Happy Diwali!

The Diwali season this year has got to be special. In fact, a more special one to all the country men; for, we had more to cheer about and celebrate than just the festivities, colors and the brilliant display of rockets that illuminate the night skies – a much more sophisticated, technologically advanced rocket that carried a billion hopes to the moon. Yes, am talking about the Chandrayaan-I mission.

May be, it is not unprecedented endeavor, and some have done it already. Nevertheless, it provides a launch-pad that would propel India onto the frontlines of space exploration. It is just a piece in the jigsaw puzzle. With the recently commissioned Deep Space Network, follow-up missions like Chandrayaan-II and plans to put man in space by 2015, it would be more than a journey. And, it is your prerogative to be proud.

But then, isn’t India more about exploring the Inner Space? The rich and diverse spiritual heritage that has passed on from generations has been the guiding light to the rest of the world. A spiritual superpower status that it commanded, it was (and still is) the torch-bearer to a serious seeker. The magnetic spell still remains, as even today seekers from the west are drawn to the shores of this country to acquire the wisdom and experience the healing touch that it has to offer.

Amidst the clamor of modernization, we are probably sidelining this gift that has been conferred upon us. May be, it is time to recognize that we should not overlook our strengths in order to acquire newer capabilities. With an unusual surge of optimism, I would say, we can do better in both these worlds. I hope I would live long enough to see that day!