India won its independence from Britain on August 15th, 1947, after about 200 years of British rule. This year is India's 69th year of independence! In honor of this, I would like to show you how India has changed since 1947!

**Disclaimer: These pictures are only from South India, where I am from. Specifically Chennai (the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu.) and Madurai (a small city in Tamil Nadu).

1.) Let's start with where Chennai got its origin: Besant Nagar.

This is a huge landmark located on Elliot's Beach in the city of Besant Nagar, which was named after Dr. Annie Besant, a well-known British scholar and women's rights activist. In 1907, Dr. Besant became the president of the Theosophical Society of India. This city used to be purely for residential purposes, but because of the amount of tourists, it has become the perfect destination vacation with resorts and lots of restaurants along the streets!

2.) 80% of the Indian population is part of the Hindu religion, therefore there are a lot of temples everywhere you go in India, but South India is where some of the oldest temples are located!

This is one of the many interior halls of Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai. This temple is one of the oldest Hindu temples in the world. It was originally build in around the 6th century, but was destroyed during the war between Hindus and Muslims. The structure that exists today was built in the mid-16th CE. The current temple has about 15 gateway towers, each almost 50 meters high! The tallest tower is the Southernmost tower, at 51 meters. This temple was also a top 30 nominee for the "Seven New Wonders of the World".

Since the picture I took was inside the temple, here is an aerial view of the whole temple.

3.) There are different kinds of resorts throughout the world. My favorite resort is located near Chennai, in a city called Mahaballipuram. It is the most peaceful place I have ever been to in my entire life. For at least one week, my family and I stayed at this gorgeous resort surrounded by nature. Mahaballipuram is located in a bigger county called Kancheepuram. Kancheepuram is known best for its pure silk sarees. (A saree is a traditional dress that is worn by Indian women.)

4.) Last but not least: Nature. Since I have lived in the US most of my life, I am constantly surrounded by the bustle of the city and the busy city life. I never stopped to think about how beautiful the world was around us until I went to India.

This view is breathtaking. I took this photo, but I chose this for two main reasons. First, it is just too good to keep it solely in my photo album! I wanted to share this moment with everyone! Second, this photo is kind of ironic. As you probably know, India has the third largest population in the world. Everyone needs water. But, water is scarce in India and that is definitely a problem with a population that big. There is so much water here at the beach but most people do not have the proper equipment or technology to purify all this water. I really hope this changes one day.

Stay tuned for a part two in my India Visit Diary!