Rediscover India – The Mystic Land

India, the mystic land where wisdom put her first step before it went to other lands. Here, the land whose soil is sanctified with so many great sages of all time. Here, in this land travellers keep coming from time immemorial for various tangible and intangible wealth. 

The land stands firm like a rock and tall like the Himalayas after shocks of so many invasions. It is the same land where a culture continues to linger after thousands of years. Who will see such a country where cultural colours, heritage and traditions challenge the tightest of logical buffoonery? 

The aura of India bears witness to her eternal nature, neither a beginning nor end.

India travel overwhelms you the first time you are there, and it is nearly impossible to travel the whole nation in one go. Many travellers come again and again to rediscover and to understand the essence of it. Sometimes people fall in love in such an intense way they simply can’t leave the country. There are many probable reasons to visit the country, so let us look at some different ways to Rediscover India and the land.

​1. Experience village life and experience unity in diversity

Diversity overwhelms travellers, especially those who are absolute  strangers to this land. India is an accumulation of myriad ideas, beliefs, social norms, symbols, values and material objects. Culture is the total culmination of all these aspects, so it ought to be complex, and it’s hard to define in a simple way. You have to experience it to understand it.

Sometimes, it is enjoyable; many times it is a sort of cultural shock. Although India is one of the fastest developing nations with massive growth in technology, digitalisation and changing social habits, the fabrication of this country is essentially spiritual and philosophical, which may seem lost, but it is the foundation of Indian morality. To understand a country’s cultural diversity, you need to go deep into the fabrics of Indian life.

I wouldn’t recommend blindly arriving in any village and trying to experience it, but with some research, you can find villages in India, which are hospitable and fun to experience. It is an extraordinary journey to explore the villages in India with natural beauty, culture and tradition to amuse anyone. The first ground rule is to understand the unwritten rules of the place, especially villages. Be careful and find a local friend who understands the intricacies of the place. 

Villages in mountain areas are always safe. Also, villages in the southern most states like Tamil Nadu, and Kerala are quite good to get first-hand experience to Rediscover India.

​2. Rediscover India in the Himalayan Wilderness

One good thing in India is that you can usually find accommodation even in the remotest areas. And from my own personal experiences, mountain areas, especially in North India; places are safe.

The Himalayas were the first thing that triggered my fascination with travelling there. India is extremely fortunate to be guarded by these mighty peaks, but apart from mightiness, these mountains preserve a myriad of mysteries that intrigue many intrepid travelers.

Whether the stories of faceless, nameless yogis living in the caves of Himalayas, or mysterious skeletal lakes of Roopkund or extremely rare flora and fauna in Himalayas, all of which make it extremely fascinating to visit these mountains at least once. There are many organised treks, most of them start from April or early May, but if you really want to visit the place in complete seclusion, you must visit it during the winter months

Kashmir on the other hand is a different story altogether. You need to be careful, vigilant and need to hurdle lots of bureaucracy to visit certain places.

​3. Rediscover India by Volunteering

If you want to pack your philanthropic ideas along with your flip flops, then you should consider volunteer work in India. Helping others, especially in a culturally diversified country like India is not just fulfilling, but is  also a spectacular way of getting to know the country better.

It is important to accept the culture, however different from your own, plays a pivotal role in doing a volunteer job. You may not experience luxury or things that you are conditioned to enjoy, but there are some magical aspects of it that a true backpacker or traveller just can’t ignore. It is wonderful for self-esteem and confidence; nevertheless, volunteering is not and shouldn’t be a part of an escape from your personal suffering.

There are hundreds of options and it’s not easy to pick the right project for yourself. You should have a cause or something you are passionate about. For example, animal conservation, rural education, children education, organic farming or a community based action project.

4. ​Experience Yoga in Indian Retreats

You don’t have to be flexible as a piece of rubber to experience the joy of yoga. Yoga, from an Indian context doesn’t need a prequalification but is a way of life. It demands commitment and a penchant for lateral thinking. Yoga in the West is popular for its health benefits, a series of exercises that primarily aim to cure physical problems. Although the physical aspect of yoga is undoubtedly important, it is just a tiny part of this whole process.

There are many courses, holidays and retreats around the world to choose from but if it’s your first introduction to yoga or you don’t practise much, then a beginner’s getaway would be ideal. You need to decide what you want from the holiday before you start looking; some retreats are quite serious and you are expected to participate in practice at least twice a day, eat vegetarian food and not drink, whereas some specialist tour operators have designed sun and sand holidays with yoga thrown in.

Image – https://www.flickr.com/photos/9873504@N06/ Soumya IITC, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

​5. Travelling in comfort in India

When planning a luxury or comfort tour in India, it is difficult to know where to begin because the country offers some of the best luxury hotels, trains, resorts and restaurants. Whether you want to spend some days in the tranquil luxury backwaters of Kerala, or chugging along in a luxury “Palace on Wheels”, you can surely travel in comfort and luxury in India.

There are many Hotels in India that offer some of the best luxury experiences in the world.

Many hotels give you an authentic taste in their restaurants, while some also offer attractive packages. If you come for business meetings or events, staying in comfort and experiencing the royal treatment is something that one can look forward to. 

6. ​Visit the Taj once again

You can truly appreciate the work of a genius when you see it for yourself.  This iconic monument, a wonder of the world, deserves multiple visits. From a distance it doesn’t really look real.

There are not enough words or expressions to describe it. You really need to visit and revisit time and time again to experience the Taj for yourself.

When you see it closely, you can imagine the work that went into building it and what a fantastic masterpiece it is! The Persian-inspired garden teems with tourists, but you never find it overcrowded because it is so large.

Rediscover the Taj Mahal and you Rediscover India.

​7. Visit the Beautiful UNESCO Forts and Palaces of Rajasthan

Rajasthan, a State of Royals and a cauldron of heritage, is popular on the tourist circuits. There are many reasons for that popularity. Unless you visit some of its imperial palaces and massive forts, your journey to India will never be complete.

The state is full of these exotic palaces and forts, some are very popular, some less so, nevertheless they cannot be ignored. Six Hill Forts of Rajasthan, spread across Rajasthan, have been clustered as a series and designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
They are Chittor Fort at Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh Fort at Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambore Fort at Sawai Madhopur, Gagron Fort at Jhalawar, Amer Fort at Jaipur and Jaisalmer Fort at Jaisalmer.

The biggest sand dunes are in the Western Rajasthan states of Bikaner and Jaisalmer. 

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