India trip to get touch with your roots

Some people are fortunate enough to be born in their own country, a country where they belong to. A not so fortunate Indian who was born to an Indian family but not in India is how i see myself but I can not forget the county where I spent my childhood, yes I am talking about India, the nation, whose culture is unique and incredible. 

Well I have visited many countries but India is totally different.

I used to stay in Jaipur – the city and capital of Rajasthan located in the northern part. I have visited some cities of Rajasthan like Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Mount Abu, Udaipur etc where I found beautiful monuments with so many Interesting stories of Maharajas and temples are incredible. 

To visit India as a foreigner is easier than ever before because now language is not an issue for any traveler as in most of the cities like Rajasthan, Delhi, Punjab, Aurangabad, Mumbai, Goa etc you will find foreign language tour guides and where language guides are not available you may take guide service from these cities to visit any part of India. 

I visited Mumbai city formerly known as Bombay, the capital of Maharashtra state in southwestern India.Mumbai is also popularly known as the city of bollywood. Here you will find dabbawallas, the people pick up home cooked lunches and deliver them to the people at their workstation. It is interesting to know that only 1 out of 6 million deliveries are ever mixed up, which is impressive, especially in the dense and frenetic swirl of Mumbai.

India is a land of diversities. One can witness diversity in the spheres of religion. Majority of religions that one can witness in India are Hinduism (majority religion), Islam (largest minority religion), Sikhism, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism and the Bahá’í Faith. India is a land where people of different religions and cultures live in peace and harmony. This euphony is seen in the celebration of festivals. The message of love and brotherhood is expressed and witnessed by all the religions and cultures of India. It does not matter if it’s the gathering of the faithful, bowing in prayer in the courtyard of a mosque, or the gathering of lamps that light up houses at Diwali, the singing of carols during Christmas or the brotherhood of Baisakhi, the religions of India are celebrations of shared emotion that bring people together. People from the various religions and cultures of India, unite in a common chord of brotherhood and amity in this fascinating and diverse land. 

Ayurveda, a hidden gem is still in use in India . Ayurveda uses ancient techniques to cure people’s illnesses based on a holistic approach with the patient. Ayurveda is considered a 5000-year-old traditional medicine system. This Hindu medical system is inspired by the elements of nature and thus doesn’t lead to any side-effects.  Roots of Chinese and Tibetan system of medicines are found in Ayurveda.

Indian Clothing is famous  throughout the world for its hand-woven textiles, ethnic wears, richly embroidered fabrics, and authentic drapes in exclusive designs. A lot of options are given to the customers and their variety includes regional as well as religions that mark the styles of Indian clothing. Also, plethora of colors, textures, prints and comfort in garments can be witnessed in Indian Clothing.  Saris or Salwar Kameez ( a pyjama with a long shirt) and also Ghaghra cholis aka lehengas ( a long skirt with a blouse and scarf) are the traditional Indian clothing for women. For men, traditional clothes are the Kurta- Pyjama (pyjama with a long shirt) , vest with a Dhoti or Lungi. 

Rural life in India is simple and best. The traditional ancient houses in Indian villages are made of bamboo, clay and mud. Most of these households have cows and hens to get fresh milk and eggs. They also have domestic animals. Interesting thing about these villages is that they are very environment-friendly. They collect forest produce and most of the villagers are farmers. Other jobs usually include blacksmiths, carpenters or potters. Their houses don’t have many rooms nor they have doors most of the time. They believe in fresh and usually grow their own vegetables in the back or the front yard of the house. The rural areas do not have constant supply of water, thus they have a common well to collect water. In dry and deserted states like Rajasthan, the women have to walk a long way to get water because of its scarcity.

There is not much traffic near villages so it’s very calm and peaceful. They lead a very simple , non materialistic lifestyle and they feel content with it.