HAPPY INDEPEDENCE DAY - How do you Celebrate it ?

Today, we set the celebration in Air to commerate our country's 60th Independence day. Wishing you all,

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY
TO ALL INDIANS
AROUND THE GLOBE

Feel the spirit of Indianness in you and share the joy of freedom together. Lets be Proud to be an INDIAN and cherish this wonderful day by celebrating it one way or other.

Check out this video which I found in the net for this independence day. Its really good.

Some images from India:

How do you (like to) celebrate the Independence Day?

For many this day doesn't make any difference at all. Its yet another day. I don't blame you guys, trying stay neutral. I am talking about folks like me, my utterances and others who feel more patriotic like to do differently like virtual celebration thru blogs(Independence Day Celebrations -- Join The Party), pin a flag on your shirt, wishing your fellow country men "happy Independence Day" and other ways.

What did I do ?

I wished my fellow country friends and also pined the flag in my shirt. My wife also wants to pin the flag in my son shirt too. He might be US citizen but he is an Indian by blood. We are also planning to join the celebration this weekend in the Houston convention center to immerse ourself with other Indians. I also hope to see Sunita williams in that celebration.

So what are you upto ?! What did you do or plan to do to show your patriotism.

I know not many like to showcase it but its feeling we should share and experience. I don't see anything wrong in it. Don't hesitate. Just get out there and enjoy the day.

Vande Mataram! Vande Mataram!

मेरा भारत महान!

Mera Bharat Mahaan!

My India is Great!

Forgotten Dreams of 60 year old Sweetheart?!

Bharat Matha ke jaye, Bharat Matha ke jaye

Big gang of freedom fighters shouted these words loud enough in rain and shine with great fire seeping out from their heart to drive britts crazy at one end.

Vande Mataram! Vande Mataram!!

Vallaiyanee Valeyaaru, Valaiyanee Valeyaru (tamil)

(White britts get out of my country)

These words came out from every brave soul holding tricolor flag next to their heart not giving up their fight following procession headed by leaders like Thirupur Kumaran in the southern end of Bharatham.

From every corner, our forefather's joined hands together in a big way under great leaderships pulling them by their sparking words, setting aside all their differences, stepped up in their free will to sacrifice their lives and shed blood to free our Mother India from the Britts rule, 60-70 years back.

They only thought about freedom and had foresight for Brighter India. Their long battle came to an end paying off their fierce freedom struggle. The motivation and inspiration behind all the struggle is to have a free nation, a free country to cherish the heritage and tradition for the generations to come. They sacrificed their lives to pave a new path for future generations, a future India.

They didn't have exotic dreams of their own. They just shared dreams with every fellow countrymen to see a free nation with tricolor flag flying so high up with gusto. Some leaders imparted their dreams via beautiful poems and locquious ones planted theirs through fire sparking wordy speeches.

In this Sixty years with the privilege of being a free nation, politicaly we went on a roller coaster ride making gradual advancements in many industrial sectors, tremedous development on technolog front raising economy to himalaya heights reaching many feats inspite of big hiccups on the way trying to fit ourself in developed country list.

During this rally, we forgot so many important things. Especially dreams of our great leaders who gave us this free land. The dreams which are either forgotten or waiting to be realized by us. Do you think we were able to unveil all of their dreams in this sixty years? This question will immediately bring doubt face on every Indians.

Gandhiji once said "Villages are the backbone of our country" that doesn't really mean that we need to bend them like beckham. He visioned in a way that if the villages and villagers can farm and make a living, our country will also flourish in agro sectors. Didn't we fail on his dream straight down? We making every village the shelter place foreign factories without any proper sanitory facilities.

Mahakavi Bharathi(Tamil Freedom fighter & poet) said, "Country can be called free only when a women can walk alone at night without any fear". You know the plain blank truth. Nowadays, a kid can't even walk in the streets alone. There is lot of fear surrounds a common man in every state.

Some great leaders visioned us sending a "Man to the Moon". We been busy inventing misiles and nuclear weapons to protect us and not investing much time for the growth of the country. All the budget adresearch is been diverted to discover new weapons to protect us holding us on space researches.

Another agenda was "Free education for all". We all aware of the fact, Education has become a big money making business rather being a service. Its

I can continue to unfold the list. While we are cherishing this wonderful moment of celebrating the 60th year Independence, we the people better start thinking about these unrealized dreams. We might have attained dramatic growth as a country but we lost many basic things. The basics which strengthens the foundation of a country.

Lets get united and march forward for the raise our voice whenever needeed and create awarness around country.

Our India is great country, We can be too. Its all in the hand of beholder.

Vande Mataram! Vande Mataram!!!

INDIANNESS & Patriotic Songs Part - III: Saare Jahan Se Achchha

Apart from Jana Gana Mana and Vande Mataram, this song also rhyms very well in our heart and we hear it all most of every time during our Republic and Independence day parades. Atleast that's my vivid recollection of listening to the music when I grew up.

Saare Jahan Se Achchha (Urdu: سارے جہاں سے اچھا) is one of the enduring patriotic poems of the Urdu language. Written originally for children in the ghazal style of Urdu poetry by poet Muhammad Iqbal, the poem was published in the weekly journal Ittehad on 16 August 1904. Recited by Iqbal the following year at Government College, Lahore, now in Pakistan, it quickly became an anthem of opposition to the British rule in India.

The song, an ode to Hindustan—the land comprising present-day Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan—both celebrated and cherished the land even as it lamented its age-old anguish. Also known as Tarana-e-Hindi (Urdu: ترانۂ ہندی "Anthem of the People of Hindustan"), it was later published in 1924 in the Urdu book Bang-i-Dara.

