Various Travel Experiences: India

Introduction

India is one of the most beautiful and culturally immersive countries in the world. I am proud to say that I am originally from India. However, the majority of my life has been spent here in the suburbs of Michigan, United States. Each country has shaped my identity in unique ways. This blog is about me revisiting my childhood town after 10 years in America. During this trip, I was able to visit some of the most sacred places in India including Amritsar, River Ganges, Ayudhya, Varanasi, Prayagraj and Kashi. The people, the places and ceremonies at these holy centers brought a deep sense of spiritual groundedness within me. I was reminded that India's main gift to the world was not in its spices or its fancy dancing moves, but in its rich spiritual traditions.

Just like previous blogs I will talk about my experience, and then tie in philosophical themes. For example, I tied Colombia experiences to simplicity, Mexico experiences to mystery, and Nepal experiences to humility. This blog will tie India's various experiences to the theme of conscience. Conscience is the ability to recognize one's own actions and thoughts before and while engaging them in the society. I noticed that I became much more self conscious and self aware after visiting India. I will also expand on the differences in my experience of traveling India alone versus with extended family. Ultimately, my goal is to share the rich Indian culture and its importance in raising human conscience.

2024- Traveling to India alone

Right after the EBC and Nepal trip, I went straight to India where I met with my grandparents, cousin and aunt/uncles. I hadn't seen my cousins for 10 years, so it was an emotional feeling to roam the streets with them. I am originally from Mumbai, Maharashtra, which is one of the most busiest and crowded cities in India. Mumbai is equivalent to Los Angeles with its bollywood presence and heavy corporate life. There is barely any green space, most of Mumbai is filled with large skyscrapers and streets full of shops. There are more shops than houses- it truly is the ultimate marketplace. In this busy and loud land, I was able to find some quiet while watching the sunset at Juhu Beach. This was only momentary, as the next moment one vendor or the other could be heard shouting to sell their product. I was able to enjoy the street food and admire the sheer population density of Mumbai. You can't complain about people: you have to adapt and start making friends where you can. And so I did, I started talking to strangers and learning their stories. Most were my age, and they aspired to get into business hoping to start their own company one day. In spite of the congestion, pollution, and high competition, each Indian had a resilient feeling of finding a place in this busy society. This resilience couldn't have been possible without a healthy conscience of discipline and focus.

After spending time with family in Mumbai, Pune and Solapur, my cousin and I traveled to Punjab to see the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Golden Temple is the most sacred place of worship for the Sikhs. As we walked in extreme heat (110+ F), we were soothed by cold water and waheguru chants in the temple. We had to cover our hair and walk barefoot on burning-like ground. It all seems like a visceral experience right now, but at that time it felt really difficult to get through. This is the reality: INDIA IS A DIFFICULT PLACE TO LIVE IN, IT TRULY IS. There is no sugarcoating for it. It is hot, it is extremely overpopulated, you barely breathe your own breath, and you often prone to sickness due to poor sanitization in public areas. AND YET, despite these harsh conditions, I was amazed at the serenity of the gurumukhs, or the Sikh religious leaders who sung the song of God effortlessly. And it wasn't just these teachers, it was also the small shop's keeper, it was also the busy worker at an unruly restaurant, it was also the woman cleaning at a public park. There seemed to be a new level of grit in all the people I saw in India. I thought to myself, I would have totally crumbled and crashed out if I was in their shoes. These thoughts ran through my mind as I waited 3 hours in line to get into the Golden Temple. But once I had darshan or sight of the Guru Granth, or the great book of Guru Nanak, my doubts and questions slowly disappeared. I realized the people in India had many hardships, but they also had a strong religion. Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism are the four prominent religions in India and all of them encourage surrendering to the higher power of righteousness. This power grants people a level of resilience to fight against complaints and turn frustration into courage.

We meditated at the Golden Temple for a couple minutes and though it was loud with so many people coming in and out, I felt a serene sense in the atmosphere. Next up, we went to Jaliawalah Bagh, a historical monument where 1600+ innocent citizens were shot to death by colonial British power. Another example where the people of Punjab could turn this anger into vengeance, but instead choose to balance it with compassion. There was a cool light show we watched about the historical roots of the garden, Jaliawalah Bagh. Next day, we then went to watch the parade at the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. This was a really interesting parade to watch as it involved a back and forth competition between India and Pakistan sides. The army general on the India side would do some cool move to show superiority over the other side. This would be followed by the Pakistan's general responding with his own dance or showcase. The India-Pakistan divide is a very sensitive topic and has led to many terrorist attacks and unnecessary shootings. It was amusing to see a comedical representation of this conflict through the army's parade performance and the general's dance skills.

