Jai Hind

“Jai Hind!” Since being employed in endless political rallies and national campaigns, these two words have become the unofficial catchphrase for Indian Independence. Yesterday, India celebrated its 63rd year as an independent nation. With all the various upheavals the world has seen since 1947, this seems quite a feat. After attending a ceremony honoring both Indian and Korean Independence Day at school, I decided to head out into the Kodai community to see how the locals celebrate such a tremendous occasion.

Tamil music still blaring through the town from last night, I decided to follow the crowds. During the weekends, Indian tourists typically come to Kodai to go boating on the lake. Today however, hundreds of people seemed to be making a pilgrimage in the opposite direction, towards the Saleth Shrine. Lining the twenty-five minute walk uphill towards the church, families with children stopped along the way for balloon animals, ice cream cones, numerous other types of kitschy paraphernalia, and to here and there drop a few paisa in front of the poor. I started to wonder what kind of magical experience awaited me at the top of the hill. When I finally reached the top, I suddenly found myself waiting in an extremely long line. Feeling impatient, I maneuvered my way out of the standstill and walked around to see what all the commotion was about. Almost immediately, I saw what the crowds had come all this way for on Independence Day: church. Suddenly, I remembered. In all my anticipation for Independence Day, I had almost completely forgotten about St. Mary’s holiday. The crowds of people waiting in line had come all this way to see a shrine erected in her honor.

After they paid their respects to St. Mary in this uniquely Indian church, awaiting the churchgoers was a large fair complete with rides, snacks, and more people happy they made the effort to come up here on this special day. After touring the venue and drinking a quick chai, I headed back down the path just in time to see a colorful procession of St. Mary vignettes make its way up the hill. I now know, and will never forget, that up here on top of the mountains in South India, August 15^th is a day for St. Mary and also that up here, nestled deep in the protection of the mountains, Indian Independence feels exactly sixty-three years away. Jai Hind!