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“Where the mind is without fear
and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been
broken up into fragments by
narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from
the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches
its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason
has not lost its way into the dreary
desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is lead forward by thee
into ever-widening thought and action-
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father,
let my country awake.” – “GEETANJALI” -Rabindranath Tagore
Glorious Himalayas, Holy Rivers, Lush green fields, Gushing waterfalls, Tranquil Lakes, Roaring Oceans, divine hot water springs, Royal Deserts, Architectural Marvels, Naturally formed unbelievable cave structures, Treasure house of Flora and Fauna, and much more!

View of K2 from Gangtok

Gangtok Jail

Ain't they beautiful! - Gangtok

View of KRS dam, Mysore
Crafty loves KRS na![]()

On the way from Mysore to Balamuri

Shravanabelagola, Karnataka

Waterfalls on the way to Sringeri, Karnataka

City of Shimla

Fagu, HP - Movie 'Black' ws shot here!

River Beas, on the way to Manali from Shimla

Solang Valley, HP

Hot water springs, Manikaran

Srisailam dam, AP

Mahanandi, AP

Belum Caves, AP

Roaring Melody of Tadoba - the tiger in all its glory

So many animals

Many more birds

Sheep - Dalhousie, HP

Chikmagalur, Karnataka

Konark beach

Sun temple, Konark

Dhaulagiri stupa, Orissa

Basara, AP
“There are some parts of the world that, once visited, get into your heart and won’t go. For me, India is such a place. When I first visited, I was stunned by the richness of the land, by its lush beauty and exotic architecture, by its ability to overload the senses with the pure, concentrated intensity of its colors, smells, tastes, and sounds… I had been seeing the world in black & white and, when brought face-to-face with India, experienced everything re-rendered in brilliant technicolor.” - Keith Bellows, VP – National Geographic Society
Places of worship – All roads lead to One
“India has two million gods, and worships them all. In religion all other countries are paupers; India is the only millionaire.” – Mark Twain
Dakshineswar, Kolkata
A beautiful church, Shimla

Sringeri temple, Karnataka

Goddess Kalikamba - Koppa, near Sringeri

Lord Bahubali @ Shravanabelagola

Hanuman Tok, Gangtok, Sikkim

Lord Buddha, Dharamshala, HP

Srisailam temple, AP
If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed some of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered on the greatest problems of life, and has found solutions, I should point to India. - Max Mueller
The festive spirit
Holi hai bhai!

The traditional Rangoli greeting the visitors extending a warm welcome!

He is gonna visit us soon

Ganpati Bappa Morya

Diwali Lakshmi Puja
Bathukamma Panduga – Unique festival in Telangana, A.P
The women create a form to worship using flowers and all of them assemble, arrange their creations in the centre and dance around it! Lovely to watch. This one is from the last year celebrations in the apartment where I stay!

Merry Christmas
Art n Craft – we know it all

Kullu folk dance

Shiparamam, Hyderabad

@ Shilparamam, Hyderabad

Dollu kunhitha - Popular drum dance

All set for a dance drama!
The joy of eating yummy yummy chats from the road-side wala

Mouth-watering Samosa

Drool-worthy Pav Bhaji
For all these n much more, I love my India
There is only one India: The land of dreams and romance … A wonderland of fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty, of splendor and rags. The one sole country under the sun that is endowed with an imperishable interest for alien princess and peasants, for lettered and ignorant, wise and fool, rich and poor, bond and free, the one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of all rest of the globe combined …” – Mark Twain
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO ALL OF U! [In advance]
LET’S UPHOLD THE SPIRIT OF FREEDOM IN ITS TRUE SENSE
MERA BHARAT MAHAN
Pics courtesy: My Nikon D-40,Sony DSC-H1 and Canon A-510! Thanks to the photographer Su, wherever applicable
This is to say, please don’t reproduce the images without permission
ETA: Guys, tell me that I am not dreaming
This week has been really lucky for me! Pixie has passed on two more wonderful awards to me. Having been threatened that she will call a strike and scared that she may not give me company for DANGANAKA dance any more, me nt gng to be late in putting them up here
Thanks so much dear; they mean a lot
I should be having a awards ceremony soon to pass on all these lovely awards





