I've been asked many times what is my favourite country and I've never been able to answer it. I can answer that Thailand has my favourite food, Nepal has my favourite trek, the Philippines has my favourite beaches, Taiwan has my favourite people but for a whole country ..... I find it very difficult to answer.
Sometimes I answer 'India isn't my favourite country but it's the country I feel is the most interesting'.
Some of the highlights include
History going back thousands of years, a land full of myths and wonders, with countless examples of great temples, palaces, towers, rock art left all over the country. India is home to the Rajputs, warriors who sometimes went into battle to face certain death, whilst their women and children would commit mass suicide, Akbar, the greatest of all the Mughal emperors, who united much of today's India with wisdom, tolerance and political verve. Other heroes of history include Gandhi, Buddha and many more.
People is something India is not short off. There's also no shortage of diversity with the people. India is where Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhist and Sikhism originated and is also home to sizeable Muslim and Christian populations. Hinduism, the main religion, has something like 330 millions gods, with Shiva, Krishna and Vishnu being the main ones, and each of these gods have their own distinctive followers. On top of the main religions there are numerous ethnic minorities who add their own distinctive culture to the
Amazing geography, from the Himalayas in the north, the deserts of Rajasthan and Gujarat, the great Ganges Plain, the Deccan mountains to the lust green backwaters of Kerala.
Experiences - whether in a beach rave in Goa, a 36 hour train ride, a temple full of rats, India is generous in dishing out experiences, most are welcome though some are not. Besides experiences that happen when you travel, India is a great place for learning; spiritual, meditation, yoga, music, cooking.
India is not all spices and colours. It has numerous issues that will confront your comfort zone and don't expect your personal space to last long too either. Call it friendly, call it annoying, Indians will consisting be coming up to you, asking, begging, helping, conversing, advising, selling, conning or whatever that Indian's interest. Sometimes I've found it too much but other times it can be amazing too. And as for issues, India has too many of them. From dalits (outcastes), to Maoist insurgences, to governmental corruption, to religious conflicts, to riots, the lists grows the longer you know India. Yes, the papers in India are usually an interesting read.
I've been in India a few times and admittedly I was very happy leaving it after the first time I spent two and half months there. But India has a special power and continues to draw me back.
I want to revisit Kerala, relax on the backwaters and get hugged by Amma, the hugging guru.
I want to see the raw beauty of Kashmir.
I want to marvel the detail of erotic art at Khajuraho Temple.
I want to spend time in Mumbai and get to know the beat of this crazy, chaotic city.
I want to spot tigers.
I want to experience Sikkim.
I want to visit Hampi as everyone I've met who's been there, loves the place.
I want to go to the northeast, visits tribes, ride on the Darjeeling railway, drink Assam tea, trek, and get drench in Meghalaya, the world's wettest place.
I want to revisit Varanasi and spend time quietly reflecting there.
I want to walk the numerous treks in the Indian Himalayas.
I want to go Pondicherry and experience auroville and its living experiment on spiritual regeneration.
I'll probably never complete my want list but I definitely would love to go back to India one day.
Let me know what you think of India and what you think about the country
No comments:
Post a Comment