“I tried to solve my first Rubik’s cube when I was 6 years old. It was lying around and it piqued my interest enough to try and solve it. However, I could solve just one side of it and I immediately gave it up. As the years rolled in, I became busy with the growing demands of academics that solving the cube never entered my mind until the year 2010. It was around this time that Youtube was becoming popular so I watched a couple of videos on solving the cube and tried solving it on my own. What started at 9 PM on that fateful night went on till 5AM the next morning but I had finally done it – solved a Rubik’s cube. It was an exhilarating feeling of joy that I went around and woke my parents up to convey that wonderful news.

I wanted to try and participate in cube competitions so I applied for one in Chennai back then. Fate intervened and owing to a train delay, I couldn’t reach the competition venue on time hence, rendering it impossible for me to participate. It was then that I decided to host one event in Kerala. I got in touch with the officials at World Cubing Association (WCA) and learnt the reins of hosting a cubing competition. With their approval, I held the first-ever WCA recognized cubing championship in Kerala in the year 2012. Back then, there were hardly 24 competitions held all over India so it was a big achievement.

Training people in cubing became essential since participation in such championships was very low. People essentially gave up after a few tries so I took it upon myself to hold workshops and help people understand the logical aspect of solving the cube. This helped enhance the reach of cubing and I started kids and adults across all age groups.

In the year of 2019, I ventured into the world of cube art. I had seen a couple of artists abroad making portraits and I was quite tempted to try. I invested quite a sum in purchasing my first bulk order of 600 cubes for a cube portrait in Kerala. Since then, I have completed multiple customised cube portraits and am also accredited with creating the first ever 3D Rubik’s cube mosaic portrait in India and the largest one in Asia.

I have been accredited with records from India book of Records, Asia book of Records and also World Records India title.

Cube is one of the most popular puzzles in the world. Everybody would have come across a cube at least once in their lifetime. However, there is no push to try and solve it beyond the first initial tries. And that is what I find alluring about the cube – to try and bring more people into the world of cubing. As I train kids using algorithms, it’s fascinating to see how they start to see patterns that in turn help them in real life problem solving abilities.

I honestly believe that everyone in their life should have a hobby that they hold close to their heart which they use to unwind. It is what makes people interesting and gives us an identity past our educational qualifications and our job titles. I am honoured to play this small role in bringing more people into the world of cubing because it is quite beautiful once you get here.”

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