Naachoon oodhini aud ke aaj…..
FIRST!!!!!
Yay! Jakkan jakkan jakkan jaa
me joining u
keeping fit
koi yahan aaja nache nache
u first me first one and the same thing
balle balle
aahun aahun
LOL
we cn start one fitness pgm here na
one two cha cha cha
Hee hee welcome
second!!
*dragging Crafty into a dance!!*
Crafty – you have awards to collect! go and collect!!
ding dong ding
Come letz dance
collected pixu! muahs galore!!!
and, i concede defeat! This post is definitely longer!!
ROFL
no plans of posting something longer
amazing pics….especially Fagu, HP
Thanks T .. Fagu ws heaven!
I like how you put together such interesting quotes from ppl all over.. and you really got inspired by indy haan?
impressive length
and nice collection of pictures.
independence day wishes to you too. have a great time celebrating the day in your style
will be looking for the account and pics of that too
Thanks Tara
ROFL @ impressive length
This is a fabulous post, such multicultural & colorful is our country!! We all should be proud of it and ensure to preserve the treasure by all means
Jai Hind!!
Very true .. we hv to preserve the treasure!
Jai Hind!
Ur truly have a lot of patience…. Kudos!!
what a lovely post… London dekha, Paris dekha..is duniya mai kahi nahi hai dusra Hindustan….I love my India… I love my India…
Saare jahan se accha… hindustaa.. hamara..hamara..
happy independence day in advance!!
Thanks Sharad
absolutely fantastic post!
happy independence day….
my girls were supposed to do a dance for our indian association programme…but one of them just refuses to learn…..
its ok..i guess since they are only 3!
aww.. so cute
Oh they r so young
Some days down the lane, they wud want to be on stage all the time hai na
Thanks Shraddha
Wonderful post Swaram
the quotes are really apt and I couldnt see the pics clearly from my mob 
happy independence day to you
Thanks Kanagu
whoa! that’s a long post
and great collection of pictures, Swaram.
sikkhApaTTe patience ide ninge.. *bow to you*
i hope our country will be free of swine flu soon
Thats my wish for this Independence day.
and yeah, hope the economy improves.
thats All !
Will send across valley of flowers pictures to you (that is if and when I go there
)
Thanks Shru
Swine flu kaata thapadre saakagide nijavagalu. Ppl r warning us against travelling too
Aww … u gng there na
Me J J J
aye ashThottige ella sari hogiratte.. nee bengloorige baa aayta .. taPskobeda
he he .. nothing cn stop me from it alva
I meant abt the travel to Munnar day after
Thats one commendable effort !!! Did you take the rest of the snaps???
Thanks Vimmuuu .. yeah we did
Most of them r taken by my husband .. I ws behind the lens for just a few of them
mmm mmm mmm mm m mmmmm
ROFL
What does this mmmmmmmmmmm mean Vimmuuu? Is it an universal answer
Aey! nice collection of pics….post is a little bit early …but I know u r going away for the weekend…..have fun..
Thanks … thatz y i said wishes in advance
wow!!!!!!! that is one fun filled trip!!!! loved the photos!!!! and yes, happy independence day!!! jai hind
Thanks OG
Jai Hind!
there is so much to see…Incredible India indeed
Exactly
This is so small a collection in front of all that we have
If I wud hv uploaded more, the page wud nt have loaded itself @ all
the poem by Rabindranath Tagore is lovely isn’t it?
Everytime I read it, I am filled with an enormous sense of Pride!
Haudhu .. my fav too
Same pinch
The Pics – all of them are lovely!
My favourite would be –
View of Shimla
Flowers in Gangtok
On the way from Mysore to Balamuri
Solang Valley, HP
Mahanandi, AP
All forest and animal pics!
Wow! U took time to name ur favs too
Hw sweet
The Goddess Chamundeshwari in Chamundi Hills is also beautiful!
Haudu .. esht odadidhivi allella
Me wants to do a full post on Mysore. My travel blog hs it though
