Teizeen:
Throughout India's ancient and more recent history around the time of independence, this large and diverse sub-continent has had a difficult time finding a unifying national identity. The quest for independence was a unifying force, though even that led to certain divisions between Indians who spoke different languages, and those who followed different religions (e.g. Islam or Hinduism).
For the last 1.5 months, however, there has been a single and unifying force that has gripped the whole country's attention: the World Cup for cricket. Cricket in India is the only major sport in India, and the World Cup happens only once every four years. India last won the World Cup in 1983......and they won it again just 4 days ago on April 2nd 2011.
Cricket is not just a sport or a game in India. It is an obsession that permeates across language, religion, and geographic lines. During the World Cup games, small and large shops would always have their TV's inside tuned to the cricket channel - and crowds of people would gather outside the shop windows peering in to follow the game. People on the streets had their mobile phones tuned to some cricket radio station that was updating them. Security guards were listening to cricket on ther cell phones to entertain their evening hours. Almost anyone you asked knew the current score for the game - even the small bhel puri (an Indian snack) beach vendor on Chowpatty Beach (in Mumbai).
On the day of the final match, agaist Sri Lanka, the malls had giant screens showing the game and live drummers drumming after every good move made by the Indian team. Cars on the streets were trailing large Indian flags out their windows, and people were getting their faces painted with the Indian flag. Many shops closed once the game started. And everyone had their fireworks ready in anticipation for the big win.
In a country of over 1 billion people, most of whom seem to follow cricket, I felt like India deserved the World Cup simply because they all wanted it so bad, and there were so many people who wanted India to win it. I just wanted to watch the whole country celebrate something they cared so much about - and they did.
Ryan and I watched the last portions of the game from our hotel - and when India won, the hotel staff who were watching with us just couldn't wipe the smile of their faces. There was genuine and intense satisfaction and happiness. And within minutes, we heard fireworks outside on the streets coming from every direction. And even though it has been four days now, the TV and newspapers simply cannot stop talking about it. It has saturated the news completely. And as the cricket captain said - this cup was won for the people of India.
Throughout India's ancient and more recent history around the time of independence, this large and diverse sub-continent has had a difficult time finding a unifying national identity. The quest for independence was a unifying force, though even that led to certain divisions between Indians who spoke different languages, and those who followed different religions (e.g. Islam or Hinduism).
For the last 1.5 months, however, there has been a single and unifying force that has gripped the whole country's attention: the World Cup for cricket. Cricket in India is the only major sport in India, and the World Cup happens only once every four years. India last won the World Cup in 1983......and they won it again just 4 days ago on April 2nd 2011.
Cricket is not just a sport or a game in India. It is an obsession that permeates across language, religion, and geographic lines. During the World Cup games, small and large shops would always have their TV's inside tuned to the cricket channel - and crowds of people would gather outside the shop windows peering in to follow the game. People on the streets had their mobile phones tuned to some cricket radio station that was updating them. Security guards were listening to cricket on ther cell phones to entertain their evening hours. Almost anyone you asked knew the current score for the game - even the small bhel puri (an Indian snack) beach vendor on Chowpatty Beach (in Mumbai).
On the day of the final match, agaist Sri Lanka, the malls had giant screens showing the game and live drummers drumming after every good move made by the Indian team. Cars on the streets were trailing large Indian flags out their windows, and people were getting their faces painted with the Indian flag. Many shops closed once the game started. And everyone had their fireworks ready in anticipation for the big win.
In a country of over 1 billion people, most of whom seem to follow cricket, I felt like India deserved the World Cup simply because they all wanted it so bad, and there were so many people who wanted India to win it. I just wanted to watch the whole country celebrate something they cared so much about - and they did.
Ryan and I watched the last portions of the game from our hotel - and when India won, the hotel staff who were watching with us just couldn't wipe the smile of their faces. There was genuine and intense satisfaction and happiness. And within minutes, we heard fireworks outside on the streets coming from every direction. And even though it has been four days now, the TV and newspapers simply cannot stop talking about it. It has saturated the news completely. And as the cricket captain said - this cup was won for the people of India.
Wow ... your photos of the trek are amazing. Can't imagine how much more amazing it must have been in real life!
ReplyDelete