Toastmasters International -

Akshita A. Salecha

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India • Republic of Toastmasters

Being an Indian means cultural diversity. It comes naturally to us, and we at Republic of Toastmasters never miss out on an opportunity to celebrate and transfer this diversity to everyone who visits. It comes to light during festivals as we all come together to celebrate with the same energy and enthusiasm. Be it dressing up and distributing sweets for Diwali or decorating the tree during Christmas. This is what keeps us rooted together, thus we call ourselves a diverse Indian family!

Aditya Saxena, DTM

Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India • Kolhapur Toastmasters Club

I attended a wedding ceremony for my cousin in my native home of New Delhi, India, and took some photos of this beautiful milestone. This photo depicts the “Varmala,” a ceremony wherein the bride and the groom exchange garlands made of pious and fresh flowers. It symbolizes the acceptance of each other for the life ahead.

Sukanya Suresh

Palakkad, Kerala, India • Capgemini Toastmasters Club

India is a land of vibrant colors, breathtaking landscapes, amazing architectural styles, amalgamation of spirituality, beautiful languages, and ethnic dress. Each state in India has its own culture and traditions. Indian mountains speak a lot of its culture. Folk dance and folk songs still exist. Yoga gives us peace of mind and Ayurveda [an alternative medicine system] for well-being. The remarkable country offers a wide range of feasts, and our cultural diversity makes India unique.

Sachin Thakar, DTM

Al Azaiba, Oman • Excel Oman Toastmasters

I am Indian-born and was brought up in Maharashtra. I’m natively called “Marathi,” but am a die-hard Hindi language lover. I’ve traveled for work and social networking across the Indian states from north to south of length and breadth of India. In the photo I am holding a typical Maharashtrian (Indian) snack prepared by Marathi people. This is made with beaten rice as the main ingredient, mixed with peanuts, chopped onion, garlic pieces, pickle, oil, a pinch of salt, and garnished with coriander leaves. The Indian name is “Poha” or “Kaccha Poha” (raw one).

Show us your culture! Tell a short story and include a photo to help others get to know your country and its cultural diversity. Email magazine@toastmasters.org for an opportunity to be featured in the Toastmaster magazine.