India-A Universe On Earth

INDIA-A UNIVERSE ON EARTH

India for me is a land of countless things, things which cannot be described or comprehended so easily in a literary sense. India for me, also evokes a sense of timelessness, the story of the land being narrated down from times immemorial and will continue to be narrated for posterity. The narrative has become richer, more diverse and extravagant, so to say, over the course of time. Probably it is the only place on Earth that is still ancient in many ways. Many things have remained the way, they were back in the ancient times and many of its aspects have had a tremendous impact on the way we live our lives even today. India, over the course of centuries has assimilated many religions, languages and cultures in to its social fabric and has made itself in to a land of mind-boggling diversity. The sheer range of people, places, emotions, beliefs, ideas, attires, tastes and smell makes it truly a universe on Earth.

India today in its present form is a result of many invasions. Invasions which profusely gave a lot, than simply taking away. It’s not just a land of overwhelming diversity but what makes India a truly multicultural society is the constant sharing of languages, ideas, religion and culture itself. The fact that India has remained a tolerant country for years highlights the truly remarkable spirit of acceptance. Accepting different religions and cultures in to its social space and allowing them to flourish has made India a robust and strong society.

Amidst all the change that India is going through, it still exudes a strong sense of heritage and culture. Heritage, which both in its natural and cultural form has been a kind of anchoring force for many people, who wish not to be swept away by the wave of dynamism that has struck the country in the last few decades. No other place can be thought of, where culture is still the most essential part in the daily lives of its people and will remain so forever.

What amazes a lot of people about India is its paradoxical nature. India’s elements as a society are both traditional and modern, rich and poor and also both empathizing and apathetic at the same time, which makes it a very complex ecosystem to understand. But those who can see through the entire complexity and understand the mechanism at work will extract a whole new meaning for themselves about India. Everything is so overwhelming when you’re living in a country of more than a billion people, the sights, smells and sounds sometimes have a tendency of leaving you both confused and transfixed at the same.

India for me is a macrocosm, a place which is much more than it seems to be. Perhaps, analogically a huge canvas with a billion colours painted on it. Colours which mix in to each other, accepted by each other and supported by each other for so many generations. I wouldn’t say the painting is complete and I wish it never is completed because all I want to see is an ever evolving India, but its base firmly rooted in to its culture and heritage. Let the painting wait for its end to come but while it is being painted every day, let us enjoy the different patterns we see in it and realize what a great country we are living in.