General Impressions of India

I’m writing this on the plane ride back home, after I had some time to process my brief but rich experience in India. Even though I didn’t fall in love with it as I did with parts of Latin America and East Africa, I can honestly say that it is a very rich culture, very different from most that I have experienced so far. Some aspects that stuck out to me:

-It is the first truly gender-segregated society that I have experienced. All restaurant waiters and most shop clerks were men; women often would sit separately from men (as we did on the boat ride in the bird sanctuary); male-female greetings are very reserved and often don’t include a handshake. Even at the airport, men and women went through 2 separate security lanes, and women were body-searched by a woman security officer in a covered booth.

-Personal space: not an existing concept in the culture. People get really close to each other when talking, driving, sitting, etc. People also get pretty loud in conversations and try to touch each other. I never realized how americanized I have become in terms of really needing my personal space until this trip.
-Culture: very rich and very diverse. Bangalore is in Southern India, so the food, culture, clothing, and languages are very different from Northern India. Actually, each state has its own local language, and most people don’t speak very good English, and many don’t even speak Hindi. It was a bit hard communicating to the drivers or at shops/restaraunts.

-Religion: there were many Hindu temples everywhere (dedicated to the 300,000+ gods that Hinduism has). It is definitely a very pagan culture, which I think has affected the way of life and thinking here. There are also Muslims and Christians, seen through the existence of many mosks and Catholic churches/schools/hospitals. There are also Buddhists and Zoroastrians, but they are in the minority. The main three (Hinduism, Muslims, and Christians) generally coexist, but don’t necessarily get along.

-Clothing: since I wore a salwar kamis (long tunic, loose pants, and scarf) several times, I can say with confidence that Indian clothing is very comfortable and can be incredibly beautiful. The saris (traditional female outfit) are usually made out of variations of silk and are incredibly colorful and beautiful; besides, they make a woman look very elegant and dressed up without much effort.

Ancient temples and more shopping

On Sunday morning my boss and I rented a car to visit some ancient Hindu temples located about 2 hours away from Bangalore in an area called Nandi Hills. Once we got into the Indian countryside away from the hustle and bustle of Bangalore, it was a pleasant drive with vinyards and fields along the way. The first temple we visited was located high on the hill and surrounded by a wall made of rocks. This fortress belonged to the famous Tipu sultan who organized quite a resistance to the British. The temple was about a 1000 years old, and unlike the many recent ones in Bangalore with colored exterior, this one was not colored, but preserved in its original style. We had to leave our shoes outside the temple, which, if I recall correctly, was dedicated to the elephant-looking god Ganesh and another manifestation of the main god Vishnu. It was very interesting to observe a mini-ceremony and to watch people pray since the temple is still active today. We then took a mini-tour around the fortress and learned more about the sultan and others who lived there (unfortunately some of it has escaped my memory). We also visited a steep drop from which they used to throw off criminals and prisoners.
Nandi Hills


First temple we visited


We then visited another temple, a much larger one, at the bottom of the hill. It was another very ancient temple, but with several altars and halls. One part of it ha a stadium-like opening with a ceremonial pool in the middle. The architectural style was amazing since every pillar and part of the temple were covered with exquisite stone carvings (see pictures). On the way out we bought some sweet-smelling jasmine flowers to put in our hair...this has actually become an almost everyday ritual for me and my boss. The flowers are picked from the trees and strung on a piece of thread, which then can be put in the hair and grace one with the beautiful aroma all day long.

Second temple




Since we still had a few hours before we had to go back to pack, we decided to go back into the city and do some more shopping. We were also somewhat starved for meat, so we stopped at a steakhouse (filled with expats!) and had a delicious sizzler (way of preparing steak). We spent the rest of the afternoon shopping, and to my shame, I must admit that I was definitely "outshopped" by my boss who, when I was about ready to drop, kept going and buying more and more stuff. One remarkable stop along the shopping route was at a silk shop where in addition to metered goods, they sell saris. It was truly breathtaking to see all the incredibly beautiful and rich designs on colorful silk pieces.

Upon returning to ISEC, I packed, had some more delicious fruit, and headed to the airport for an early AM flight back home. The flight went well despite the running around the terribly disorganized Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. It was sooo amazing to discover that spring has finally come to Washington!