The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Spam that makes you smile

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Spam that makes you smile

By K. Srinivas Reddy

HYDERABAD, FEB. 22. It may be spam, but it makes you smile. In what is seen as a refreshing change, all that this spam mail message asks the recipient to do is to be happy, by calling out "Gouranga."

Any frown on the face of the e-mail user is replaced by a chuckle, as the meaning of the term sinks in, usually by means of a Google search.

The spam is believed to have originated in the United States.

"Call out Gouranga, be happy!!! Gouranga Gouranga Gouranga...that which brings the highest happiness!!" This three-line mail has generated discussion in chatrooms, blogs and other Internet fora. A blogger says: "After all, it is a pleasant change from offers of Viagra to Rolex watches." It comes from an unidentified address — "Neateye"{lt}NitaiGouranga@aol.com — with the word "Gouranga" in the subject line.

Gouranga is believed to be the nickname of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKON) and the mere utterance of "Gouranga," the Hare Krishna practitioners say, would make one joyous.

The term is believed to have made its first appearance in northwestern United Kingdom.

The word was found painted across bridges, attracting attention. Then came the e-mails.

A Google search lists over 67,000 links, including the playstation game, Grand Theft Auto, that has a reference to Gouranga in the game.

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