Prayers, plays, paintings for an Indian win at Mohali

New Delhi, March 29 (PTI) Pujas for divine intervention, street plays depicting a 'Tsunami' to cause
destruction and portrayal of the men in blue as Indian
mythological icons vanquishing rivals Tuesday reflected the
country's hope for a win in the epic India-Pakistan World Cup
cricket semi-final.
The fervent desire to savour an Indian victory in the
blockbuster match was a common thread, as the cricket frenzy
on the eve of Wednesday's tense showdown in Mohali reached a
crescendo.
Normal life appeared to be on the verge of coming to a
halt with millions of people preparing to watch the epic
day-night encounter on Television sets--one of cricket's most
intense rivalries
Several firms have declared a half-day holiday, while
others have set up giant screens in their offices to allow
employees to watch the match in the office.
To strengthen their hopes with the power of prayers,
cricket enthusiasts in Mysore offered puja and performed
rituals at Anjaneya Swamy Temple.
A painter in Jabalpur has painted master blaster
Sachin Tendulkar as Lord Krishna and explosive batsman
Virender Sehwag as Arjun.
"We have portrayed sachin as Krishna and Sehwag as
Arjun. The way those two fought Mahaabharat will be how these
two will win us the world cup," he said.
In Mathura, organisers of a puja ritual said 51 Kg of
milk, different variety of sandalwood paste, Kumkum and one
mound of flowers were used to worship holy river Yamuna for
the victory of Indian cricket team.
Such a ritual is common among contestants in this holy
town fighting elections.
"We are sure that due to grace of Yamuna Ji India
would win," said a senior member of a group calling itself
Mathurastha Sarva Karma Panditya.
However, not everyone in India is hoping for a victory
over Pakistan.
From Internet networking sites to social gatherings, a
section of people in Kashmir valley openly acknowledge their
support for the neighbouring country.
At the quarter-final stage, Pakistan's thrashing win
over the West Indies was celebrated with fire crackers but
India's win against Australia passed without a murmur.
In the Valley, the Army has also set up a giant
television screen in Taiyan, a village of 2,500.
Not wanting to miss the opportunity to watch the
cricket encounter from the comfort of their homes, several
people in the Information Technology(IT) industry have applied
for leave forcing their bosses to work out staffing patterns
in the 24x7 industry.
"Everything is lined up. I have got my set of friends.
TV is ready, beer is ready, just got to chillout on a summer
afternoon and watch the game. It is epic. It is India,
Pakistan. It doesn't get bigger than that," one IT
professional in Chennai said.