India is Gandhi, Patel, Shashtri and Nehru
India is Sadbhavna, Satya, Swaraj and Ahimsa
India is Kashi, Kali, Jaganath and Meenakshi
India is Shivaji, Akbar, Ashoka and Babur
India is St. Francis Xavier, Sri Krishna and Sheik Salim Chishti
She is the towering figure of Indira, Vajpayee and Rajiv, India is the snow capped Himalayas, She is the hot sands of the Thar and the Tigress of the Sundarbans
India is the houseboats on Dal Lake, the Saffron fields of Kashmir and the Tea gardens of Assam
India is Xacuti,Khosha,Zhutho and Dhansak
She is Shah Jahan’s Peacock throne, She’s also the Kohinoor.
India is the music coming out from Anglo-Indian houses, She’s the sound of Azaan mixed with the sound of temple bells.
India is Ruskin Bond’s novels and the passion of Jim Corbett, She is Kalam, Azad, Bose and Tagore.
She’s also Kabir, Babasaheb, Phule and Guru Nanak
She’s the mighty waves of the Indian ocean and the mighty thoughts of Vivekananda, She’s Basavanna, Adi Shankara and Mirabai
She’s Buddha,She’s Mahavira and She’s also Mother Teresa
She’s the Periera’s, the Kapoor’s, Malik’s, Khan’s the Ahoms, the Khasis, the Iranis and the Colaço’s
India is the Gopura of the Virupaksha temple, She’s the Minarets of the Taj Mahal and the white façade of Velankanni, She’s the Tomb of Humayun, the serenity of Kedarnath and the bustle of Bombay.
India is RK Lakshman, Malgudi and Mahabharata
She’s the Brahmaputra ,She’s also the Hooghly.
She is a Bodo, She’s a Karbi, She’s a Mizo,She’s a Garo. She’s also a Sentilesse, and a Santhal.
India is in Birmingham,Brampton, Burma and other far away lands like Malaya, Singapore and Africa.
She’s the Sitar playing in the background of a Beatles song, She’s the Ghazals of Rafi and Chants of Om.
India is an old structural Temple, A beautiful Anglican church and a grand Mosque, grander than even the grandest
She’s the Qutub Minar, the Stupa at Sanchi and the Mahals of Jaipur
She’s the loud music of a wedding procession, She’s the serenity of Coorg, She’s also the chirping of the bulbul
India is not Hatred, Bigotry, Violence or Intolerance
She is soothing, peaceful and calm
She’s a champion of Democracy, Justice and Hope
India is Inclusive, Secular and Tolerant towards all
India is home to me and a billion more.
If you like the above post feel free to share this! Do let me know in the comments if you did not get the meaning of any line, will be happy to explain!
Lovely, Shreyas! This is the India I grew up in and hopefully, the India my kids will grow up in. God Bless!
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Jai Hind to that!
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Heart touching lines. Lovely
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Thank you 🙂
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Well written
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