Who said, we need to strictly follow prescribed methods only?( for solutions to any problems?)
Out of box thinking
Innovation
Creativity
Off/away_from,....the “beaten track”
All these (& “etc” items ) are called as “jugad” in desi slang ๐
I love it ( jugad). And when you “love” doing something, efforts remain un-noticed, and therefore no feeling like “tiresome” about the efforts.
My example :
I had heard of “lamp gazing” as a useful tool to improve “focus” (quality of focus and time-span)
A friend who decided to implicitly do whatever I suggested ( for self-improvement), was needed to be told of “some” technique to improve his focus(it hastens his rate of learning, ability to stay-focused, etc)
A jugad occured to me. ๐
Lamp is too cumbersome, and not good-looking when electricity has come๐.
Why not something else? Who said “only a lamp, can help?”
I suggested the “glowing tip of an incense stick( agarbathi), and a dark room. Keep gazing at the glow, and relax, if eyes start watering” .....it was in 1979. He kept doing it. There was no formal request from me, to seek a feedback. I forgot about it.
Last week that friend wrote to me from 1500 kms away “ I am asking my grandson to-do, what you taught me in 1979. Gazing at the tiny glow of agarbathi, setting up pitch darkness around, till eyes shed water!”
I came to know, that it “worked”! Now, I can tell it to others. This “jugad” is an improvement over an earthen lamp of unelectrified era!๐. Better than a flickering flame, and cost-effective too!
Jugad concept, I drew( squeezed out) from a BOGUS story!
I don't even remember whether it was from Akbar-Birbal, or Tenaliraman stories? For sure, as court-jesters, their profession was too-hazarduous๐
They were burdened to invent a “jugad“ on a daily_basis ๐ฑ
That story! ( it also….taught me the “use” of sense-of-discrimination and its a absence in the villain.๐)
Hero was asked by the king to face+win a warrior who was expert in one-to-one sword_fight, and had challenged SEVERAL kings, to bring a warrior, better at sword fight. He collected huge amounts as bet money, from many kings!
Our hero ( Birbal or Mr.TenaliRaman) was wise, but zero at swordsman_Ship….. death was imminent against this gambler. No life-insurance policies in those days๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐
Hero asked for a months time to “prepare”. Villain was given a 5-star home with food, etc.
Villain kept spying the hero stealthily, all the days.
15 days, nothing unusual. Villain grew impatient ( negative emotion, a deterrent, for intellect to “function” healthily! ๐ญ)
16th day, villain noticed the hero creeping into a blacksmiths house, making some secret “deal”. A rich man, our_villain paid a hefty bribe to “find out” from that blacksmith. Hero hard ordered for a 10 feet long scabbard (in which a sword is kept , and it preserves the sharpness of the sword)
Villain lost no time, in ordering a 15 feet long scabbard and a sword of matching_length๐. He paid 5 times the cost. Metal quality, tensile strength etc….Villain knew better, to specify๐๐
On the appointed day.
Entire audience stared at both ๐ณ๐ณ๐ณ
Long scabbard! Surely, death is imminent for the loser!
Timer gave the signal!
Hero wasn't in a hurry to “draw” out his sword.
Villain struggled to draw his sword. His arm was not long enough to draw his 14 feet long sword COMPLETELY out of the scabbard. ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ
Hero drew out his “normal” sword. ( only the scabbard was 10 feet long. Deceptively long. That sword was old one. Correct size. Came out easily๐)
Villain “saw” DEFEAT even before the fight began.
End of the story( or joke….whatever)
Jugadi yours,
psn(13 jan 2025)