Like many countries around the world, India was a colony of the British Empire and only achieved its Independence on the relatively recent date of August 15, 1947.

Picture Source: http://www.udaipurthoughts.com/2011/08/story-incredible-india/

My grandparents have vivid  memories of the day, especially my grandmother who fondly recalls the day as one of joyous celebration and patriotic pride.

Photo Source: http://www.shreedarshan.com/independence-day-india.htm

     She only wishes that she had realized the true significance of the day at that time but as a young girl, only 8-9 years old, she did not understand the full meaning of words such as “independence” and “colony.”

Whenever she talks about her experiences on that day, she tells us how incredibly lucky she feels to have been alive during that momentous day in her country’s history.