"India" [doha sequence]

India is not solely
pinioned within the present
India is the holy
place of an ancient remnant

Earth that has felt the impress
of Ramachandra's walking
air that has known the silence
and the Lord Buddha's talking

Slow is the play of Maya
swift are the lives of humans
what occurred at Bodhgaya?
where is the light that illumines?

Politics and commotion
industry's irrigation
melding of modern notions
ventilates Bharat's nation

Gandhiji seems a memory?
Nehru a tale forgotten?
listen to Lata's melody
Tansen the raag's begotten



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written responsive to a Caferati exercise. August 15 commemorates the independence of the Republic of India (1947; -- hence the annual writing exercise).

about Bodhgaya (Wikipedia)

Lata Mangeshkar (Marathi/Hindi:लता मंगेशकर) (born September 28, 1929) is a singer from India with a career that has spanned more than six decades. She is one of the only two singers (and the only playback singer) to have been awarded the Bharat Ratna, the nation's highest civilian honour (the other being legendary classical vocalist M.S. Subbulakshmi). Although she sang mainly for Hindi and Marathi films, Lata Mangeshkar's popularity and influence transcends barriers of region and language. She has sung 35 major Indian languages. Lata is also popularly referred to as the 'Nightingale of India' and continues to sing to date in Indian cinema.

(Wikipedia)