Lady wins Taj Mahal Tea golden tabla

By Our Convergence Bureau | 28 Nov 2001

Mumbai: Sangeeta Surve of Mumbai is the first winner of the Tabla Talaash contest organised by Taj Mahal Tea, Indias largest-selling premium brand of tea.

She has won the reward of 1 kg golden tablas for being able to locate tabla maestro Ustaad Zakir Hussains missing tablas. In what is perhaps the most substantial consumer offering of its kind, Taj Mahal Tea had announced over Rs 30-lakh worth of prizes to be won by lucky consumers of the tea brand.

The Tabla Talaash contest follows the media campaign that featured Hussain declaring that if anyone succeeds in identifying a tea brand that was superior in taste and flavour to Taj Mahal Tea, he would stop playing the tabla.

The next creative stated that since he could not be defeated in the challenge, his detractors ensured that he stopped playing by stealing his tablas. Determined to get his tablas back, Hussain offered a pair of golden tablas to anyone who recovers his missing pair.

Among the thousands of viewers who accepted the maestros challenge, Surve was the first to achieve the goal. To find Hussains tables, all she needed to do was to purchase a pack of Taj Mahal Tea and look for a special coupon in it. She found one that carried a picture of a pair of tablas, and she was declared the winner of the bumper prize 22 carat gold tablas that weigh one kg. Surve is now all set to pick the reward.

Says Surve: "Discovering the coupon in the Taj Mahal Tea pack was a thrilling experience. I feel privileged not only because I won the prize, but also because my choice of tea is the same as my favourite artistes."

The contest is still open and three more bumper prizes of golden tablas and a range of other tempting gifts are yet to be picked. In order to participate, all one needs to do is to buy a pack of Taj Mahal Tea and look for special coupons.

If the coupon carries a picture of a set of jewellery, the lucky consumer will win gold jewellery worth Rs 20,000, while coupons sporting the picture of the Taj Mahal and a cup of tea will carry prizes of silver coins and a redemption offer on the next purchase of Taj Mahal Tea, respectively.