Warning: We are not going to get into any touristic information or set out in detail any of the following places.About this information please check our section "The World of the Travelling". In this present section we are going to give personal information such as our own experience from our trips, anecdotes, recommendations,etc; the sort of useful information you search for before beginning your trip on, but impossible to find in any touristic guides.
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INDIA
Perhaps this is the most difficult country for us to describe. When we talk about a different country to ours we usually say it has a different culture. India overcomes any topic. Let´s say that India even being one of the poorest countries it is one of the richest in spirit. Its culture and way of being make Indian people be in a higher position on competitive and materialistic societies.
It is said that you would leave India at the first day you get in there. However, once you have been there you come back. On your third day you start finding out that its innerself and you end up being captivated. A journey to India is more than mere tourism.
When we talk about India we talk about a continent beacuse of its extension (it is the sixth country in extension). Its population will reach the 100,000 milion people at the end of 1999. This country is in the second place as population density. It is a huge mosaic of different cultures, languages and religions. There is a famous saying " In India unity means diversity". To understand this saying we should analyze history a bit. India has been invaded by the Aryans, the Greeks, Escites, Partians, the Turks, the Aphgans, Mongols, the Romans, the Arabs, the British, etc.
There are none other than 1,652 languages and dialects and 15 official languages.
When we talk about India we must also talk about its denominations, which mani ones are:
THE HINDUISM : It is the most important or the most spread. It is not a religion linked to a dogma but a cultural and religious evolution´s result. There are multiple derivations from the Hinduism. Its main characteristic relies on the fact that there is the belief of the soul´s transmigration and people´s reincarnation.
People´s acts throughout life called "The Karma", are not warned in heaven or punished in hell, but in another life. It is not a written sort of religion such as the Gospel, Bible or Koran, but an attitude or way of being.
Hinduists can have hundreds of different Gods, according to their function, or none. Their three main Gods are hierarchially: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.
THE BUDDHISM : Buddha was born in India but paradoxically, the Buddhism is more spread outside India than inside the Asiatic continent. Buddhism does not share the idea of reincarnation with the Hinduism, and has a heaven called "Nirvana". Buddhist doctrine is straight and promotes tolerance prohibitingany sort of violence. This sort of religion is contrary to any superstition and the division of castes.
JAINISM : It is a self-salvation doctrine based on a non high society life. Its most important precept is to respect to all the living creatures, even the most insignificant ones.
It is curious to see how the Jainists take a mosquito carefully out of their mouths with a handkerchief or how they look constantly where they step on, etc.
THE SIKS : It is a religion with characteristics from Hinduism and Islamism. The Siks are monotheistic, however, they behave in reincarnation and soul´s transmigration. They worship the Granth Sahib (Sacred Book). The practising Siks never have their hair cut, so they wear their long hair up in a turban. The Siks neither drink nor smoke and give up any luxury. They consider all the human beings equals, however, they are not peaceful and can even get very violent as fanatics.
THE PARSI : They are monotheistic and in favour of Zaratrusta´s doctrine. They worship the elements, the Fire, the Water, the Earth. Contrary to many religions, they do not burn their bodies but leave them to be devoured by the vultures and then be part of nature´s cycle.
THE ISLAM : This religion consisits of the submission to Ala, islam´s God. Its doctrine is written down in the Koran. They have four basic obligations: praying five times a day; to give on people who need charity; fasting during the sacred month of Ramadan; and make a pilgrimage to the Mecca at least once.
In India there is still a caste organization. Society is divided hierarchically, from the "Brahmen" (the literate superior caste able to make rituals) to the "Pariahs" (hardly to be considered even a caste).
Climate: Generally speaking the weather is mild in the coast and continental in the interior. There are two very differential seasons: the winter is dry and summer is characteristic for its monsoons. Summer months are very hot and sticky due to its high humidity. The best weather takes place from December to March.
The National Currency is the Rupee. Every Rupee is subdivided into 100 Paisas. It is advisable to change your coins before leaving the country . At the airport there is a Currency Office specialized in the purchase of these coins (You must keep the receipt as you have to show them to exchange your currency).
Credit cards are accepted in all the hotels and touristic shops. It is necessary to take with you some rupees but not high quantities.