The Quotes are lovely!!
Thank u
The festivals, the celebration! Its not so anywhere else!!
The Chats – yummy!! You don’t get street food quite so delicious anywhere else!!
So true! Awesome Churmuri
The “Proud to be Indian” Pic – awesome!! It made me almost stand up and salute! but, stopped myself
in time since I’m at work now!!
Jai Hind Swaram!!
Jai Hind!!!!
That was an awesome post, swaram!
Happy Indipendence day to you too!
Thanks Sakhi
Superb post
I loved every pic you’ve uploaded. err..but now hungry for a samosa!!!
Thank u dear
Me too hungry
Beautiful post and pictures! Happy 15th August.
Not yet in Munnar?
Maja maadi.
Thanks dear
Gng there on Friday
WOWOWOWOWOWOW for the pictures!!! You’ve got an awesome collection. And you’ve travelled a lot, evidently.
Looks like the independence day is being welcomed with much pomp and splendor.
Thanks Lively
Innu eshtond idhe
Lov for travel is the one thing me n Su hv in common
Now, me too wants to eat samosa!!
but, the plus point is, I am going out for lunch with a friend!!
so, yay!
huh*Meira looks around for an excuse to eat samosas*
why looking for excuses?!
just go and eat… don’t worry, we will keep it as a secret!!
wow! wonderful Swaram!
That’s india for all of us and thats the reason we love it unconditionally..
U said it so well
Unconditional love!
I thought the post would never end !!
Wish you a happy Independence day in advance too
I love Tagore’s poem the most..Its one of my favourites.
Pics are lovely .. But how come you never post pics which have you in them ? Do post them next time .. we can comment on your different poses..
-rohitha
good lord….I can imagine the comment section then…WP will have to update their comment-memory
:P
ROFL Meira
All of u will mock @ me so much
U want me to do a post ‘I love Myself
’
I luv that poem too
Btw, I’ve decided to take a chance for a lil more time with blogspot.
I experimented with new themes etc.. I hope blogspot behaves and doesn’t force me to switch to Wp
thanks for all your tips!
Lovely Lovely post as always.
Pics are lovely.
Thanks dear
AWWW!! i’m seeing ur posts really late!! lovely collection of pics n very creative of u to have arranged them like that
Why advanced wishes for independence day?? travelling?? We are canceling our trip to mysore for this weekend. this swine flu thingy is too scary. Stay happy. stay safe!
Thanks Shruthi … yeah we r off to Munnar the day after
Lovely pics…
Congrats on your awards…. truly well deserved…
and Happy Independence Day, in advance!
Jai Hind.
Thank u so much Masood
Beautiful beautiful pics!!
(
And now i am all homesick
Thanks Disha
“LET’S UPHOLD THE SPIRIT OF FREEDOM IN ITS TRUE SENSE”-Amen,Swaram.You’ve arranged all the pictures and quotes so beautifully.
Happy Independence Day to you too!
Aww Deeps
Glad u liked them
BTW,what are you doing here..arent you supposed to be in Munnar doing all kinds of mazaa with Su??
ROFL
Posting from Munnar
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Leaving on friday re
Hi,
Nice pics. and nicer dance by all of you.
rekha
Ha ha .. comments here are more interesting than the post itself
Oh my god so many snaps u uploaded,very good.
but not fair why u shared pav bhajis and chats snaps
Shilparamam is beautiful no,i love the settings,the old village type with rangoli and designs on the walls
Waterful snaps is great
Next will be munnar tour snaps
Loved all the snaps
Shilparamam is a gr8 place na! Every time I go, I find something new
Yes .. will def. share Munnar snaps
Wat am I gng there for
Shilparamam is a wonderful place..
saritha..even i like the rangolis on the mud colored settings of villages and all..
and also we get to buy nice accessories and bags there
That rustic look – so appealing rt
