As India Builds (Part 4)

Thursday, May 3, 2007 | 2 comments

Such is the destiny of developing nations. The same routine runs from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. It runs in Mexico, in China. It runs in Brazil, and in Romania.

Darjeeling, the erstwhile Queen of the Himalayas, once enchanted with pine-lined walks strung from house to house. Today, it flashes neon signs to welcome tourists.

In the heart of the Himalayas, the picturesque villages are upgraded from utmost poverty and poetry, to mediocrity. Their sun-bleached Buddhist prayer flags that flapped in the mountain wind no longer whisper their blessings. It is the era of cement, development widely believed to be a wonderful thing.

But what of beauty? Of preservation? Paris preserved. Kyoto. San Francisco. Will India fail to preserve?

Old Darjeeling, In the 50’s

This segment is part 4 in a 8 part series Segment 5 →
Jump to part: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

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