Meet Chirasvi Balasubramanian, India's Youngest Ambidextrous Prodigy

Meet 6-year-old Chirasvi Balasubramanian, daughter of AV Balasubramanian, who serves with the RBI. Hailing from Devaraja Mohalla in Mysuru, Karnataka, Chirasvi has earned herself a spot in the India Book of Records as the youngest ambidextrous child in the nation.

The Ambidextrous Virtuoso

In April, she made headlines at Chennai's Kalams World Records by simultaneously writing 100 English words with both hands, completing the task in a remarkable 14 minutes and 15 seconds. Not stopping there, Chirasvi can effortlessly write with both hands in both Kannada and English, even mastering the feat of writing numbers one through fifty simultaneously and in reverse. Beyond her writing prowess, she's also a skilled artist. Currently, she is learning to write Kannada with one hand and English with the other. Moreover, she is also learning how to write with one hand, while using the other for drawing.

Sharing her abilities with others, she frequently visits schools to inspire students, showcasing the importance of setting priorities and nurturing writing skills. Her appearances at events like Kalasuruchi Summer Camps, MyBuild Expo, and Chinnara Mela of Rangayana have garnered widespread attention, further solidifying her status as a child prodigy.

What does it mean to be Ambidextrous?

Ambidexterity, the  skill of using both hands adeptly for tasks, is a rare ability found more commonly in males than females. It can be influenced by factors like culture, pain, or genetics. Globally, there are approximately 80 million ambidextrous individuals, making up around 1% of the population.

Today, it's not unusual to encounter people  who were initially left-handed but developed ambidexterity through schooling or work environments where right-handedness is preferred or required. In sports like baseball, being ambidextrous, especially in "switch-hitting," is highly prized due to the advantage it offers when facing pitchers of opposite hands.

In professions such as surgery, a certain level of ambidexterity is essential. Surgeons must be capable of tying knots with both hands, influenced by factors such as posture, assistance, and the angle required for the procedure.