Old & New India - A contradiction to the Senses! (Part Two)

 Within the inception stages of preparing for my travel to India, I had a checklist for things I should do in Addis before my travels, allowing my journey to incorporate an element of surprise mixed with a accurate estimation of budget and managing my finance & people I needed to assist in researching about the do’s and don’ts of traveling to Asia alone. Other than that I wanted India to speak to me while I traveled in her soil, and for the first time, allowing the moment, situation and the regions to transition my trip while traveling, I let fate be my guide. In order to meet my challenge set for myself to visit atleast 10 places in India, from historical Rajasthan and Dessert Safari in the North; Mumbai in the West, the home of the Bollywood and the financial elite; following pilgrims at the foot of the Himalayas, Rishikesh in the East; and venturing to the tranquil beaches of Goa in the South; and so many interesting places in-between, so as to challenge all my senses and get a clearer idea of the social, political, historical, infrastructure, and economical aspect of India. The most adventurous part of my journey was the diverse means of transportation that I used to travel from one area to another, as I didn’t hold back on my curiosity, which included Rikshaws, Ola cars, Metro, Train, Boat, Airline, Bike, Camel, Motorcycle, Scooter and so much more, leaving me a little exhausted, excited as well as full of phenomenal travel stories.

Flying into Mumbai from Addis on the festival of Devallii, I was pleasantly met with a festive mood in India while I took the first glimpse of the Arabian Sea. Touring around the gates of India, Taj Mahal hotel, and the imprint of the East India Company on Mumbai’s feel and look, my mind kept on reminding itself on the realities of life in a city with 25million people, those living in the poorest slums in the world as well as those living in the utmost luxury, passing each other side by side in the busiest cities in the world. I must admit I was challenged in almost every city by the overpopulation, and the impact it has on infrastructure, pollution and hygiene that can be seen vividly. Yet on another hand, like all the other contradictions I saw in India, once one gets used to the first confrontation of the overwhelming surge of population, one starts to truly see how despite the population the greenery I saw in almost all cities in India is quite impressive, and the co-habitation of animals, plants and humans is quiet impressive.

I was meet with plenty of scary moments during the week of Devali, as it was a week-long blast of fireworks, random outburst of noise and so much pollution, especially in Delhi that came with the festival. And then there were the amazing sweets and the colorful outfits I witnessed throughout my trip. Thus so began my taste, feel and intuition for India’s cuisine, garment, traffic, population, the hustle of Touristic venues, and the cultural as well as customs that I should be respectfully be aware of as a woman and a tourist.

My adventure to Delhi I must admit was a combination of pollution exhaustion, in awe of its historical significance and landmarks in Old Delhi, as well as discovering the emergence of the New technologically savvy and globally influenced young professionals I encountered in and around New Delhi. These two largest cities in India that I ventured to at the beginning paved the way to venturing into the cities that amplified the larger than life imprints of the Maharajas of Rajasthan in Jaipur, Udaipur and Jaislmer, as well as the influence of the mighty Mughals in Delhi, Agra and the diverse significance of Earth, Wind, & Fire on religious temples & buildings. Leaving me wanting more I let the super moon take me to the foot of the Himalayas, the pilgrimage towns of Rishkeish and Hardiware, that left me a little shocked to see the influence of the Beatles (The band) on sacred grounds, more catered to western tourist than I would have liked it. But also the majestic Ganges River, and the amazing locals that shared their pilgrims with me will forever be imprinted in my heart. My encounter with the Ganges River also took me to Varanasi where my heart stopped for a few seconds observing a wedding, cremation and Hindu sunset celebration in one night, all on the Ganges River. Such acceptance of the different phases of ones life, as well as death and the synergy as such, stayed with me through out my travels in India. My curiosity of the inception on the first glimpse of sexual liberation through art, the Kama Sutra, also led me to venturing to the 3D temple sculptures at Khajuraho. I was not just fascinated by the honesty of the portrayal of life in those days in the temples of Khajuraho, but the ingenuity of the sculptures as well as the tranquility of the environmental settings of all the temples within that region, which also includes the Tiger Park not far away.

In need of relaxation and to fully grasp the high speed at which my senses were working to catch up in India, I made sure I sat still where my intuition felt the need, which happens to be near water, whether it was Udaipur, Varanasi or Goa. I sat still, and marveled at the things I have seen, the people I have meet, how much I was blessed to be able and privileged for so many to open their hearts and homes to make my stay and experience one of marvel, challenge and utter joy. I read a lot wanting to connect the pieces of what I knew, my travels, history, global trade, world politics, experience, knowledge and a few misguided understandings. I wanted more, so I experienced Rajasthan cooking class; garment making & dying, learning the different skills required to make the clothes we wear; went tea tasting to get a feel of the various teas in the world; did heritage walks and audio guides to fully comprehend the influences of the empires that colonized India as well as the Rajs’ of India; and ventured to Hindu/Jain/Buddhist Temples and mosques to immerse myself in the religions of India, tradition and diversity of India. I meet scientists, military men, housewives, business people, royal families, world travelers, people that have quit their jobs for a year or more, and so much more travelers & locals that shared their experience, travels and knowledge, as I patiently asked the whys, how’s and where’s, making me feel at home, as a global traveler. It made me realize I was just part of a nomadic soul that had through time accepted and submitted to my inner quest to be part of the universal calling to create a New Earth. I feel the most at ease with such fellow travelers, a sense of belonging, safety and inner passion as a nomad discovering ones inner make up tested by the unpredictability of the world as well as in Joy with the vast similarities of these fascinating world we call home.

Of all my encounters one will always be imprinted in me forever, it’s the moment in time I knew we are all connected in the universe. After my dessert safari, I wanted to see the Jaislmer castle, so I walked up to the inner parts heading to the ticket office, when a young teenage boy tapped at my shoulder and pointing to my shoes showed me his sack of mending tools, my heart and eyes swelled, I realized he had seen that I was limping a little as my shoe strap was detached and he had wanted to fix it. I realized he was deaf and mute, so holding back the gratitude that he had chosen me, I wanted to seem like a knowledgeably tourist so with sign language we negotiated a price to fix just my one shoe. Quietly he spent almost 30minutes fixing my shoe, and I sat silently letting the moment of being in & around a fairy tale palace setting, and an encounter that warmed my heart. Realizing I was fortunate to be so present to witness the meeting of two soul to exchange greetings and needs. When he finished the one shoe he looked at me and with a few signs told me he wanted to fix my other shoes with the same price, I had a lamp on my throat, I prayed for him and me, bid him thanks and Namaste, and thanked my blessings for such a heartfelt moment in my journey.

And ofcourse the tragedies, war, love stories, religious disputes, trade expansions, unique temple architect, and blend of the global world can clearly be seen in the impressive buildings I witnessed at Taj Mahal & Red fort in Agra, Majid Masgid in Delhi, Khajuraho temple sculptures in Rajasthan, and Varanasi. Leaving me craving to understand, and comprehend the influence of Asia on the world’s social, emotional and intellectual intelligence thus far.

Such was the wealth of knowledge that I felt with my mind, body and soul, and a solidification of the purpose of my existence. I have used travel as a way to move between my past, present and future, as well as to test my inner shifts and balances. By far this phase in my life seems that I have made a good investment internally that has finally meet my outer success, making India a unique part of my personal journey. I am forever grateful to India and everyone that I was blessed to cross paths with to making my journey a blessed one, who knows I might return, as the Indian embassy was kind enough to give me a ten year visa!

Namaste!

By Dutchess @Deldeyoch

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