and carefully placed it on a wooden plank on the floor. Then he looked for the pencil stub for marking the measurements. As usual it was missing he shook the folds of his dhoti so violently, that he upset a tin containing white enamel paint it fell right on the sacred photograph of the old great man, emptying its thick slimy contents on it.Datta stood stared at the disaster at his feet as if he had suddenly lost all faculty of movement. In his attempt to save the photograph he made a worse mess of it. He rubbed the picture so hard with a cloth that he peeled off thin strips of filmy coating from its surface. Datta sat helplessly with both hands clutching his head.
Datta had no idea of how to answer for the mutilated photograph. His imagination ran wild suggesting nightmarish consequences as the customer had a fanatic devotion to the photograph he accepted the situation with a hopeless resignation meanwhile an idea flashed in his mind. He searched all the unclaimed photographs to find a substitute for the photograph of the old man. He found a photograph which was a little bit yellowed. But the dazzling gold frame rendered it safe.
The customer turned up promptly after a couple of days. He was struck by its grandeur. Datta held his breath that in another moment he could betray the big hoax he had played. Angrily the customer questioned datta what he had done before he could open his mouth, the customer shouted, that he asked for a cut mount with an oval shape. But the mount was square in shape. Datta was relieved from his tension, as the customer concentrated more on the shape of the mount than on the photograph of the old man for whom he claimed to have a great devotion.
Rasipuram Krishnaswami Laxman was born in Mysore in 1924.He began cartooning for the ‘free press journal’ in 1947.He joined ‘The Times of India’ as staff cartoonist and continued to draw for the news paper even today. .He has written and published numerous short stories and essays and travel articles. He has won numerous awards for his cartoons including Asia’s top journalism award ,Ramon Magsaysay award in 1984.In 2005 the government of India honored him with the Padma Visbhushan.
The present humorous story ‘The Gold Frame’ is also written by him. Datta, the owner of ‘the modern frame works’ ,is a silent and hard working man. His shop is actually an extra large wooden packing cage mounted on wobbly legs tucked in a gap between a drug store and a radio repair shop.Datta wears a silver rimmed glasses .He has a complexion of seasoned timber. He gives only laconic answers to the questions of his costumers and friends.
One day a customer came to his shop and showed a photograph which he wanted it to be framed. Datta with his habitual indifference ignored him. He continued with his routine work. The customer wanted a good job to be done no matter how much it costs. The customer volunteered the information and unwrapped a news paper. He exposed a sepia brown photograph of an old man. Datta felt that it was a standard portrait of a grand father, a philanthropist or a social worker of those days.
Datta asked the customer about the kind of frame he wanted for the picture. The customer wanted to have the best of its kind. Then Datta showed him different types of frames. The customer was baffled by the variety. Datta also showed him various mounts. He suggested that a cut mount with an oval shape would look more elegant. Finally the customer placed an order for a gold frame of a cut mount. Its cost was seventeen rupees. Datta asked him to come after two weeks.
Ten days later the tall, rustic- looking customer enquired Datta if the photograph had been framed. He thought that he could collect it if was ready. Datta cast a side glance at him and continued with his work. The customer realized that he had come four days earlier. He asked datta whether it would be ready by Tuesday. Datta generally do not execute the orders of his customers until they visit him at least twice as they never come punctually. Datta, realised that there would be trouble if he did not deliver the order on the promised date.
Next morning he made his first job keeping aside all others. He took the photograph and carefully placed it on a wooden plank on the floor. Then he looked for the pencil stub for marking the measurements. As usual it was missing he shook the folds of his dhoti so violently, that he upset a tin containing white enamel paint it fell right on the sacred photograph of the old great man, emptying its thick slimy contents on it.Datta stood stared at the disaster at his feet as if he had suddenly lost all faculty of movement. In his attempt to save the photograph he made a worse mess of it. He rubbed the picture so hard with a cloth that he peeled off thin strips of filmy coating from its surface. Datta sat helplessly with both hands clutching his head.
Datta had no idea of how to answer for the mutilated photograph. His imagination ran wild suggesting nightmarish consequences as the customer had a fanatic devotion to the photograph he accepted the situation with a hopeless resignation meanwhile an idea flashed in his mind. He searched all the unclaimed photographs to find a substitute for the photograph of the old man. He found a photograph which was a little bit yellowed. But the dazzling gold frame rendered it safe.
The customer turned up promptly after a couple of days. He was struck by its grandeur. Datta held his breath that in another moment he could betray the big hoax he had played. Angrily the customer questioned datta what he had done before he could open his mouth, the customer shouted, that he asked for a cut mount with an oval shape. But the mount was square in shape. Datta was relieved from his tension, as the customer concentrated more on the shape of the mount than on the photograph of the old man for whom he claimed to have a great devotion.
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