Rambling

Indian forts and palaces are “exotic” to the west. Is this a subconscious form of cultural imperialism? I have never been anywhere outside India. Yet, when i look at pictures of forts, palaces, churches, graveyards, boulevards or pebbled streets, I find them awe-striking and “exotic”. Is my feeling a latent sense of an inerasable postcolonial mindset?

People are attracted to India on account of its vibrancy, its warm people; it is a colourful country with a gamut of cultures, cuisines, dialects and geographies stretched across the subcontinent. Indian people are quick to adopt Western clothes, food, architecture and technology. Yet, the sense of Indianness remains rooted in even the most corporate companies of India. For example, you walk into an Indian consultancy that prides itself in being such an ape of the West. They use the latest softwares, operate on fast speed internet and machines, travel in BMWs, wear formal trousers and suits. And then you notice the tiny sandalwood paste mark on the forehead, the touch of vermilion in a woman’s hair, a black and golden chain on her neck (a “mangalsutra”) signifying her married status; or, stones set in gold rings on their fingers.

The same people live in houses styled in Western architecture, travel in imported cars, use First World gadgets, buy imported foods and clothes. Then you notice the ring on the finger; it might strike an outsider as “oh, cool ring”; it is actually steeped in gemstone terminology and belief in their healing powers.

Even the most sceptical of Indians, will most probably be found with such a ring. It might have been worn at the behest of a loving parent who gifts, lets say, a pearl ring to keep anger at bay.

Christians in India are culturally so different from their counterparts in the West. The women wear saris on their wedding day and the couple does not kiss at the end of the ceremony. Indians are uniformly shy of kissing or displaying physical affection in public. So much so that hugging or holding hands is looked down upon in most parts or you might be glared at with disapproval.

India prides itself in copying the First World, down to the last detail. What we fail to realise is, that we cannot break free from the binds of our heritage. Even the most modern of young girls wants to wear a sari and not a dress, for her graduation dinner. Even the most “hep” boy sighs deeply when he sees his girl in a sari.

The sari is such a sexy outfit. One size fits all; it can be worn in various ways, it makes fat people look thin and skinny people look healthy. The subtle show of skin is sensuous and the draped effect brings out femininity in the most tomboyish of women.

Indian streets never fail to simultaneously shock and please the senses. Corporate parks, a swanky metro rail, dozens of cars. And then, street vendors with hand woven baskets stocked with boiled or roasted corn cobs, sweet potatoes and the infamous tea with fritters. Also, the rickshaw pullers lugging metro travellers to their destinations; or the illegal but profiting minivans that are less crowded but more expensive than buses.

Similarly, people dressed in office formals walking right past little kids sleeping on the roads, or nestling comfortably under the shade of a tree, in makeshift swings made of their mothers’ saris; while these women actually sweep the road which is to be redone.

With food, Indians are spoilt for choice. A north Indian mother caters to her son’s demands for idly-sambhar and uttapam while her south Indian compeer efficiently churns up kadhai paneer and parathas. Families argue not over restaurants but cuisine. And even though the chimpanzee effect has struck the children as well, they still crave Indian dishes over pizzas and burgers—mere snack foods to which we limit food of those “exotic” to us. “firangi khana” (foreign food) if you will.

India is complex and simple, at the same time. People might be warm hearted and help out without any selfishness or they might rip you off. For example, no matter how crowded, train passengers will squeeze in and make space for a needy person; on the other hand, you might give your laptop for reformatting, and on discovering no partition drives within, be told non-chalantly, “oh that costs extra”.

It is a good change in Indian tourism that luxury arrangements are available now. However, we also tend to overdo it. As you walk through a hotel lobby or garden, the employees will stop all work, bow at you and say “Namaste” with a smile that belies its genuineness.

Fixation is something that comes easy to Indians; be it food, movies, clothes, sports, music or books. If we like it, we will obsess over it, till it exhausts us or becomes redundant or more often than not, is succeeded by something new.

Look at what happened to cell phones, laptops, mp3 players, KFC, McDonalds, pub culture, action movies shot in foreign lands, western clothing or even cars. Suddenly, everyone wants one to flaunt it. Even if they do not require it. A minimum wage earner will painstakingly save money only to buy a touchscreen phone (whose features he is most likely, clueless of) because all his friends own one.

In my opinion, this country is worth a visit on account of its idiosyncrasies alone. And if you are a nature lover to boot, then it is a must-visit place. This country offers its guests beaches, snow-capped Himalayas, endless other mountain ranges, lakes, cosmopolitan lifestyles, gourmet food, swanky corporates all infused with the focus on inherent spirituality and what allures foreigners the most being “spa therapy” with yoga.

This country is a multifaceted space. The same state that produced its own form of martial arts, is home to some spectacular classical music and dance forms and is also the land of backwaters and cruising houseboats. The state which is most overrun by insurgency, is also home to the largest number of migrated call centre employees, where music and football run in its’ people’s veins.

The diversity of culture between places a few miles from each other, is exhausting. Your mind is treated to the sudden changes which, before you can say “jack Robinson” turn into another hue. Delhi, the capital, is a culmination of seven cities through history. It is a metropolitan, a slum, a historical locale and a career goal all rolled into one. Journey a few miles away, into Rajasthan, and a desert greets you with its colourful people, tremendous forts, royal families and camels.

Travel north-east, and you meet a fusion of Aryan-Mongol culture; rife with Chinese and Tibetan influences and monasteries set in isolated environments, the north-east part of India is starkly different from Rajasthan in every aspect.

Travel to central india, and you will wonder if the north-east was not a different country altogether. Travel to south india, and you might just be convinced you are on a different continent. Kashmir, with its virginal beauty, its quiet yet strong people, and its political dilemnas will not fail to arouse the aforementioned thoughts in your head.

Walk into any Indian city or town, and the prices of almost anything, within the city, will range from a couple of pennies to thousands. It is also perhaps the only place where marketplaces will have a row of shops selling the exact same commodity or services and happily doing business without worrying about competition sitting right next door.

Adjustment is the keyword to understanding India. Everyone survives here, somehow. The RSS (a Hindu political organisation) creates a ruckus on Valentine’s Day, attacking popular coffee shops and malls to “save” our Hindu heritage. The most westernised people loathe them, look down upon them; yet, the very next day, they can be seen travelling shoulder to shoulder on a local train, dismissing the previous day as “it was their day, what of it now”.

Families allow their daughters utmost (sometimes, even extreme and unneeded) freedom with the mindset of “let her have fun while it lasts” only upon the agreement of entering into an arranged marriage. The girl is transformed from a bikini babe sipping margaritas to the docile “bahu” (daughter-in-law) dutifully packing off her husband to work, with a hot, fresh lunch.

So, visiting India for merely its monuments or geography is like missing the point by a mile. Visit it for its people. No anthropology or socio-economic work can describe them and no guest to the country can claim to have had the exact same experience as another.

The only thread of commonality running through the country, is the link with spirituality. Its almost like a patriotic or nationalist duty. Even the most cosmopolitan city will be dotted with temples (hideous in architecture) in the most unexpected areas. An entourage of drunk youth heading toward a pub blasting metal music will suddenly stop, bow their heads in supplication and continue with their nightly ravings.

In short, India offers itself up to its guests as a place of history, diverse cultures, intriguing architecture and varied geography. But, primarily, it is a place worth travelling to, for its people and their genetic (almost) spirituality. It allows you to form your own stories about it. And that is an experience no other could provide.