Looking at ourselves

The 29th convocation just took place here at NID yesterday, and there are many interesting displays on in the campus. The one I like the best is a display of the old convocation photographs of previous years, right from 1978. These are black and white images, and show the students and faculty all looking happy in a serious kind of way, all resplendent in their crisp saris and kurtas. Almost everyone stopped to look closely at this display, and was fasinated by it. What is it about looking at old photographs that so fasinates us? Maybe we see ourselves in them, in those smiling and serious faces, full of hope, looking at the future. It’s almost as if they are looking at us, giving some unseen message. These pictures should be kept somewhere as a permanent display. There’s something inspiring about seeing previous generations at the institute, a legacy of sorts.

Old photos of India

Here are some old photos of India, sent to me by a friend. Quite amazing to see how our country has changed, its unrecognisable.