Read this new blog where I unravel three reasons that unite India from my experience of travelling from the north of the country to the south. There are a thousand reasons that unite India, however, I shortlisted three reasons that encouraged me to experience new cultures, places and people. Happy Reading!
Being one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse countries, India is home to people who are so different even from their next-door neighbours. Okay, let’s forget the neighbours — one can find diversity within the four walls of a house, inhabiting one family. For instance, I have a Sikh friend who is from the north of India, married to a Hindu from South India, and have children who practice Buddhism.
The language, food, culture, dressing styles, jewellery, temples, skin tones, movies, and a thousand other things change while we journey from north to the south. For this reason, I believe that India itself is an experience — an experience that you will NEVER find anywhere around this world.
Undoubtedly, there are a lot of internal issues and troubles the country faces like the people-dividing politics, the cultural and religious clashes, economic disparities, and a whole lot of other issues. However, I bet that when you step down from a judgemental perspective to a more open-eyed, open mind, and open heart lens, you’ll realise and witness the real India that still lives today in its people. Step out of the fancy cars and walk down the road of experiences — I’m sure you’ll see a very different India, one that you will never forget.
If I start from now, I can go on and on about the problems that this country faces, however, I always get this one question that pops in my head often — If there are so many differences and troubles, what really keeps India stay united and diverse, in short: what keeps it going?
While there is an endless list of what unites India, I will focus on just three aspects (food, beautiful landscapes, and love) from my journey from the capital city of New Delhi to the South Indian State of Andhra Pradesh. [I’ve been writing a few blogs about South India, check them out and give them a read].
1. Food: Discovering identities, cultures, and the environment
Who doesn’t love food, especially one that is full of flavours and spices?
Food is more than just a means of survival. It helps us discover our identities, cultures, and the environment in which we grow up and live. We grow up eating the food that is an integral part of our culture.
When I travelled to Andhra Pradesh, food was one of the best parts of my journey to enjoy. The delicious meals, varieties of dosa, ghee idli, coconut water, mouth-watering pickles, all made my day. I believe there is some art in how we experience and interact with food. Eating different food in new places, cultures and traditions introduces us to the people that belong there. Every community’s unique cuisine reflects its history, culture, lifestyle, and beliefs.
Indian food is exceptionally tasty and mouth-watering. This is an established global fact. When I was studying in England, I had friends from around the world and one thing that a majority of them agreed on was that India has the most delicious food in the whole world. I still remember — when I used to get back from school, my grandmother used to buy me and my sister some delicious South Indian uttapams, made in mixed style (north and south) from Raju bhaiyya. Raju bhaiyya had travelled from Chennai to Delhi to start his own food cafe and we were lucky enough to have his cafe near our home.
It is not wrong to say that food unites us and brings us together and when it comes to India, food is as colourful and diverse as its people.
2. Beautiful Landscapes: The link between the culture and physical geography
I have vastly travelled across the mountains in North India, spending some beautiful moments of my life in the different Himalayan ranges [Read the blog on my connection with the mountains]. In India, it seems like the Himalayas are holding on the northern plains, which in turn are holding on to the plateaus. The plateaus lead us to the coasts and beaches and miraculously take us to the ocean in the deep south.
The links between the culture and physical geography cannot be undermined. It is important to understand that in ancient times, particular cultures developed because of the physical landscape. With rapid globalisation and advancement of technology, cultures exert their influence on the landscape and environment around them. For instance, people living in the mountains are likely to develop a particular culture that adapts to life at a high altitude. Their clothing, food, culture, festivals are impacted by the environment and the landscape around them.
On my journey to South India, I noticed the small yet significant ways how beautiful landscapes encourage tourism and that in turn becomes a way of cultural amalgamation.
3. Love: It unites us
You must be wondering that how is this even a point to make?
Well, I believe that love unites us — be it for family, friends, food, travelling, work, country, etc. When I visited Visakhapatnam, a city in Andhra Pradesh, I noticed a lot of North Indian residents in and around the city, for which one reason is the presence of the Eastern Naval Command of India and the second is the presence of many industries in and around the city. The defence forces are a brilliant example of diversity and love for the country. [Read the blog on my visit to fish harbour in Visakhaptnam].
The love for gathering new experiences, travelling, work and friendships encouraged me to take a journey to the south of the country. The love for food made my journey more exciting and the love for some unique friendships made my journey memorable. Love, therefore, unites us and keeps us going as a country too.
While I look forward to reaching out to more places and people sometime soon in the near future, what keeps you going and makes you a part of the culture or community you belong to?
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