Jai Hind... I am proud to be an Indian.

SOMETHING ABOUT MY INDIA

by Faith George

While travelling through the roads of Delhi, from Kashmeri Gate ISBT to airport, in one corner of my heart I was sad thinking about my family as I was leaving to Japan, but as I saw the beauty of Red Fort, the red bricks, the green grass and the tri colour flag of my country hoisted above Red Fort just dragged my consciousness in to the past of India. I just remembered about some interesting facts about my India. 

The name India is derived from Indus, which originates from the Old Persian word Hindus (A major river flowing  through  Pakistan (93%) India (5%) China (2%), from Himalayas).  The ancient Greeks referred to the Indians as Indoi, which translates as "the people of the Indus". The geographical term Bharat, which is recognized by the Constitution of India as an official name for the country, is used by many Indian languages in its variations. The eponym of Bharat is Bharata, a theological figure that Hindu scriptures describe as a legendary emperor of ancient India. Hindustan was originally a Persian word that meant "Land of the Hindus"; prior to 1947, it referred to a region that encompassed northern India and Pakistan. It is occasionally used to solely denote India in its entirety. 

The British ruled India from 1858-1947, although their presence and trade had been going on for some time before then. On August 15, 1947, India gained independence from the British, after a successful nearly non-violent independence movement. India is governed under a parliamentary system and is a federal constitutional republic. There are 28 states and 7 union territories in India with a huge population over 1.2 billion people which is second largest in the world. In order to accommodate the huge population, India does have the seventh largest land area in the world. It’s estimated that in the next two to three years, 25% of people entering the workforce will be Indian. 

Being second largest populated country in the world still people in India live united. The religions in India itself depict that. Religion in India is characterized by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices. India is the birthplace of four of the world's major religions; namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Throughout India's history, religion has been an important part of the country's culture. According to the 2001 census, 80.5% of the population of India practise Hinduism.  Islam (13.4%),  Christianity (2.3%),  Sikhism (1.9%),Buddhism (0.8%) and Jainism (0.4%) are the other major religions followed by the people of India. There are also numerous minor tribal traditions, though these have been affected by major religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity. 

Zoroastrianism and Judaism also have an ancient history in India, and each has several thousands of Indian adherents. India has the largest population of people adhering to Zoroastrianism (i.e. Parsis and Iranis) and Bahai' Faith in the world,  even though these religions are not native to India. Many other world religions also have a relationship with Indian spirituality, such as the Baha'i faith which recognizes Buddha and Krishna as manifestations of the God Almighty. The Muslim population of India is the third largest in the world. India also has the third largest Shia population in the world. 

The Constitution of India declares the nation to be a secular republic that must uphold the right of citizens to freely worship and propagate any or no religion or faith. The shrines of some of the most famous saints of Sufism, like Moinuddin Chishti and Nizamuddin Auliya, are found in India, and attract visitors from all over the world. India is also home to some of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture, such as the Taj Mahal and the Qutub Minar.  

There are many other famous monuments in India such as Konark Sun Temple, Khajuraho, Jaisalmer Fort, Red Fort, Nalanda University, Dholavira Site, Meenakshi Temple and many others. These all monuments depicts different religions and all are situated in the same country which itself shows the unitedness of the people of india. 

It is really a great experience I had spending the last moments in India, a perfect day to bid farewell watching the beauty of Red Fort and all people happily and unitedly celebrating the Republic Day. The flying view of the Indian flag can never be deleted from my heart.

I am proud to be an Indian. Jai Hind