Documentation: You need a passport valid for six months. Also, a visa is needed.
Airport taxes: At every airport you have to pay 100 rupees.
Photographies: It is difficult to find photographic material in the country, so take it with you from your own place. Everywhere you can video film (but you cannot take photographies ) although by paying some taxes.
Clothing: Wear light cotton dressing. Take a jacket or sweater at nights. Comfortable and sporty shoes. Do not forget to take a raincoat with you, as in summer it rains often and umbrella would not be a good idea due to the large number of pedestrians.
Tips: It is the tip´s country. For many people tips are their only salary. 10 rupees are approximatelly a good percentage.
The category of the hotels (stars) do not follow the International standard.
We have to warn you that the domestic flights go under constant modifications and delays. However, flying is the safest and best means of transport to go through the big distances in this country.
Food: Food is always seasoned with condiments and hot sauces. We do not advise you to eat indigenous food but food at your hotel.
Safety: Generally speaking it is a safe country. A minimum of precaution as everywhere is recommended. At Calcute do not visit the Kali Goddes Temple and surroundings on your own, as there is big fanatism and hatred to foreighners and in consequence it might be dangerous.
Health Measures: It is recommended a vaccination against malaria, cholera and typhus. Also, it would be good to bring with you mosquito repellent and a ammonic stick against bites.
Vanarassi (Benares)- The sacred city. This city is for Hindu peolpe just
the same as Rome and the Mecca for Catholics and Muslims. The whole city is full of temples where more than two hundreds Gods and Goddeses are worshipped, such as ""he Gange´s mother", "Shiva´s God´s mother".
Thousands of pilgrims coming from the furtherst lands of India go to these temples to have a bath in its sacred river and pray.
It is outstanding the labirynth of little streets that go to this river; theses are crowded with people coming and going there; stalls where glass beads and religious items are sold; leprous people wandering around; poor people asking for charity.
The banks of this river is formed by 54 steps which were built more than a century ago. Hindu people place themselves in those steps and pray or offer flowers, written prayers, or their own bodies to this river.
Some metres ahead there are the cremation "Ghats" that work non-stopping. Next to the river´s banks there are the corpses covered with clothes; the bonfire´s smoke raises and the ashes are thrown to the water as an offer. People who can pay the wood to be cremated are priviliged peolpe as their bodies are immediately purified by Ganges mother and ready for reincarnation; on the other hand people who cannot pay the wood are left at the fields to be deavoured by birds and be also purified. Elderly and sick people wait for their death at the banks of this river every day.
Maybe all this is horrifying to us but you should be in India to understand so.
There is a tour by boat to show you the banks of Ganges river.So much noise coming from so many pilgrims whose faces are happy and and mystic. You cannot take photograhps at the "Ghats", though it is allowed with your zoom from the boats.
Calcute´s University is one of the most important in India (capacity for 25,000 students).
There is also the sacred Shiva´s temple called "Vishranet", and the "Wisdom Fountain" is next to it. Then, "Bharatana", where there is an India map built by marble; Durga´s temple, which is kept by monkeys (in most of Indian temples we´ll find wild monkeys and we have to be cautious with them as they are not controlled by health institutions); the palace of Ramnagar (residence of Benare´s maharajah) has become a museum that keeps valuable silver and gold objects, weapons, brocades and a library. Siks guardians (who speak English) if told nicely, show you how they palce their turbans, which are 12 metres height.
There are also the Sarnath gardens where Bhudda made his first speech.
Jaipur- Rajasthan capital is a pictoresque city. Taxis there are the "Tuc-tucs" (motorized tricycles), very characteristic in all Asia, and there are also "Camel taxis".
You can see cows wandering around; these are called "sacred cows" since no harm can be done to them.
The city is surrounded by a wall with seven doors. We point out the cities´palace and the Harva Mahal, which is so-called "the wind palace", a five floor building made by pink sanstone and full of little bay windows.
The most interesting items to buy in Jaipur is silk. The best typical dresses
Such as "Sanhis" and "Punjabis" can be found here. Besides, you can find very cheap and good quality carpets, packed especially for you to travel with no worries of carriage.
