Indian Reflections

This final post is motivated by the questions we got when we returned home and the reaction to the answers so they may be worth sharing. The question was “would you go back?” Answer “yes, absolutely”. Reaction “ Why? It is interesting that this would have been our reaction before going too.

Before arriving in India we were very apprehensive and probably a bit unsure whether we would enjoy it or not. This was mostly driven by perceptions and the fear of the unknown. We had been warned about so many things, getting sick from the water and the street food, the spicy food, the dangerous driving, the lack of personal space, crowds, being hassled by beggars and vendors trying to flog something you didn’t want, “baksheesh” or the art of seeking tips, pickpockets, the cows in the roads, the rabid dogs, the lack of English, etc. So, it is no wonder we entered with apprehension.

By the end of our visit we were quite comfortable with our surroundings and were a lot more adventurous. Looking back we can see that while all the risks may be present at a point in time, and while we needed to be aware of them, they shouldn’t stop us from seeing the local life through a positive lens and manage the risks accordingly . This was made a whole lot easier for us through knowledge gained, understanding and allowing time to acclimatise. As a first visit to India, we appreciated staying with people we either knew and people they knew so they could be trusted. When we didn’t know people, we stayed in good, safe hotels where we could have our own safe space, and we had a driver taking us everywhere and visiting major sites and shopping with a guide. I’m sure we could be more adventurous on future visits. We were fortunate to see so many aspects of Indian life, from the poorest of small villages to the large bustling city of Delhi, accommodation from the basics, with cold water and buckets to bath and noisy fans to the luxury of air conditioned 5 star hotels to spoil ourselves.

We had a wonderful time overall and we’re grateful that our experiences were all so positive. India is a vibrant, fascinating country with warm and friendly people. Well worth visiting!

Some specific insights and reflections

Driving
The first reaction to driving is that it seems highly dangerous and chaotic. Cars, busses, trucks, motorbikes, auto rickshaws, people, dogs and cows all coming from different angles with the constant sound of horns making it feel like an accident is going to happen any any time. Lane markings seem like guidelines.
The reality is completely different. Somehow, all these users manage to move around with some strange sort of harmony and maintain and flow without accidents. Their mindset is different. If we tried to have that many cars and users in the same space, the traffic would just come to a stop as there is not enough space. We would wait for a gap that would never appear and we would constantly be cursing others for cutting us off.
Here, they don’t need a gap, they make one movement and then others around adapt. They weave in and out knowing others around them could move at any time. They expect to be cut-off or shepherded to one side. Towards the end we were quite comfortable and even crossed busy roads on foot by moving into spaces. It is not chaotic, but deliberate and moving in a co-ordinated manner. I’d love to see some drone footage - a bit like synchronised swimming maybe.

Cows
We knew cows were considered sacred so just couldn’t understand why they would allow them to wander wherever they wanted, often in dangerous situations where they could be killed at any time. It is not unusual to see a cow lying in the right hand land or middle lane of a 3 lane highway, or on a busy street or roundabout. Our guide told us it is not dangerous for them as people will stop or avoid them. People will actually come and leave grass or food for the cows on the street. We asked why they were sacred and one explanation was that linking a new rule to a religious belief was often more likely to be successful that just changing a rule. Cows were not always sacred but became a currency. His story was that way back in time, cows were becoming short in number and they feared extinction. Cow milk was valuable for humans due to poor nutrition levels when mothers could not produce enough milk for their babies as they grew and cow milk was the only milk babies could digest. So, they wanted to encourage people to look after cows.

Dogs
There are street dogs everywhere. They are not sacred and also seem to survive. They have amazing Road sense. Again, a traffic hazard that I’m sure will need to be resolved. Because the Hindu religion believes in reincarnation and karma, all animals should be treated with respect as they could be ancestors in another form.

