India and Nepal – the amazing world of the Hindu beliefs and treasures which have fascinated the greatest travelers for centuries!!!
You must be the change you want to see in the world. Mahatma Ghandi
The majesty of Taj Mahal, the elephants in Jaipur painted in colourful flowers, the famous ghatas in the holy city of Varanasi, where until today, every day, tens of bodies are burnt and the ashes are thrown into the Ganges River, the colourful saris of the Hindu women, the scent of incenses and oriental spices, and mysterious looks of large dark eyes. You will see such India in every travel brochure and every advertising spot of Incredible India!
Undoubtedly, India is an amazing country – which has for centuries attracted travellers and discoverers, kept Columbus awake at night and fascinated the hippies and gadabouts; nowadays it also enjoys unremitting popularity among the blasé and bored American women who look for the spirituality and the way to renew the inner life. Thanks to the autobiographical novel by Elizabeth Gilbert there is a new fashion to become closed in the ashram, to practise meditation, yoga and to escape from the big world into the poverty and simplicity. These two – poverty and simplicity – should be remembered when travelling to India. It is said that India is the world’s most difficult country for travelers - and there is a lot of truth in this saying. When you are buying a ticket to Delhi and in front of your eyes you have only the pictures from TV commercials and advertising spots, the first encounter with the chaos, rumble, dirt and sometimes striking poverty is always a shock.
Bhārat Gaṇarājya, the Republic of India, is the seventh biggest country in the world, inhabited by 1/5 of the population of the world. There are people everywhere. They move in all possible ways and directions, on foot or by different means of transport – from rickshaws and motorcycles to carts drawn by mules and self-made machines with internal combustion engines. The turmoil is accompanied by cars, which use their hoots as the main means of communication on the incredibly narrow streets. The traffic has one serious limitation – the system of castes, which still defines the social position of man. The cult of holy cows which exists in India until today does not surprise less than the fact that in India there are 330 million Hindu gods. The enormous statues of Shiva and Vishnu rise in the least expected and seemingly uninteresting places, such as the banks of sacred rivers, the foot of sacred mountains or dusty poor villages that you pass by. The variety may be also seen in 21 languages which, by constitution, have been accepted as official languages and languages of instruction in different states. However, in most of the touristy places there is no problem with communicating in English - of course thanks to the times of colonies and the British Empire; but in many places situated off the tourist-beaten path people speak such languages as Konkani, Bodo, Tamil, Hindi-Urdu and Oriya. The architecture of India and its cultural heritage is admired by all visitors.
The Indian cuisine will satisfy vegetarians (Hindu religion forbids eating meat), the lovers of spices, pepper, cardamom, masala, curcuma and curry. The practices of burning dead bodies and throwing the ashes into the Ganges River, meditations which aim at achieving nirvana, aiming at self-liberation, the belief in reincarnation, sadhu (priests) forcing themselves into extreme poverty and asceticism, the monotony of mantra and unusual character of the Hindu religiousness stupefy and bewilder the visitors from different countries. Taking into consideration the fact that on the streets of New Delhi it is easier to see scenes similar to the ones shown in the movie “Slum Dog Millionaire” than to the fairy tale stories of Bollywood productions, once we shift ourselves to the local rhythm, adapt to the customs, respect local rules and remember the basic principles of hygiene and safety, we will see the world which does not exist anywhere else. Strange, mysterious, unspoilt by the civilization - the authentic world of India is full of cruel and frightening beliefs and gods, and has not changed much for many years.
Situated in the central part of the Himalayas between China and India, Nepal is one of those countries you always want to return to. Openness of the mountain people, fresh and crisp air, magnificence of snow-capped mountains (they take up 80% of the country and half of them reach over 6,000 metres above sea level; thanks to this Nepal has become Mecca for alpinists), beautiful Hindu temples and stupas (the only one of its kind Temple of Apes near Katmandu, inhabited by holy apes), easy contact with wild nature, food which is full of scents and tastes, street stalls filled with multicoloured local handicraft – this is why Nepal more and more often appears on the wishlist of many globetrotters.
For those who are interested in different cultures and craving adventure and completely new landscapes, taster, colours and places, Nepal and India are the most suitable destinations.
