Uttar Pradeshi thali, a Northern Indian cuisine. Thali is the Indian name for a round platter used to serve food. *Photo from Wikipedia
August 15 is Independence Day, celebrates the independence of India from the United Kingdom in 1947.
The Indian subcontinent was home to the urban Indus Valley Civilisation of the 3rd millennium BCE. In the following millennium, the oldest scriptures associated with Hinduism began to be composed. Social stratification, based on caste, emerged in the first millennium BCE, and Buddhism and Jainism arose. Early political consolidations took place under the Maurya and Gupta empires; the later peninsular Middle Kingdoms influenced cultures as far as southeast Asia.
In the medieval era, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived, and Sikhism emerged, all adding to the region’s diverse culture. Much of the north fell to the Delhi sultanate; the south was united under the Vijayanagara Empire. The economy expanded in the 17th century in the Mughal Empire.
In the mid-18th century, the subcontinent came under British East India Company rule, and in the mid-19th under British crown rule. A nationalist movement emerged in the late 19th century, which later, under Mahatma Gandhi, was noted for nonviolent resistance and led to India’s independence in 1947.
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country (with over 1.2 billion people), and the most populous democracy in the world. It shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast; and Myanmar and Bangladesh to the east.
In commemoration of the day, we introduce you to three great indians in Tokyo, such as a cooking instructor, a chef/restaurant chain manager and a leader of the Indian community.
*Click a photo below to see their stories!
“There are a number of differences between India and Japan. But at the same time, we find similar points. Counting differences doesn’t help you. Only finding similarities makes you comfortable.” – Jagmohan Chandrani, President of a trading company
*Reference: Wikipedia
