Image by Murthy SN from Pixabay 

Every nation is amazing to its people. Naturally, to me, my motherland, India, is the most amazing country in the world. There are certain qualities about India that make her truly a unique and amazing country. Let me try to analyze a few of these qualities for you.

To start with, India is a deeply Religious and Spiritual country. No other country in the world can boast of a myriad of such gods and goddesses. Let me just mention a few of them here. Any discussions on the gods must begin with The Trinity, that is, Brahma, the Creator; Vishnu, the Preserver, and Maheshwar, the Destroyer.

Lord Vishnu was reincarnated in different forms down the ages like that of Lord Krishna, Lord Rama, Lord Parshuram, and so on. He was reincarnated throughout the Ages to save mankind from adharma, irreligiosity, and oblivion. Lord Vishnu, so it is said in the shastras, is supposed to appear again in the world in the Kali Yuga, the worst period of all Ages, to show his mercy and benevolence to mankind.

Other than The Trinity, we have Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed Hindu God, who is widely worshipped across the length and breadth of India; Goddess Durga, who rid the world of the utter destruction and damage caused by Mahisasura, the Demon King.

Then there are the different forms of the goddess like Goddess Kali, Goddess Jagaddhyatri, and so on. Besides, there are other goddesses like Goddess Laxmi, the goddess of Wealth and Material prosperity; Goddess Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning and Knowledge etc. Though the list is endless, all these gods and goddesses are worshipped in different parts of India with great devotion and rejoicing.

So far as Spirituality is concerned, India has been home to great spiritual leaders, known all over the world for their sagacious teachings and preachings. Starting with the Buddha, the founder of Buddhism; to Mahabir Jain, the founder of Jainism, to Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism to Shree Arabinda - there has been no dearth of spiritual leaders in India.

India, let me tell you, in this connection, has not only given scores of Spiritual Leaders to the world but she has also been the birthplace of great world leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Pt. Nehru, Subhash Bose, Rashbehari Bose, Deshbandhu Chittaranjan, Dr. Ambedkar, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Gopal Krishna Gokhle, just to name a few. These leaders, with their patriotism, farsighted wisdom, political acumen, and understanding of international relations, have inspired millions of people not only in India but across the globe as well.

The third quality, Secularism has been ensured with her written Constitution. No other country in the world practices and propagates so many religions. It will not be an overstatement to say that almost all the leading religions of the world - be it Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, and so on- have their followers in India.

So much has already been written about India's Unity and Diversity. If I may add a personal note here - I had the good fortune of spending the best part of my life in the Himalayan country of Bhutan. I was amazed to find out that, despite her small size, the Bhutanese people know it well to leave all their differences behind in times of crisis. No wonder, Bhutan always remained an independent, sovereign country and could never be captured by any foreign country. The British tried to capture Bhutan without success. I would like to believe that we, Indians are equally protective and patriotic to save our country from any foreign aggression or invasions, regardless of our religious, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic differences.

Another quality that sets India apart from other countries is her breath-taking Beauty. From Kasmir (The Switzerland of India) in the North to Kanyakumari in the South, from Shillong, Sikkim, Darjeeling in the east to Jaipur (The Pink City), Goa or Ajanta Ellora Caves in the West, India is an eyeful to the tourists and visitors.

The poet D. L. Roy has beautifully summed up her beauty in the poem entitled "Sakal Desher Sera" ( The Queen of All Countries). Let me reproduce the first stanza in Bengali first along with the transliteration next for non-Bengali readers.

ধনধান্য পুষ্প ভরা আমাদের এই বসুন্ধরা

তাহার মাঝে আছে দেশ এক সকল দেশের সেরা

ও সে স্বপ্ন দিয়ে তৈরি সে দেশ স্মৃতি দিয়ে ঘেরা

এমন দেশটি কোথাও খুঁজে পাবে নাকো তুমি

ও সে সকল দেশের রাণী সে যে আমার জন্মভূমি

সে যে আমার জন্মভূমি, সে যে আমার জন্মভূমি।

(Dhono dhanno pushpe bhora amader ei boshundhora

Tahar majhe achhe desh ek shokol desher shera

O sey shopno diye toiri se desh smriti diye ghera

Emon deshti kothao khuje pabe nako tumi,

Sokol desher rani shey je, amar jonmobhumi

Se je aamar janmabhumi

Let me try to translate it in English.

Full of riches, yields, and flowers is our universe.

A country, the best of all countries, lies amidst.

Made up of dreams, of Memories, is she?

A country like her isn't to be found anywhere.

Queen of all Countries, my motherland is she.

What really makes India, a stand-out country in the world is The Policy of Non-Violence, Harmonious Co-existence, and Peace that India has been promoting throughout the ages. I heard it from my late sister, Mrs. Arati Guha, a lecturer at some prominent government colleges in Kolkata, and let me try to quote her exact words here :

"In her entire recorded history, India has neither set her eyes on any neighboring or other countries nor invaded any other country for conquest."

This, in my humble opinion, is what makes India an Amazing Country. Had the powerful nations of the world trusted and pursued such a policy, our world would have been the paradise it was meant to be in God's universe. 

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Source: https://www.gdn8.com

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