By Express News Service CHENNAI: The mood was tense at Sherwood Hall Senior Secondary School on Sunday afternoon. Participants and parents alike sat excitedly at the edge of their seats, waiting for the quiz to begin. On the occasion of World Archaeology Day, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage was hosting the All Tamil Nadu National Heritage Quiz Programme, Tamil Nadu Chapter. Two students each from Chennai, Karaikal, Coimbatore, Kodaikanal and Thanjavur were seated in a semi-circle around the quiz master...listening intently to a song by Mohammed Rafi as part of the quiz. “The adults may enjoy this five-minute melody, but kids, this is an exam for you,” said Suresh Sethuraman, convener, INTACH TN chapter. The 10-round quiz covered questions related to archaeology, artifacts, coins, cuisine, spices and audio clips of old songs. Sethuraman, an orator and educator, had grasped the complete attention of all present. “Contrary to popular belief, sambhar did not originate from Tamil Nadu. It was first made by Chhatrapati Shivaji’s son, Sambaji, where he had the peculiar idea to use tamarind in the preparation of dal. The recipe was later seen in other parts of south India,” he said. Some difficult questions were met with audience whispering. A picture of the Maddur vada, a crunchy treat from a town in Karnataka, was projected for the participants. “Which city has this fried snack originated from?,” asked Sethuraman. The question passed from one team to another till it reached the audience and finally someone shouted “Maddur!” “Not only the students but even the audience got to learn a lot of things they didn’t know,” said Sharmila Ganesh, from INTACH. Winners The two-hour quiz had come to an end with Kunal Sethia and R Vihar from Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan’s Gandhi Vidyashram, Kodaikanal, taking away the first prize. They will take part in the nationals in New Delhi which will be held in November. Chennai came close winning second place with a difference of just 15 points.

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