Wow what a collection and what a compilation! Amazing pictures and you have presented them so beautifully. Congratulations on your awards!
Jai ho!
Thanks a lot Hypermom
awesome awesome swaram!!!!
Just like u na
such lovely snaps!!! and soooper post!!
Aww .. thanks sweety
Indy will be so so proud of you!!!!!! tee hee!!!!
*sob* *sob*
Me waiting for Indy too
Hum intezaar karenge!
u will get special hugs!!!
tee hee thanku
danganakka!!!!
took chota break to come dance!
So sweet
back to work!
Work is Warship
special (((hugs))))))for Swaram
*Crafty looks in anticipation*
oaky then for the lil kid of the blogworld too
(((((((((((hugs))))))))))
Thankie Indy
Xtra special Hugs to u too
Alle Crafty.. missed you by seconds! sigh!
*looking for ways to take crafty away from so much work*
also, Swaram – yelliruve neenu?
Ille iruve
Chaha kudidhukondu bandiruve
am here and here are the special ((hugs)) first of all
Thanks Indy
really amazing post Swaram:) lovely pics:)
Glad u liked them
why did I wait so long even after opening the page you ask?
was waiting for the pics to open
Ha ha .. I thot ppl may hv problems .. u know, with gr8 difficulty I stopped myself @ these
so many of them!
and all of them really nice:)
even more impressed I am by the fact that so many have been clicked by you:)
All of them except the last one abt I-day hv been taken by us
Happy 15th August:)
MAy our country go from strength to strength
Amen!
your header is nice too:)
Thanks
Wah,Swaram!!What a collection of pictures!!Fabulous India!! And Su’s photography skills rock!!Your choice of pics and quotes are just amazing!!Great one there…
And I am worried if this comment will be lost in the heap:D
Welcome here Savitha .. ur comment is rt here
Thank u so much
i’m overwhelmed… what a wonderful post!!!
simply loved it!!
India is soooooooooooooo bootiful
wish more ppl wud recognise it…
and in fact whatever u’ve covered in pics is not even 1/10th of the real thing!!
i feel like singing that corny song from Pardes…
from the core of my heart
yeh mera India, I love my India… cliched, but true
Thanks
1/10th
not even 1/10000000000th too
I had much more in my own hard disk n to top it all the places I hv nt visited !!!!!!!!!!!! When can I do it
Thatz a beautiful song
Got the title from there itself
Hi Swaram, nice post as always and good pics. Wish you, your family and all readers a Happy Independence Day in advance.
Thanks Anup
Hw hv u been doing?
Hi Swaram, I’m doing fine, thanks. on my way back to Singapore tomorrow. Maybe back in MYS again late next month. Father is stable at the moment, not much more can be done. Thanks.
Hmm .. all we can pray for is that he feels comfortable enuf! God bless! Looking fwd to the pics
Nice pix!
And the title reminded me of the movie “Pardes”….the song in it…remember? “Yeh mera India, I love my India”
I am not Indian yet i love each bit of India….
Thanks dear
That song gave me the title
Hi Swaram,
You have been awarded:
http://kanaguonline.wordpress.com/2009/08/13/blog-anniversary/
Please accept it
Thank u so much Kanagu .. lovely post
Hey !! Happy Independence Day to you !!!
Thanks Ums
Amazing India, Am indeed proud to be an Indian.
Yay!
Such variety in culture, languages, customs, landscape – u name it, we have it – yet, we are united as Indians. I just love this spirit.
Gr8 indeed!
Super pics – love them all. And those poems and quotes abt India – very true and touching indeed.
Thanks dear
Every time, I see our flag being hoisted and sing the national anthem, one or two tears escape out of my eyes. Its truly an emotional moment.
Aww .. such a patriotic feeling
Wow..this is the best IDay post i have seen so far..great work
Thank u so much .. ur comment made my day
horatya Munnar ge?
Nalhe belhagge flight
Post baritidini
