OFTEN seen through rangoli-tinted glasses, Indian culture is frequently reduced to an aesthetic, experienced superficially rather than earnestly.

Far too often, our stories are only told through the silver screen or cited as a statistic.

Ara and Ranjita Mohgan during Deepavali. — PIC COURTESY OF RANJITA MOHGAN As we slowly drift from our ancestral homeground, we continue to redefine the meaning of being South Asian, while deepening our roots where we stand now.

Whether arriving through the fleets of the Chola dynasty or bound by the oppressive Kangani system, we have made Malaysia our home.