India, where women power has ever been worshipped ! Gopal Sinha

I was born in a country, India, we call her Bharat Mata or Mother India, where Shakti or women power is well-acknowledged, worshipped and respected. Our national song is Vande Mataram, I bow to thee, my mother (India)! We love and respect our mother, motherland, mother tongue, Mother Earth, Mother Nature, mother river Ganga, mother cow and Aadya Shakti, as the mother of all gods, who manifests herself in different forms.

I bow to all the women of the world, and, as has been taught to me, since my childhood, by my parents, teachers and elders, they are like my mother, sister or even daughter.

In one of our holy books in Sanskrit, called the Manusmriti, it has been mentioned that where women are not greatly respected, the gods and deities don't like to visit and stay there. Women, in our society, were held in reverence and were accorded first place and preference, in all respects.

We address our gods and goddesses as SitaRam, Radhe-Shyam, Gauri-Shankar, Anjani-putra Hanuman, where Sita is the revered wife of Ram, whose name comes first, then of Ram. Similarly Radha is the revered consort of Krishna, also called Shyam, Gauri is the revered wife of Shiva, also called Shankar and Anjani is the mother of Lord Hanuman.

We know about Gargi and Maitrey, for their spiritual curiosity, and knowledge, who participated in debate and discussions, held at the royal court of king Janak of Mithila. Many of the richas or verses of Rig Veda were composed by women of the time We know about Lilavati, daughter of the great mathematician Bhaskaracharya, Meerabai, the famous poetess and a Krishnadevotee, besides Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi The world knows about Indira Gandhi, the late Prime Minister of India and Draupadi Murmu, a tribal woman, now the President of the world's largest republic, India

Being a woman in India is like being a beloved daughter, sister, wife and mother. A girl child born or a daughter-in-law is equated to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity.

Daughters are being treated at par with sons in all respects and they are excelling in almost every sphere

Single or married, working or a housewife, they all would proudly proclaim themselves as proud Indian women, on a path of self-dependence to do selfless services to their nation.