Jiya wasn't your typical patriot. As a 26-year-old graphic designer working for a marketing agency, her world was all sleek lines and modern aesthetics. Her rented apartment in Mumbai was a testament to the design of today – minimalist furniture, abstract art, and carefully curated nooks. But something was missing, and she felt it every time she was on video call with her parents who were back home in a small-town.
"Beta, you've forgotten your roots," her mother would often say, glancing at the stark walls behind her. Jiya would simply roll her eyes, but deep down, those words echoed in the emptiness of her perfectly styled apartment.
Then came that one project at work – designing a campaign for a new brand that celebrated Indian identity. As Jiya dug through old family photographs for inspiration, she found one that stopped her in her tracks. It was her grandmother, standing proudly next to a tiranga in their home's mandir, her face glowing with a joy Jiya hadn't seen in any of her contemporaries.
That photo unlocked something deep within her. Memories of childhood mornings flooded back – joining her beloved Dadi for the daily aarti, the smell of incense mixed with the crisp morning air, and that small tiranga standing witness to countless prayers and dreams. The flag right there wasn't just a national symbol; it was part of her family's story.
The next day, Jiya found herself on the Luv My India website, looking at the collection of mandir flags. "This is ridiculous," she thought. "What will my friends say?" But something felt kind of right about it. She chose one – a little single stand tiranga, just perfect for the small mandir she'd been meaning to set up for a long time.
After it arrived, Jiya spent an hour getting the placement just right. Finally, there it was – her own little corner of India in her modern Mumbai home. That evening, during her video call with her parents, she purposely framed herself with the puja corner in the background. Her mother’s sharp eyes immediately noticed it!
"Beta, your home...it feels complete now," she said, tears welling up in her eyes.
Jiya touched the soft khadi of the flag and shyly smiled. In that moment, she truly understood what her Dadi had known all along – that the tiranga isn't just a flag. It's a bridge between generations, weaving together our modern lives with our country’s timeless heritage.
Today, Jiya's puja corner has become her favourite spot to just take a few moments to breathe before rushing into the rest of the day. Sometimes, she catches herself looking at the tiranga, its colours somehow making her sleek apartment feel more like the warm home she grew up in. Turns out, her friends love it too – "It's so authentic," they would say, without a hint of irony.
And that's the thing about our tiranga flags for mandir – they have this amazing way of fitting into every story, every home, every corner wherever we choose to place it. In Jiya's case, it didn't just add colour or style to her space; it brought alive a piece of her heritage, making it not just aesthetically pleasing, but meaningfully beautiful.
Like Jiya, I’m sure many of us are finding our way back home through these small yet significant choices. And maybe that's exactly what our tirangas are meant to do – help us bridge the gap between who we've become and who we've always been.
You too can experience devotion 2.0 with tirangas for your mandir at Luv My India!
