In the history of mankind, there are but a few civilizations that have survived the test of time and continue to exit today as they did when they were first born. Among them, India stands out a survivor who has shown the world what a country can achieve with determination, hard work, intelligence, and strong cultural beliefs. India is at a juncture in its history where 10,000-year-old traditions are commingling with the power of modern technological advances to pave a path for better, stronger, and brighter future. As the sovereign nation approaches its 60th anniversary, it is time for all to reflect upon what India and Indians have achieved over the glorious years, not only in India, but all over the world!

Regardless of whether we were born in India or in a foreign country, there is a love for India that flows through our veins. Regardless of where we live, what we do, or what our goals in life are, our identity is common. We are all proud children of the world’s largest democracy with a strong bond of culture, lifestyle, and ideals that is Indian. We share the history and it is now time to rejoice in it and look to the future with a common vision to become a world leader.

The desire to be free lives within all of us. Many wars have been fought around the world to realize that desire. Just as in the United States, India rose up against the oppression of the British Monarchy to gain independence and emerge as an autonomous state. The current generation of Indians has reaped the benefit of independent India without part-taking in the freedom struggle. The second generation of Indians born in the United States is one step further removed from India’s struggle and knows India only as a place to go on vacations or to visit family. Many others associate India as a struggling third world economy whose exotic food and textiles are appreciated by the western world. As India turns 60 in 2007, we have captured some of these sentiments of the first and second generation Indian Americans to create a collage of India as seen through the eyes of a person residing in this country.

PATH: Journey of India in a collage format, captures moments of Indian history that shaped the country and its citizens. It is a multimedia experience that looks into the distant past to reflect on what India once was, it presents the events of the recent past to demonstrate what India has achieved, and looks to the future to recognize the potential for growth and advancement.