Highlights From India: Overall Impressions

Paul and I had always wanted to go to India. As for me, it held a certain mysticism, perhaps due to my love for yoga and meditation, the current Dalai Lama, and images of India’s brilliant dress and glorious food. As for Paul, he was interested in seeing the Taj Mahal and experiencing the stories he had heard from Indian friends and colleagues.

Having been briefed on what to expect, we agree that one should definitely expect the unexpected! Our two-week itinerary included Agra (Taj Mahal), Jaipur, Delhi, Amritsar, Dharamshala, and Varanasi – all cities in northern India. We did not travel to southern India; so please remember that our insights reflect our Yankee perspective. Okay, wrong terminology, but you know what I mean.

(Widespread) Poverty and Lack of Infrastructure
A country of 1.2 Billion, India has 33X more people per square mile than the United States. The congestion and impoverished conditions were widespread, as we had been warned. What surprised us was that the “nicer” areas, hotels, and restaurants were interspersed among the most poor, congested, and noisy. Outside the refuge of our hotel, the lack of infrastructure was very visible. Mud floors in homes, poor roads for transport, and an electrical grid that caused frequent power-outages were just some of the things we noticed.

That being said, we heard multiple stories on the government’s push for education in rural areas, which is obviously a good thing.

(Organized) Chaos
Cows were on the road. Families of four sped down the streets piled on a single moped. Manual and auto rickshaws added to the already jammed streets. Horns were honking everywhere. Bazaars were full with throngs of people. Street food vendors were hawking everything from milk sugar sweets to fried chickpea donuts for a few cents each. The western symbol of Classic Coke was everywhere. Dust, smog, and humidity left a haze you could taste. Our senses were overwhelmed. At night a kaleidoscope of images would buzz in my mind, keeping me from going to sleep. All that said, behind the perceived chaos was an organization that only the locals understood. Walking thru the streets we learned there was a place for everything. One hidden shop made wedding cards, one did the ironing, one made bangles, one fixed shoes, and so on and so forth. While we couldn’t comprehend what was going on, it was clear the locals did!

Fair Foreigners
Being fairer skinned than the locals, we had been warned that we may be a spectacle in some areas. This proved to be true; we were asked to have our picture taken with several locals in some of the more off-the-beaten path locales. I like to think they thought we were movie stars; but I think it was just our mere fair skin! The upside of this (in addition to wonderful pictures and interesting memories) is that we felt we were among locals. These people couldn’t have been nicer nor could they have been more appreciative for having their picture taken with us.

Marriage and Dating
The caste system appears to be live and well in many parts of India. Undercover dating happens, but when it comes time to marry, one of our guides said that he tells his children “You can have a love marriage, but only if it is within the same caste”. Even among the most educated there is pressure when it comes time to marry. We were supposed to dine with a couple in Jaipur but the wife had to take a trip to Delhi to “talk” to her daughter. After all, her daughter was 32 and not married, an unheard of sin! Her father told his wife “that’s what we get for educating her and letting her go to Delhi”. It was the grandmother, however, who told the parents that education and advancement were critical and they must change with the times and not pressure their daughter – a wise lady indeed!

Delhi Belly
We had been warned about Delhi belly. Half my suitcase was filled with preventing or dealing with stomach problems from India. What actually happened? We were absolutely fine! We stuck to heated Indian dishes and were very careful about our water. And if we enjoyed street food, we made sure it was from a well-reputed stall. The upside? We were rewarded with a feast for the senses. We loved the spices and the creative masterpieces every which way til Sunday. That being said, the rabbit in us couldn’t eat like this forever. We missed the delicious, fresh salads that had been so commonplace in Greece and Isreal. But for our short time, we relished in the spice and heat!

Disparate States
In some ways, India is structured like the US. India has 29 states and 7 union territories with Delhi being the capital. Like in the US, each state has its own government. However, unlike the US, there are 22 languages in India making clear the distinct nature each state. People from the north can’t understand people from the south! It wasn’t until the Mughal rule in 1526 that first unified the disparate Hindu Kingdoms. The Mughals were a Muslim dynasty from Central Asia that had a significant influence on the country we see today. Today, unified India is run by the central government in New Delhi. It seems that most people with whom we spoke are optimistic about the current Prime Minister Modi, in spite of the reported government corruption that exists.

Mughal (and Muslim) Influence
India appears to have flourished during the Muslim Mughal reign, likely due to the diplomatic Mughal Emporer Akbar. Akbar had several wives across both the Muslim and Hindu religions to show respect and tolerance for all. This resulted in widespread unification. Under Akbar, India’s lands included today’s Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and India.

The Indians appear to be proud of the monuments the Mughals left behind. The Mughals were great builders. They were also Muslim; so their Muslim influence is ubiquitous through their lasting monuments (at least in northern India). This is one thing we did not appreciate prior to coming to India, an 80%+ Hindu country. The Taj Mahal is the most famous of the many many Muslim & Mughal constructs. The Taj Mahal was built by Akbar’s grandson, Shah Jahan.

The Path to Independence & Its Consequences
After the Mughals, British rule took over and India became a British colony. It was only after the conclusion of WWII that India gained its independence from Britain. Mahatma Gandhi (mahatma meaning “great soul”) was the preeminent leader of the Indian independence movement from British-ruled India. His non-violent approach is said to have influenced Martin Luther King and Neson Mandela. Unfortunately, like all change, not everyone was in favor and tension ensued in spite of India’s independence. Gandhi was assassinated for having helped the Muslim people gain independence through their state of Pakistan. We appreciated a few moments of silence at the commemoration site below in Delhi.

Tension
While a large majority wanted independence, an imbalance of power was created as the borders of independent India and independent East/West Pakistand were drawn (West Pakistan is now Bangladesh). It was with the drawing of these borders that tensions escalated further, resulting in a mass exodus (and killing) of Muslims and Hindus to Pakistan and India respectively. This instability still exists today over the contested, geographically-desirable Kashmir, which India controls but Pakistan wants given its Muslim majority.

From what we could tell, the Kashmiri people are the ones who suffer most because of this tension. Many wish to stay in India given greater opportunity versus Pakistan. However many need to leave the area because the fighting prevents them from having flourishing businesses. For example, I purchased a cashmere shawl from a Kashmiri merchant who was forced to relocate his shop to Dharamshala in light of the tensions in this area. This tension even effected our travels. We were forced to eliminate a portion of our itinerary as it was declared too dangerously close to the India/Pakistan border, where fighting was occurring during our trip.

And Tolerance
In spite of these tensions, we found India to be a tolerant country. We made sure to wear culturally appropriate dress (I even had a Punjabi “suit” made!). We smiled a lot and were welcomed with reciprocal warmth. Perhaps, however, it was our dip into four religions in four days that brought home for us the point of tolerance and harmony, with many religions practicing side-by-side. In our upcoming posts, we will elaborate in more detail on our experiences in each region we visited. As for now, we hope tolerance prevails in this country and it continues to progress. God speed to India and its lovely people!