Happy Independence Day! – Celebrating Existence

A celebration of heritage, gratitude and blessings

Today, as India celebrates another Independence Day, I find myself reflecting on something that goes far beyond history and a date on a calendar.

For me, India is ancestry. It is heritage. It is a part of the story of who I am.

I think of the generations who came before me—the people whose lives, choices, struggles and sacrifices eventually became part of my own story. I may have been born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, but there is something incredibly special about knowing that my roots stretch back to India.

There is gratitude in that knowledge.

Gratitude for the traditions that travelled across oceans.
For the values passed down through generations.
For the spirituality, music, language, stories and culture that somehow found their way into the lives of those who came before me—and eventually into mine.

And then there is another part of this journey for which I am deeply grateful.

Pujya Dattaji. 🙏🏽

I am grateful for His divine grace and for the many blessings that have allowed my connection with India to become something so much deeper than simply knowing where my ancestors came from.

Through His blessings, India has become a place I have experienced, explored, learned from and connected with in ways I could never have imagined.

Sometimes I wonder how much of our journey is inherited and how much is divinely guided.

To us it is both.

Today, I celebrate India with a heart full of gratitude.

Grateful for the land of my ancestors.
Grateful for those whose lives made mine possible.
Grateful for the heritage that continues to live within me.
And eternally grateful to Pujya Dattaji for His grace, guidance and countless blessings. 🙏🏽

May I always honour where I come from while continuing to make my own contribution to the story of where I am going.

Happy Independence Day, India.

May Bharat Desh continue to shine, grow and inspire generations to come.

Vande Mataram, Jai Hind. 🙏🏽

Hey everyone! Yes, it’s Independence Day here and I am wishing all Trinidadians and Tobagonians the world over, a very Happy Independence Day!

This year Independence Day is a bit different but all in all a blessed occasion! In this past year especially, I have been able to find out so much more about our twin-island republic and yes, I wear many hats, but collectively, these ‘hats’ have helped me meet some wonderful people in both Trinidad and Tobago.

Today, I celebrate all of them and their respective journeys, their individual pursuits, their successes and their stories. Undoubtedly, they tell the story of our people- determined, patriotic, resilient and committed. They stand in the face of adversity and though at times may not be united, stand together if they really choose to. Over the years we have faced some extremely challenging moments that have shaken us in more ways than one, and yes, we still continue to persevere, but the fact that we choose not to give up is a testimony of its own.

This past year has seen the completion of Time to Travel to Trinidad and Tobago, and I will forever be grateful that I was inspired to use these words by the late Michael Anthony, a renowned Trinidadian author and historian who was born in Mayaro as they perfectly captured my thoughts and ideas in putting together this book.