Leafing through the pages of an atlas, I could see the whole world lay flat in black and white and there in the east sat a teeny yet beautiful landmass drawn in outline that captured my fascination. Well, I bet it won’t need a geographer’s mind to fathom the niceties of this country because India embraces every traveller with an intimacy- truly priceless and timeless!
This is a nation who might have spent her bygone years weaving the strings of accord out of a spectrum of cultures. However, the ‘nation of a billion’ doesn’t cease being vivid and colourful. Carrying within herself a battling history, India has taken her baby-steps towards modernity. Today we Indians crave for the golden touch of the West. Kids shop at the LILLIPUT; stuff like GAP and L’Oreal have become a commonplace at the glittering malls! Teens sit out to bite into pizzas and chilly prawns while adults are seen enjoying themselves a punch of ‘bubbly’ champagne. Still they can’t leave behind the ‘homely’ aroma of KASHMIRI MIRCH! As the dusk wears on, one can see wicks being lighted near the sacred Tulsi plant in almost every nook of a ‘mohalla’. This ‘Indianess’ is pure; modernity pretends to be purer. What comes out is a cute blend of innocence and pretence!
But the heart of India dwells in its dusty streets. Yes, the very same streets, which fantasize about the ‘MAYANAGARI’ of Mumbai and ‘HEAVEN’ of Delhi- the very streets, which lay bare the warmth of being an Indian- the streets and alleys that echo the ‘out hai’ version of ‘HOWZATT’ and the streets which seldom dream of bridging the undreamed shores. But it just isn’t cricket if you say India doesn’t dream. In fact, India dreams and dreams to achieve…to break the barriers…to touch the skies…to rise from ashes to glory…to make a bold statement on the globe!
Indian women have journeyed from flowing georgette saris in scarlet and vermilion to halter-neck gowns in beige and mahogany. Yet the fountain of Indian civilization doesn’t seem to parch. In fact, every drop of this fountain has dissolved an alien in it- Yankee accent, Japanese cars, English bat, pace of ‘Kookaburra’ ball, Chinese noodles, and Italian pasta- the list is endless till you utter “More is less and less is more. But it can’t get better than the Indian galore!”
Ash stole a billion hearts when she turned up at the Cannes’ 2005 attired in a sari. And she looked no less a damsel in a gown this time around! The mixture of ‘then and now’ contained in colourful bottles of satiety and charm has struck a chord with the young generation. It has a silent promise of taking an unbeaten path because the whole world stands in ovation when this little big-hearted nation takes off! You will find Indian people scattered everywhere on the globe- waving Tiranga, painting faces, cheering all around the park whenever Team India wields the willow and spins the cherry! This is just a simple way of reminding that we all love and care and- ‘HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS!”
2 comments:
Amazing..:)
You have written everything that one could think about India.It's really a great blog.India's a blend of mixtures and this write-up brings out the best of India.Well-written.Keep up the good work!
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