Kula Deivam and the Act of Returning

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Kunnathur, rebuilt — familiar, and not. When I was growing up, I spent most summers with my grandparents and extended family. My maternal side was based in Pudukkottai, my paternal side in Gobichettipalayam—Gobi, for short—in Tamil Nadu. Like most families, ours has since scattered, pulled toward larger cities and better livelihoods. The structure is new. The pull is old. Back then, our visits were unremarkable in the best way. We stayed home. Visitors came and went through the day. When we were in Gobi, there was one outing we never missed: a visit to our kula deivam at Kunnathur, about twenty-five kilometers away. We would pile into a van or a bus, pack food, and set out like an informal family pilgrimage—grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, all together. My paati would make sweet pongal and offer it to Goddess Angala Parameswari, an avatar of Parvati. There were no restaurant...
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Swades...Vibrant India

On the eve of the 59th Indian Independence, what better movie to showcase than Swades, and that's exactly what the Indian Association at Rolla decided. I was seeing the movie for the second time. Once before leaving for Germany and then now of course. I would rate this as one of the brilliantly shot movies in a long time. The kind of emotions that runs through Shahrukh Khan could be felt by every one of us at the theater. A classy movie and at what a time to see it!!!

Its always great to have your community following you outside your motherland. It feels all the more nostalgic when you can associate with something deeply patriotic. We have had 58 long years after our independence and the famous Tryst with Destiny speech by Jawaharlal Nehru can be read another million times. The message conveyed in that brief span of 15 minutes transports the reader to a patriotic frenzy. We have had a sea change in the last decade due to a number of economic reforms, started by the then Finance Minister and today's Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Indians are a part of the society in almost every part of the world. A lot of emotions run through you when you sit to ponder about India. India, with its strong backbone, and cultural diversity, has a community abroad that is equally diverse. People from all corners of the country get together to sail in the boat of togetherness. There is a freshness and eagerness that keeps the boat from sinking. What we do not see much in India is a clarity etched here! In the long run, all of us would want to contribute our mite to India. What we have got from our country is huge and what we can give back is only a handful and if we succeed in doing that, it would be one of the greatest moments of pride for every one of us!

With this and many more ideas, I sleep to awaken for the 59th Independence day celebrations and hope to see a hugely vibrant India that can carry along the wishes of billions of people at home and abroad!!

Let's celebrate our 59th Independence day with resolutions that can make a difference!

Happy Independence day

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