Solo traveling gives a tremendous amount of freedom and openness to the journey- there are no strict plans, no specific deadlines, just a fluid appreciation of a new culture and place. I personally enjoy traveling alone for this reason: it helps me reduce unnecessary group drama and focus more on sightseeing. This physical freedom extends into mental ease and relaxation, that is fundamental to a good vacation.

2025- Traveling India with Family

The following year, I went to India once again, this time traveling with my parents and sister. We joined our extended family in Mumbai to travel up north to River Ganges and Prayagraj. We had decided to take a long 24 hour train ride from Mumbai to Prayagraj, where we would start our pilgrimage and sacred sightseeing. This was a very scenic train ride. I had only one mission: not to get sick, and that meant that I had to resist my temptation to various food vendors on the train. Train food in India is known for its uncleanliness. The remedy was to get off the train when it stopped at railway stations for a few minutes. But even that station food wasn't any prone to sickness. I was adamant about my health and my past experiences had told me to avoid bad food at all costs. So I stuck to simple food that my grandma packed for us, and seldom ate any station chips or cakes. Luckily no one in our group got sick on the way to Prayagraj.

Once we got to our destination, our group of 10 had to carry around 13-15 suitcases to our hotel. On top of this, there were no escalators or elevators at the station, so we lifted most of them on stairs. And further on top of this, we were walking in almost 100-105F hot weather. So being drenched in sweat was a given. We somehow manage to find our bus driver and get to the hotel. The shower feels like heaven, the AC feels like autumn wind. We then march to 'Trivedi Sangham' also known as the union of three important rivers in India: River Ganges, River Yamuna, and River Saraswati. This is a famous attraction of Prayagraj. Myth is that swimming in this water purifies all past karma. Many people do various rituals and auspicious ceremonies at the banks of these rivers as a good luck charm. We had to get a boat to arrive at the union center of three rivers and the boat ride itself was extremely sweaty- no AC, hot winds, and dry air. Feeling lightheaded, I fell asleep on the boat. Once we reached the union, I was able to soak into the fresh water with pure bliss. Then I saw bottles and plastic and flowers drifting in water: I tried not to judge, but I just couldn't help but yell at people who polluted such sacred places as these. Nonetheless, bathing at the union of the three rivers felt mystical, but still ordinary- perfect for the heat.

Lo and behold, next morning, I get terribly sick to my stomach. It was likely due to the extreme heat on the prior day, so I decided to stay in the hotel the whole day while my family went to visit some more temples in Prayagraj. Temples meant long waiting lines in the hot weather. Some may say this is pointless, but people in India genuinely feel that their sacrifice is a penance to reaching God. We then travel to Ayodhya, the holy land of Shri Ram, one of the avatars of Lord Vishnu in Hinduism. I had almost recovered my health by now, but the bus ride was terribly uncomfortable. Still I listened to some Indian flute and classical music on the road to get into the vibes of visiting new sacred places. Once our bus landed in Ayodhya, I spent another half day just resting in the hotel. Being sick sucks, especially when you are on vacation with your family. Anyways, by the evening, I was back to normal so I went with my family to Saryu Ghat, famous place of religious ceremony and more swimming in water to cleanse evil. People were partying in the streets. This was interesting: there was no separation of religion and the masses. Religious ceremonies happened simultaneously while 2 blocks away people played loud music and danced their hearts away. Temples overfilled and people waited in lines while on the other hand street band artists rallied the youth for a late night live concert. It all felt surreal- dream-like in a way. We had a private guide who helped us through the crowd and traffic back to our hotel. On the way back, I saw many monkeys playing on the branches and eating fruits. I also saw Ayodhya was predominantly a small business run area. There were nothing but small shops, and some of these shop keepers lived in the room adjacent to the shop or above it. A very low profile area.

