"Reflections of an Unapologetic... " a India Travel Page by lynnehamman

Read A Tryst with Destiny,the famous speech made by Jawaharlal Nehru on Eve of Independence 14 August 1947

There is an old cliche about India - One either loves it, or loathes it. This is true. And the first day of a first visit usually decides that. Its confrontational, its loud. It is noisy, crowded and chaotic. The beggers on the sidewalks, the touts outside shops.....these are difficult for a westerner to comprehend. On our very first visit, as we were driving into Mumbai from the airport, I wondered if we had made a huge mistake in coming . Tin shanties lined the sidewalks, children playing dangerously close to the mad , bumper to bumper traffic.
Then, as our taxi slowed down yet again, I managed to get a glimpse into the doorway of one shack. There was LIFE happening in there.....a mother was bathing her baby, one small boy was sitting in the doorway, eating a banana. They seemed quite normal, and quite content. At least they had a roof overhead, and a place to sleep. Its all relative. They don't miss anything,because they have never had anything.

From then on, we decided that we would try and understand. With a population of over a billion people,and many religious, language & socio-economic differences, India has learned to live with this. And it has for centuries.The people are courageous, strong , gentle & resourceful. They make do with whatever they have to. And very often, do a fine job. Despite violent riots,floods, droughts and the tragedy of Partition,when millions were uprooted and slaughtered - India has become a country that fast overtaking other Asian countries in all areas of economic growth. Scientists, Engineers, Computer Technology. All world class.
But it has other sides too. There are the gentle, rural people who live a life of subsistance off the land.The extremes of weather affect them most. And there are the city-bred , well educated and hard working people.They work hard, and like westerners, are beginning to play hard. Fancy restuarants & night clubs are springing up like mushrooms.

This vast ,diverse country cannot, I believe,all be seen or understood after just one visit. It need much time to discover all that India has to offer. The landscapes are different. Desert. Jungle. Mountains & Valleys.
Mangrove swamps . The mighty Ganges, with all its tributaries. I would love to one day start at the very southernmost point, Trivandrium, and make my way right up to the Himalayas. And from West all the way to Bengal.
Wandering around the crowded streets, I often wonder about how wonderful it must all have been , even just one century ago. Beautiful old buildings, of Mughal style are still there. And ancient Hindu temples. Mumbai & Kolkata have fine buildings, influenced by the Raj. But so much has been neglected, India has been invaded & colonized.,most notably by the Mughals, and the British. Each of these has left their mark. The Mughals introduced the most exquisite architecture, gardens,poetry,music, art and a way of life that was elegant and refined.
The British left India with the Railway, the system that even today is one of the longest and most widely used in the world. Colonial Architecture is evident in all three of the major cities in India. New Delhi, (or as it is often called "Lutyens Delhi") has its wonderful wide avenues like Janpath, and white colonial bungalows. Connought Circus is a hub of activity for modern Delhi dwellers. Mumbai has also the legacy of colonial architecure, evident in the University of Bombay and numerous other buildings.
Calcutta is loaded with British relics......from Buildings to Gravestones, Monuments & The Maidan were destroyed to make way for progress. Progress?????? Not !

India has the oldest LIVING religion left in the world- Hinduism. Visiting Varanasi was testament to their faith, it is a place like nowhere else on earth.

A DEDICATION TO THOSE THAT LOST THEIR LIVES IN MUMBAI

I pray that the terrorism & violence will stop. I love this country,the people, and everything else about it. And no terrorists and their evil actions will ever stop me from being there
26/27 November -Having just watched the tragedy unfold in Mumbai today on CNN, I say Terrorists will not stop me from visiting India- its exactly what they want. To de-stabilise the country. When will anyone take heed of Gandhi's wise words when he said- "AN EYE FOR AN EYE MAKES THE WHOLE WORLD BLIND "?

These pages will tell you more

KOLKATA
Rajsathan
Aurangabad-Ellora Caves
Udaipur
Varanasi
Jaisalmer
Jaipur & Amber
Jodhpur
Chittaurgarh & Fort
Delhi-Old & New
Ahmadabad
Ranthambore National Park
West Bengal & Sunderbans
Agra & Taj Mahal
Dungarpur & Fort
Bundi
Rishikesh

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