Like most Americans, I don’t come from just one culture. I consider myself lucky to have been raised in a half-American, half-Indian household. I have grown up with different aspects of both cultures in my life, and this is something I have always been so grateful for. I think culture is something immensely important to the world we live in because that is what makes it special.
I have visited India multiple times in my life, but the last time had been over five years ago. I was excited to visit again because I knew that, now that I was older, I would be able to view it with greater appreciation.
Whenever I come back from India, I am often asked what it is like. This seemingly simple question is always difficult to answer. That is because India differs from America in practically every respect. It is not easy to know where to begin with this answer, but I am going to try.
Picture a typical busy street near your house. Visualize the stores you drive by. Think about the cars on the street. Take into consideration the number of people on the sidewalk. Do you have a picture? Now take that whole image and flip it completely around. That is a typical Indian street. Let me try to describe it for you:
This street is jammed with cars, and though there may be lanes, no one seems to be paying much attention to them. Squeezed among the many cars are the bright green and yellow three-wheelers or rickshaws carting around over-heated passengers. A few cows somehow manage to wander through the hullabaloo on the street. Alongside them are vendors selling books, magazines, and balloons that blow up to the size of a small child. And that is just the street. The side of the road is a different production altogether. Throngs of people push forward, fighting to get in front of the line at the Bhel Puri stall. The sidewalk is filled beyond capacity; women wearing brightly colored saris, stands of fruits you probably have never seen before, and monkeys all fight for room. The air is thick and smoky with a spicy scent wafting through it. There might not be any music playing, but that seems unlikely. And that is the typical Indian street. Colorful, vibrant, and completely chaotic.
My family comes from the north of India, so when we visit, that is where we go. This time, as usual, we spent a lot of time in New Delhi with my grandparents, shopping and eating and eating and shopping and eating and shopping some more. We went to visit the Taj Mahal, which I hadn’t seen since I was much younger. The Taj Mahal is truly a magnificent sight: massive, towering, and utterly beautiful. We also went to the ancient city of Lucknow to visit cousins, aunts, and uncles we hadn’t seen in ages. Even though years elapse between visits with this part of my family they still greet us with great warmth. Seeing them is a truly touching, lovely experience.
That is the typical list of the things my family does when we visit my father’s home: seeing family, sightseeing, eating, and shopping. This time, however, we decided to do something new. For the first time, my family went south to the state of Kerala.
Even for my father and grandparents, who all grew up in India, Kerala was like a different country with a different language, different food, and different customs.
This is where your Jungle Book image of India fits in. It is here where you will find lush jungle filled with animals and vegetation. We drove along winding roads that cut through all of this, occasionally stopping to take pictures of a waterfall or an adorable — and at times terrifying — gathering of monkeys.
We drove up into the mountains to see the tea plantations. The beauty was indescribable. Misty mountaintops, greenery, hidden waterfalls — it looked like something from a fairytale land like Narnia or Middle Earth.
Closer to the coast of Kerala, the scenery changes. The landscape becomes flatter, and lakes and rivers dominate the scene. On the backwaters, teams were preparing for the annual snake boat races. People pile into long skinny boats and then glide across the water, moving their oars in perfect unison.
Even the way they eat in Kerala is different from the North. Traditionally, Keralan food is served on a banana leaf with dozens of spoonfuls of different curries, pickles, and vegetables placed throughout it. This delicious meal is specific to Kerala and cannot be eaten anywhere else.
There are so many people that are ambivalent about visiting a place like India. They are scared of crowds, dirt, and poverty. But, quite frankly, I think these people are missing the point. India has one of the richest cultures on earth and has so very much to offer. Looking back on all of the experiences I have had in India, I can’t imagine giving up any of them for fear of these things. I feel like I have gained so much by having this culture be a part of my life, and I think others could gain just as much by exposing themselves to this amazing country.