innu post maadilwa?!!
*Pixie is waiting by impatiently*
Done
Lovely collection of pictures. Guess this post is the longest one so far alva ? Definitely worth it. Wish you too a happy independence day and have a great trip too. Enjoy to the fullest!
Have Fun
Akshatha
Thanks dear
Ha ha .. i wil try to write short posts inmele
Jana odi hodare kashta amele
Wish u a gr8 weekend too
ayyo….yakri….i love reading long posts from my dear blogger friends, esp you!!!
oh thank u so much .. innu udha barithini hagadre
Ri enakke Akshtha
Yaake andhre aythu
hehe that was a superb post
….in between today u r gonna fly to munnar right
Thanks Anish
N u remember that! So nice of u
We r gonna fly 2mrw mrng
have a great trip
….i’m sure u r gonna enjoy it(don’t miss rajamalai national park …..get some cool snaps also)…….
I just cant wait for 2mrw mrng
hehe
Very nice collection of indian ecstasy.. this is 2nd “Discovery of India”
Really enjoyed it.
Awww …. I am honoured kano Shekra
Nimmannu illi nodi bahalha santosha vayithu namage
Wow! Swaram! Wow!
Loved the pics! I was going to ask you if they are all taken from your collection when I saw your copyright request
Wow! You guys have traveled! One thing I always feel bad is that I have hardly traveled across India like this. I have lived in several places but have never taken time off and seen places like this!
Never mind .. once we both meet @ Blr, we wil make up for all of it
Okie
The Gangtok pics are esp beautiful! My parents went there in 2005 and I so wished I could have gone too
I was here sadly:(
Oh is it?Awesome place …. awesome ppl!
The pics so beautifully convey the breadth and the beauty of India! Such a lovely lovely post and so perfect for the Week leading up to the Independence day
{{{{{{{{{{{{Hugs}}}}}}}
Glad u liked it Smithu
Happy Independence day to you – in advance
Luv u Smithu
Muahs! Me so happy that u take time to read n leave such sweet comments when u say u hv a real big back-log
Swaram, beautiful patriotism on display here. The photos are awesome and show India at her diverse best! The poem and the quotes added to the whole effect. Wishing you and all fellow Indians a very Happy Independance Day. Wishing peace, health and propersity for the people of India!
That poem by Tagore is one of my favorites. Just absolutely love it!
Gorgeous pictures! And what a beautiful collection!!
A very Happy Independence Day to you!
Thanks IHM
Beautiful pics! and nice blog
Thanks Neha
I went to this post again and felt so good at the diversity of our country…
Though i have already said this earlier will repeat myself… Awesome post, swaram
Oh hw sweet of u
Thank u thank u so much
// by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of all rest of the globe combined//
MArk Twain has actually explored its length and breadth!
So true
)
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I have always loved this poem by Tagore! What a lovely, lovely thought!
I loved going through all the pictures. Simply AMAZING!
Nilu
Thanks Nilu … glad u liked them
Welcome to this space
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Nice post, a good collection of pictures too… I guess every place has its own charm and India is not behind… I can just stay in India till I die for one reason – Fabulous Food (I am a vegetarian!!)
. I will vote for this post….
Destination Infinity
Thanks a lot DI .. me a veggie too
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Hey Swar….congrats for winning the Avant Garde Awards for this beautiful post. The photos are fantastic just like the chirpy author
Thanks a lot Saksh
Hw hv u been? Congrats to u too
This is really e-traveling from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Nice post
Madhav
http://www.iharshad.wordpress.com
Thanks Madhav