In spite of its creator's disavowal of it, Saare Jahan Se Achcha has remained popular in India for over a century. Mahatma Gandhi is said to have sung it over a hundred times when he was imprisoned at Yerawada Jail in Pune in the 1930s. The poem was set to music in the 1950s by sitar maestro Ravi Shankar and recorded by singer Lata Mangeshkar. Stanzas (1), (3), (4), and (6) of the song became an unofficial national anthem in India, and were also turned into the official quick march of the Indian Armed Forces.

Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian cosmonaut, employed the first line of the song in 1984 to describe to then prime minister Indira Gandhi how India appeared from outer space. The song is, however, little known in Pakistan or Bangladesh.

सारे जहाँ से अच्छा, हिन्दोस्तां हमारा हम बुलबुले हैं इसकी, वो गुलसितां हमारा पर्वत वो सबसे ऊँचा, हमसाया आसमाँ का वो संतरी हमारा, वो पासवां हमारा, सारे... गोदी में खेलती हैं, जिसकी हज़ारों नदियां गुलशन है जिसके दम से, रश्क-ए-जिनां हमारा सारे.... मजहब नहीं सिखाता, आपस में बैर रखना हिन्दी हैं हम वतन हैं, हिन्दोस्तां हमारा, सारे...

saare jahaan se achcha hindostaan hamaraa hum bul bulain hai is kee, ye gulsitan hamaraa parbat vo sabse unchaa hum saaya aasma kaa vo santaree hamaraa, vo paasbaan hamaraa godee mein khel tee hain is kee hazaaron nadiya gulshan hai jinke dum se, rashke janna hamaraa mazhab nahee sikhataa apas mein bayr rakhnaa hindee hai hum, vatan hai hindostaan hamaraa

Translation of the poem in English :

Better than all the world, is our India
We are its nightingales and this is our garden

That mountain most high; neighbor to the skies
It is our sentinel; it is our protector

A thousand rivers play in its lap,
Gardens they sustain, the envy of the heavens is ours

Faith does not teach us to harbor grudges between us
We are all Indians and India is our homeland

The poem is sung by Indians on occasions of national importance and in schools as part of morning prayer. After the Indian National Song "Jana Gana Mana" and the Indian National Song "Vande Mataram", Sare Jahan Se Achcha enjoys the reputation as the most popular patriotic song in India. The poem epitomises love for the nation and patriotism.

Here is different version of this song in audio format after a vigor research. I couldn't able to find the video for this song. If you find one, let me know.

A nice video which found on Jana Gana Mana that I want to share too.

Every patriotic songs has its unique texture to invoke synergy and vibe in different ways inside us to enthrilling the patriotic feeling. Each has its own taste with a same common goal to relish the Indianness sense in all of us.

Mehra Bharat Mahan!! Jai Hind!!

Fourth of July is always SPECIAL

"I believe in America because we have great dreams - and because we have the opportunity to make those dreams come true."
~Wendell L. Wilkie

Above quote clearly says, why many immigrant steps their foot on to this wonderful country?! Every immigrant who became an American resident has a true story to talk about this great country.

America, a great country has enriched millions of life all around the world and continues to pave his path welcoming many more to its future. We Indians have always found this country a home away home.

It has offered us more than we ever can think of. In my life, I should say "I was reborn and rediscovered" here. I am living the "All American Dream". I put my hands on whatever I can and try to make my marks. I had the WILL to do things and I found my WAY's to do it here. I learned how to Swim like a boy. I enjoyed nature by taking hiking and trekking trips. I never knew that I can run 45kms and can do marathons.

I learnt to do snow skiing and Ice Skating. Dancing was never my passion until I came to America. I took dancing lessons for Ballroom and Western dances like Waltz, Swing, Rumbha, Mambo etc., I earned hordes of good American friends who consider me as part of their family which I never imagined in my life.

I also nurtured my habit to never forget to do some charity and give back to community as JFK said, "Ask not, what the country can do for you, but ask what you can for the country".

Life has changed so much for all good reasons. I vouch that every Indian will definetly has a story of his/her own similiar tp me. The main essence from all these, America has everything to offer and American people makes a true difference standing behind this great nation.

Fourth of July is not just another day for people of America. Its a Great American 4th of July. A day to celebrate the country and the people who makes the country. People participate in parades with great enthusiasm, have barbecue parties in their backyard with their friends, take trip to beaches, celebrate watching fireworks all across the country and enjoy with proud and pride of being an American or living in America.

Fourth of July has always been a special day for me. Not just because I am in America, its also my birthday. I always celebrated it. After getting here, I am celebrating with everybody in here. I never missed a July 4th without Fireworks. I saved some great memories of watching fireworks all across America.

I have seen Fireworks on top of Niagara falls(classy one) and eye catching light show of the falls at night. Its real cool to watch. Fireworks on Charles River in Boston mixed with live music was so ravishing like music fountain in Mysore Brindhavan garden.

We just missed the big Parade in main streets of Washington DC but happen to catch the mother of all fireworks. It was extravagancy and spectacular with various different patterns including flags and hearts. It almost lasted for more than half hour. We also seen Columbus City Fireworks, Fireworks in Austin,Texas Capital.

This 4th of July, I am planning to buy some firecrackers since its allowed in our part of city and crack it in the night. Also we are planning be celebrate by watching Symphony in the open theatre with fireworks at the end.

I am a proud INDIAN and a passionate AMERICA resident to breath the air of this wonderful free nation, AMERICA.

Happy 4th of July!!