The newspaper that you’re holding isn’t just meant to provide an insight into the world around you. Turn to the page right before the sports section begins and you’ll find an activity that also ignites your brain — the crossword puzzle. US-based British journalist Arthur Wynne invented it, and the first ever version was published in the New York World newspaper on this day in 1871. Since then, it has become a regular feature in dailies across the world, turning some people into addicts who need it with their morning cup of coffee.

Rohan Ganguli is one such example. The Kolkata-based musician spends around half-an-hour every day solving the puzzle, and he tells us that an uncle who was obsessed with crosswords got him and the other kids in the house hooked to them in his childhood. “It’s a ritualistic thing for me, and when my cousins come over, we still sit together to solve puzzles. I’d also do it with a former band mate of mine whenever we would travel for shows,” the 41-year-old says, adding, “Certain days are fast and sometimes it takes time. But I am generally able to finish the puzzles because they have a pattern; if you are aware of that, you will crack it.”