Today began like many other days, with a heavy Indian breakfast. While the first couple of days, we clamored to try new foods, I think that the group is becoming homesick, gaining a newfound appreciation for chocolate chip pancakes and bacon. Those are safe; so is bacon.

 

Today could not remain ordinary, though, for we are in India and today is India's independence day. We started with a three hour drive to Kanyakumari, the most southern tip of India. The road there was highway 47, better known to us as the snaking, pothole-ridden trail with two lanes, one in each direction. It made all of us appreciate the engineering and investment that made our own highway system possible. Towards the end of the route, we must have merged onto a different highway, as it was smoothly paved with two lanes in each direction separated by a median. In Kerala, the amount of potential that could be unlocked through improved infrastructure is incredible, so I am looking forward to seeing the country transform with the expansion of more developed roads.

 

At Kanyakumari, we saw the Rock Memorial temple complex, the southernmost point in India. Here, the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, and Bay of Bengal converge, making the site especially holy in the Hindu religion. The Rock Memorial temple marks the place where social reformer Swami Vivekananda meditated. The sea is also the final resting place for Mahatma Gandhi's ashes. On the shore is a memorial to him, a building blending Hindu, Christian, and Islamic design elements in recognition of his willingness to transcend religious divides. As we celebrate the independence of a nation, it is important that we remember the values underlying its independence and continued growth.

 

Happy India Independence Day,

 

Qi