Next morning, we went to the new Ram Mandir/ Temple. We had to give away all our phones and wallets and bags before entering. The security is extremely rigid due to the political tensions in building the temple. However once you are inside, you can't help but marvel at the architecture of the temple. With tall ceilings and incredibly polished interior patterns, it stands as one of the best temples in India. We prayed and saw Ram murti, which is the idol of Shri Ram. My mom was so happy that she waited in line a second time to see the Ram murti. We had the VIP pass due to our family connections, so the lines weren't too bad this time. There is something special about thousands of people visiting a temple with nothing but faith- it builds an atmosphere or ambience of serenity and peace. I experienced similar feelings when I visited the Golden Temple of Sikhs in Amritsar. Our last stop was Varanasi, home to one of the biggest Shiva temples in India. There are 12 Jyotirlingas, or pillars of light dedicated as Shiva Temples across India. One of these pillars of light is in Varanasi, known as the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

Located at the western bank of Ganges, it has a gold plated spire and rich architecture. But the physical looks are nothing compared to the spiritual gatherings that take place here. For tourists like us, we got into boats again and witnessed a religious ceremony from afar. The meditators in this area are some of the most hardcore yogis in the world. They play with fire and dance in Shiva's presence, their name is Aghori. I witnessed some of these Aghori meditators on the steps. They covered themselves in ash and chanted Om Namah Shivaya- Salutations to Lord Shiva, the God of Death. After once again walking on a hot burning floor, and waiting hours in line, we saw the temple's shiva lingam for a split second, beyond being pushed forward by the crowd. These religious gatherings often turn out to be a mental patience test: how much can you handle without crumbling down. The purpose of the visit doesn't lie in actually seeing the idol or ceremony, it lies in you overcoming your doubt and hesitation towards God and righteousness.

We wrapped up more boat rides, collected River Ganges water to be taken back home- as a good luck charm, and tipped our guide handsomely for his generous support. We then visited the famous street food places called Kashi Chaat Bhandar. Imagine the crowd for an American football game, and now imagine each one ordering and receiving distinct types of street food. That was the scene here. No place to sit, no place to walk, just a bunch of people vigorously eating some of the most delicious spicy food you could have in India. We indulged ourselves as well- after a long day, we deserved it. Managing 10 people and their food was challenging, but my mom is good at that sort of thing. I personally liked the Rabdi, a thick milk product served with mango flavor. My cousins got various spicy dishes including pani puri, dahi shev puri, and pav bhaji. I refused to have anything spicy since I had just gotten better from my sickness- maybe I missed out, maybe I saved myself, who knows?

The next day, we stayed at a hotel for half a day watching Bollywood movies and eating Indian style Dominos. Nothing fancy, just a chill day at a 4 start hotel. Apparently geese are not a common sight in India, so the hotel was proud to showcase 2 geese as entertainment for little kids in the play area. I took my baby cousin there, and could see her astonishment had peaked on the roof. For her this was a large pure white mystical duck from her fairy tale books. That wrapped up our pilgrimage: more sightseeing than praying in my opinion, but still it was nice to be around the company of likeminded religious people. Our train back home was delayed from 24 hours to 30 hours. Extra time inside was spent playing card games and making fun of my cousins. I indulged myself with flavored milk, like a little kid. What can I say- the flavored milk at train stations just hits differently. That and the blue Indian Masala Lays chips.

Coming back to our homeplace, we rested for a solid week before leaving for America. That week, I got myself a tattoo. Hurt a lot, but worth it. It serves as a reminder to stay strong but humble in the presence of Lord Shiva. A reminder to be fierceless but meditative. And at last the drumsticks symbolize an aspect of being playful but responsible. The tattoo is an embodiment of balance and energy that Shiva carries with him. Overall, this trip helped me become more conscious of myself and surroundings. Due to the sheer amount of people and overstimulation at each temple and street, I had to reserve my energy and be mindful of how I exerted it. In a chaotic place like India, you can't strive without learning how to balance your energy and prioritizing your tasks. This helped me become conscientious and more aware of the present moment. The religion with its different deities and rituals serves as a reminder to interact with God in your own way. There is only one God, but different manifestations of Him each created for the sake of people's connection and likeability. Those inclined to strength can worship Hanuman while those inclined to meditation can worship Shiva. Those inclined to knowledge can worship Ganesh while those inclined to money can worship Laxmi. These deities help personify our goals and establish a relationship with God. Hinduism is beautiful for this reason in its ability to personalize religious practice based on each individual's inclinations. And the land of India is full of Hindu practices, so I highly encourage everyone to at least visit India once- for religion or for tourism. You won't be disappointed going in with either motivation.