Yesterday my friend Jenny Matingu revealed to me a little known fact about India. Jenny is a Canadian of African origin, who went to India on an exchange program in 2011. And she fell in love with the country, and is planning to go back and work there. I was intrigued by her revelation and decided to Google for more information. ‘African by origin, Indian by nationality and Gujarati by speech’ read out a headline of a news story in The Hindu BusinessLine. The headline refers to the the Siddi tribe living in Jambur village in the heart of Gujarat. BBC News calls them ‘the lost Africans of India’. This came as a complete surprise to me.
Today, I met a Bhakti Yoga practitioner who delivered a talk on the Indian classical epic – Mahabharata and its connection to the holy book Bhagvad Gita at YorkU. Her white skin colour and her American accent seemed to contrast her sari-clad body and tikka bearing forehead. Seeking to know her background, I enquired how she got involved in the Hare Krishna movement. She narrated her story, dating back to the 1970s, when as a self-confessed Hippie, she became disillusioned with the American dream. Soon, she realized that intoxication did not lead her anywhere closer to her purpose in life. Her first encounter with the Hare Krishna movement happened in Brooklyn, New York City and since then, there has been no looking back. Although raised as a Catholic, today, she and her family – consisting of her husband, children and grand-children, are all followers of Lord Krishna. I was quite impressed with her talk on the science of the soul.
Sometimes, I feel that it is a beautifully connected world. I am miles away from India. And yet, here I meet wonderful people who are inspired by Indian culture, religion and philosophy. And they tell me so much more about my country!
Simplifly 