The Beauty of India Upon Asked ...

            I was asked by a friend to describe the beauty of India, and I thought
everyone might enjoy hearing about it, so I'm sending this to all of
you... words cannot possibly do justice to the myriad of sensations
that pass through you every moment of every day, but this is a feeble
attempt to give you an inkling of how I feel while I'm here...
enjoy...

           The beauty of India... the beauty of India is in the smiles of the
street and slum children who excitedly and incessantly wave hi and bye
to me every time I pass by them... its in the bare feet of the mothers
who walk in the dirt rock road with their pant less children on their
hips... its in the tough soles of the children who happily play
barefoot in the rocks and weeds that make up their home, and in the
tougher souls of the mothers who raise these children with love and
give them the smiles on their faces... its in the tiny outstretched
hands of the children beggars who should be in school, but who instead
lay their souls in the palm of their hand for a rupee... its in the
glimmer of the ring that adorns each woman's nose... its in the sweet
tinkle of the anklets that sing on women's feet as they walk by... its
in the dirty silk or cotton or chiffon that still manages to drape
elegantly over their shoulders... its in the scented jasmine flowers
that are strewn through their hair... next to a fully lit, extravagant
house, its in the woman squatting in the weeds and rocks in front of a
fire in the night to cook dinner for her children... its in the
beautiful chalk designs that are drawn anew every morning, adorning
the ground in front of the doorways of each house... its in the
religious fervour and the love for God engrained in every single person
who lives here... its in the harmony in the air while Diwali, a Hindu
festival, and Ramzhan and Eid, Muslim festivals, are being celebrated
together in the same weekend... its in the fireworks that have been
gracing our skies for the past month, out of joy for the various
religious celebrations that have overtaken the country... its in the
elaborate carvings on temple walls and the indescribable architecture
of temples and mosques that are built in any little corner and on any
little street that can fit it... its in the tender flute that wakes me
up some mornings from the house next door... its in the music that
resonates in the streets from shops... its in the sweet voices of the
lady singing in the field for all the people working in the blazing
sun, encouraging them, lifting their souls, lifting my soul... its in
the joyous song of the child shepherd who is herding cows down the
road next to me... its in the loud cry of the vegetable seller who
sings out the products he is selling as he walks down the road... its
in Johnson, one of the children from the lowest class in my school,
who, when asked why he loves school, told me that he loved it for the
food that he gets to eat... its in the appreciation that emanated from
Raju, one of the children from the highest class, who, at lunchtime,
told me he was too full to finish his food but kept eating because
"they gave us the food to eat"... its in the little girls from the
lowest class, who, when asked what they wanted to be when they grew
up, answered with "dish washers" or "clothes cleaners", because their
mothers (those who have mothers) held those positions, because they
weren't yet aware of all the opportunities that awaited them in the
world... its in the child whose birthday it is in school, who gets to
dress out of uniform in her best clothes and walk around the school
handing out sweets to everyone, even if her family does not have
enough money to feed themselves some nights... its in the joy that
emanates from all the slum children, because life is simple and they
cannot fathom a reason for sadness... its in the disintegration of all
complexities as you learn what real life is all about... its in the
peace and appreciation you cannot ignore... its in the word Akka that
I hear every time I walk into school... its in everything and everyone
that makes up this country... its in every second that I get to
experience here... the beauty of India is India itself, and the secret
it holds in its soul... and no one could ever explain this to me, I
had to come here to understand... these words cannot even remotely do
justice to the beauty of India... that is the beauty of India...

Author:  Rachna Vohra