Thursday, January 26, 2012

India to me, is a lot of things. Everything about it's history, culture and diversity intrigues me. So much so that, I feel such pride to be part of the soil of a land so extraordinary.
The other day, I was on my terrace for Sankranti. The sky was dotted with millions of kites, fluttering in the wind. It was overwhelming how effortlessly they floated so high up- colourful and mesmerising. Every terrace was occupied by excited people, string and smiles. I felt such happiness, just watching all these kites fly in unison. Unison. That's the only word I thought of. The coming together of so many strangers, all reveling in the simple joy of  a festival- irrespective of caste, creed and religion- is probably my favourite bit about India. Whether it is the festival of Holi, where the city is painted with all sorts of colours- almost like a canvas that the entire nation paints on- and people await the coming of Spring with excitement. Or the festival of lights where an array of tiny flames flicker and crackers illuminate the dark sky. Or Ganesh Chaturthi, where idols of Lord Ganesh adorn every street and are eventually immersed in water, while hundreds gather and watch them float away slowly- some dissolving and some gently drifting to the bottom. Or Raksha Bandhan, where all around the country, the brother-sister relationship is celebrated. Every one of these festivals miraculously bring so many together, it is truly remarkable.
Tomorrow if life takes me to another country, this is going to be one of the many-but most essential- memories I will hold onto dearly. Because it's not everyday that you feel one with an entire nation.