Shopping
Shopping can be a stressful activity, mostly because you have no idea of the price of an item and you know it could take longer than necessary to complete the transaction. It was made harder when we were taken into a co-operative on our tours, where some sort of artisans were at work, either making block print textiles and clothing, paintings or artwork, gem stone cutting, etc. the drill is that they show you how they do their trade and then take you to the warehouse. You feel obliged to buy something but often don’t want it. The guide was probably getting a cut from the sale too. Towards the end we tried to buy from market stalls. Having a local with us at times certainly made it easier.

Beggars
Indians do not encourage giving money to beggars. They are very generous with people trying to earn money and there are several places to get a free meal. If you give one something, you will be quickly surrounded by others. Some of the young kids are used to beg for the parents from an early age. The gypsies also appear to be poor but apparently can be quite wealthy. However we certainly didn’t see as many beggars as we expected. Ideally we should have had food with us to give.

Tipping
People are generally very happy to help with whatever you need. This is helped by the practice of giving a small tip for almost anything, posing for a photo, a magic trick, carrying your bag, providing a clean toilet, pointing out a great photo spot, anything. It works very well and there is a sense that they are at least trying to earn a living. Having a pocket full of small change is essential.

Language
Most people can speak some English because local language changes from state to state and often a few dialects in a state. Hindi is the most common language spoken.

Religion
There is freedom of Religion and generally everyone is very accepting and respectful towards all religions. 80% of the population is Hindu and the balance is Muslim, Sikh and various forms of Christianity. Politically, there is more religious tension and a concern that there is too much active conversion to Muslim or Christianity. Only 1% of the total population are Christian and these are mainly in the South, where it is as high as 35%. When we were there, we noticed a huge Christian presence but very little further North. In the South, there is concern that if the present Hindu government wins the general election in 2024, they may put a ban on conversions and any international funding. The government is promoting the concept of India as a the only place which could be called a “Hindu Nation”. Watching this space will be interesting.

Food
We tried so many new dishes which varied based on what was locally grown. In the South, where the rice is grown, everything is about rice and a huge variety of rice breads, buns, cakes, noodles, etc. in the North where the wheat is grown it is more of the breads, Naans, Roti, etc, all served with a variety of curry dishes, mostly vegetarian and chicken. With the ocean close by there was plenty of Fish in the South. We also had some lovely desserts made with rice, milk, fruit, honey and beautiful spices like cinnamon and cardamom. They accommodated foreigners with medium spicy food and we did not have a single bad reaction to any food in the 4 weeks. The masala tea was delicious too.

Hospitality
The Indian people were warm and friendly and genuinely grateful that we were visiting them. The tourism and hotel staff would always greet you with a warm smile and nothing was too much trouble. The tour operators that organised our last 8 days would check in daily and would phone the hotel and local tour guides to ensure everything was perfect. They were genuinely delighted when we chose the local option, either food or drink and then went out of their way to explain it to us and to make sure it was perfect. They loved it when we wore their traditional outfits too.

Government / politics
The politics is very interesting and very different depending on who you talk to. The next election is early in 2024 so it was quite topical. The majority of people we spoke to in the North were Hindu and well educated. They gave a balanced view of the politics. Giving examples of good and bad but the overwhelming perception was that they liked Modi because he was a man of action and got things done. The stories of rapid infrastructure development and make their living better were common, improving the provision of basic services. They also had a sense of hope that India was moving forward on the international stage and they were important. They also believed he as doing a good job in reducing corruption at the central level and with issues that impact the poor.

The South was a different story as the Modi party is not in power in those states. Development has been much slower there as the states and central government argue on priorities. The view there is also that the central government is clamping down on other religions poaching their people by actively converting then to Islam or Christianity and they give examples of where good Christian activities are shut down by government or drowned with administrative red tape, including not granting visas to visitors from other religions or preventing money coming in to support other religion activities. This is political only as the people on the ground from various religions work together for common good.

The opposition parties (17 of them) have formed a sort of coalition for the next elections as they believe Modi will increasingly exert his power with a 3rd term in office. While some people believe that is not a bad thing they know that development and infrastructure growth will stall as no decisions will be made.Read more