Google lets us rediscover India this Independence Day

India is growing, India is moving ahead. And all of this is happening at a breakneck speed. While it is hard enough for many to keep up with this pace, at times, it makes for a good excuse to forget the past. While many a times forgetting the past is the best way to move ahead. It’s best to not forget where we came from and why we are, where we are today. And the same goes for Independence Day. And this year Independence Day special in more ways than one. Why do you ask? Well, it’s a long weekend! And everybody has planned their holidays, every thing has been booked well in advance, and yes, everyone is out of town. So what if you are not a part of that crowd? What if you are the types who likes to let that Independence Day feeling sink in? What’s the best way to do it? Well, going out there and checking out all those important places that made a dent in our country’s history would be a good start. But if you are reading this it is already Independence Day, so where do you begin? How do you travel to the nearest landmark or the closest architectural wonder? Things get even more difficult because of all the holiday crowd that will maxed out every important destination in India by now. Well, oddly, Google would be a good start. How do you ask? Apart from the many things that Google has been doing for India lately (Offline maps, Offline YouTube, Offline Translations) they have prepared something really special for us this Independence Day. No you don’t have to rush to the nearest mall to take advantage of it, its all online and all condensed in one place, and that would be your desktop’s web browser. This Google Special is indeed ‘special’ for all the warm-blooded Indians out there! Using the Google Arts and Culture platform, Google lets you rediscover India, with its new exhibit called ‘A journey across India’. If you have never checked out this space before, today would be a good day to start.  The exhibit is a rather intriguing one and will take you on a really long journey across India, without moving an inch. Its spans 3BC - 1800 and has been made in partnership with the Archaeological Survey of India. It arrives on time for this Independence Day courtesy of the Google Cultural Institute, a not-for-profit initiative that partners with cultural organizations to bring the world’s cultural heritage online. GCI build free tools and technologies for the cultural sector to showcase and share their gems, making them more widely accessible to a global audience. ‘A journey across India’ takes you on an in depth architectural tour of India’s past. No this is not just photos, but a compilation of events, personalities, leaders and some really cool 360 views of national monuments (even your grandparents would be impressed), something that only Google at this moment can provide.  From a picture of the former President of India’s Congress, Indira Gandhi at Emperor Humayun’s 16th Century tomb (above), to a 360 Google Street View tour of the Qutub Minar (below). Moving south we reach the Nagarjun Konda and Guntupalli Caves in Andhra Pradesh followed by Goa, Rajasthan.  All-in-all it’s worth a look that lets you absorb so much in a short span of time. And if you are a bit too lazy to open up your laptop and look up on your web browser, there’s always an app for it. Yes, ‘A journey across India’ exhibit by Google can also be explored via the the ‘Google Arts and Culture’ apps available on  Google Play Store and the App Store.