I come from a land where…
…A subcontinent surprises.
And contradictions confuse and confound.
…Saints and seers,
scientists and skeptics,
Sanskrit and supercomputers & space research
coexist in parallel.
…Holi, Ganpati, Diwali, Eid and Christmas
are celebrated like nowhere else.
Where religion is worn on one’s sleeve
but faith is a personal matter.
…The beacon of Unity in Diversity still shines bright.
…Our tricolor is increasingly taking on a saffron hue.
…The five rivers of the Punjab,
and the Ganga and Brahmaputra
and the Godavari, Cauvery, Krishna
stream forth from the Himalayas and Vindhyas.
…The desert beauty of Rajasthan and Ladakh
stands stark against the lushness of Kerala and the Northeast.
The magnificence of forts & palaces & temples
stands wall to wall with the hopeless hovels of the hapless.
…We boast beaches, backwaters, forests, boundless nature.
Tigers, elephants, peacocks, a myriad varieties of flora and fauna.
…We are fiercely traditional, yet look up to the West.
The culture of the cradle of civilization
confluences with trends of the 21st century.
…Masalas and spice add their distinct flavours to daily life.
And mithai makes it sweeter.
…Neighbours cannot understand each other’s tongues.
But speak a common language.
…The homeless and the hungry
still smile in spite of their wretchedness
and have hope in change.
…Passions and the senses overpower.
But there is an underlying calm.
…One foot is boldly striding forward into the future
But always followed by two meek steps back.
…Where the disparate, the dichotomies,
the dualities are all visible in one sweep of the eye.
Where stereotypes meet myth-busters.
…The fairness of the face
is being besmirched by unsightly new blemishes
and is being sought to be touched up by superficial remedies.
…Which is beyond definition,
which is forever an evolving work-in-progress.
Happy Independence Day, Bharat-vasis, enjoy these two goosebump-y songs!
Happy Independence Day Kunal! Proud to be an Indian!! Jai Hind!!!
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Thank you, Nidh24, yes, equally proud! Jai Hind!
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By the way, my name’s Nidanyaa.
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Happy Independence Day to you, Kunal. This is a beautiful tribute to your country and its diversity. Many blessings to you and yours!
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Thanks, Percy! Hope you’re doing well?
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You are most welcome, Kunal. I have been busy but doing well, thank you. Hope you are doing well, too!
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I am. Many thanks!
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Good to hear! You are most welcome!
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Beautifully written. Happy Independence Day, my dear Kunal.
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To you, too, Yas! For all her flaws, she’s a great country, isn’t it?
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Yes , she certainly is an awesome country.
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And both Iqbals and Rahmans songs still give me goosebumps each time I hear them… something about them 😊
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Yeah. Right.
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One day I hope to see your beautiful country. 🙂
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Be my guest, you’re more than welcome! It’s all that you’ve heard, read, seen and then some! Prepare to be overwhelmed!! 😊
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That’s what i’ve heard. I’m sure you wouldn’t have it any other way.
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Well, there are many things I want changed, but it’s still my country, if you know what I mean 🙂
Come on over, we make far better beer than you guys!
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My son loves a good IPA; must be his Indian side. I prefer dark beers and stouts.
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Sure, we can all do better. I was referring to the unpredictability.
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😊
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Such a beautiful portrayal of our country Kunal. Loved your tribute to India. Hoping for all things good for Mother India 🇮🇳. Happy independence Day! As I am typing this comment listening to the patriotic songs being played all around ☺️
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Thanks, my friend! As I was telling my dad, we only have to survive ourselves and our follies & fissures for the next 70 years and we could be the foremost country in the world. Bhagwan ki Krupa se…
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Thathasthu 🙏
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OVERWHELMED. Proud to be an INDIAN and proud to have a son like you.
JAI HIND.
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Thank you! Jai Hind!
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Happy Independence Day!! Jai Hind!!! Your post gave me goosebumps…Proud to be an Indian!!!!
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Thanks! No misplaced pride there – inspite of all our failings, this is the place to be! Jai Hind!
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Here’s to a truly liberated India, free from what ails us even today.
Our tricolour is increasingly taking on a saffron hue is a very clever like and so so telling!
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Here’s to it, N! Inshallah, in our lifetimes!
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Beautifully expressed!!
Happy Freedom!🙃
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Thanks, Raji! Happy I-Day!
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Beautiful poetry, beautiful music. Happy Independence Day!
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Thanks, Sonya
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A moving depiction of your love for your country in all its subtleties and complexities…thank you.
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Thanks 🙏🏽
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Awesome! 😎😎😎
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Thanks very much
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I’m sorry to be late for the party so belated happy independence day. What a wonderful tapestry you’ve painted of a country I’d love to visit. We’re so diverse ourselves that I might have some Indian DNA myself!😀
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😊 thank you! You must visit!
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Indeed!!
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Wow . I liked it
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Thanks,Lavanya
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Magical, K! Hope to experience it with my own eyes someday.
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You must! One trip not enough, just so much to experience!
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Nice one mate.#India
Please do checkout my blog
Feel free to like, comment and follow.Namaste.
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Thanks
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I loved the way how your selected choice of words described India
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Thank you! It’s an amazing country!
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