An obligatory trip is to Amber fortress, placed on the top of a pictoresque hill. You go up the hill on top of elephants adorned with many pictoresque things. You must not show the tip to the Sherpa, the person who guides the elephant, till you get to the place, as he might ask you for more, not to stop to the final place or get very annoying.
It is interesting to visit the rooms of audience and Kali temple (it is prohibited to take photographs inside and be dresses in leather). In the area of Amber Fountain there are dozens of snake-charmers that make the cobra dance with their characteristic flute.
Agra. It is famous for the Taj Mahal. This wonder is a mausoleum built by the Monghol Shah Jahan in memory of his dear wife. Twuenty-two years were needed to buil it and it is one of the seven wonders. This building is believed to be very the most symmetrical structure in the world, not only for the armony of the building itself but also of its surroundings such as its gardens, lakes, and fountains.
Do not get too disappointed if you are required to leave your cameras at its entrance, as there are proffessional photographers who will take you some photographs for a few rupees if you wish.
The Taj Mahal is built by marble and for this reason it changes its own colour depending on the light. For instance, when it is sunset, it has a red-golden tone. We recommend you to see it also at night as if it is a clear night and there is a bright moon, this monument seems to be of a fluorescent nacre.
In Agra you should also visit the fortress, one of the biggest in the world, which was asked to be built by Akbar.
Khajuraho- There were 85 Jainist and Hindu sanctuaries, however, there are only 22 nowadays. Their erotical statues are very famous.
Madras- It is the biggest city in the South. It has a wide sandy beach, big green areas and beautiful colonial buildings. Distances are great and the monuments or laces of interest very spread around, so, we recommend,in case you do not visit them in a tour, to hire a taxi.
St.George fortress; High Court; Marina ( a gardened area, with immense parks and green areas); St.Thomas Cathedral; Kapaleshwara temple, devoted to Shiva; the State Museum.
Delhi- The capital of India.We must point out: "Red Fortress", a fortifyed city; Jama Masjid ( the biggest Mosque in India); Chandi Chowk (good place to buy silver), a very popular place where you will see crowded streets, full of stores, shops, traders and beggars; Raj Ghat, a very well taken care park with gardens and the grave of Mahatma Ghandi. This tomb is very worshipped by pilgrims who usually go three times around such grave singing chants of freedom.
Calcutta- Benghal´s capital. It is the most populated city in India, with 11 million people. Its harbour is one of the most important in Asia. There are many interesting places to visit such as: the Victoria Memorial; St.Paul Cathedral; The Museum of India; Botanic Gardens; Kali Goddesses´temple to whom human sacrifices were made in the past, and to whom animal sacrifices are made nowadays
.
We recommend you a visit to Howart station at 12 o´clock because you can find at this time of the day even a million people; there are a lot of trains leaving to many different directions in few minutes difference; it is also curious to see the discriminatory way of travelling: there are wagons exclussively for men, and others exclussivelly for women.
Do not miss a visit to the Flower Market , where there are thousands of huts where the flowers are sold, and their inhabitants that are born live and die in filth.
In Calcutta there are many "Rizzo", the most popular taxi there, a sort of carriage ragged by a person.
It is also good to mention the existance of the "Dog Men". These are people who are mutilated when these are born. Their leg tendons are cut
And these are obligued to live for charity all their lives, even by poor people.
It is terrible in India to see how parents abandon their babies. That´s why a religious foundation emerged "Mother Theresa Foundation", who was in charge of rescuing all these abandoned babies and kids and protect them giving them food and lodge. In this light, we know that some parents prefer to mutilate their kids and convert them into "Dog Men" to prevent them from starving. It is sad but true.
Mother Theresa Foundation hostes many leper colonies, assistance residences for sick peolpe, and Homes for the ones under age. Young people who were sheltered here devote their lives searching for abandoned children and bringing them at this place.The Main Charity House of these missionaries is an overwhelming place we could visit by chance due to our plane´s delay. We were told that Mother Theresa was sick and absent from India. This was in 1996. When suddenly, we came acroos her at a gallery. We were extremely happy to encounter and talk to her. We were invited by her to visit her that afternoon at her place and she had the courtesy to invite us with her best maximas:
"The fruit of SILENCE is Prayer "
"The fruit of PRAYER is Faith"
"The fruit of FAITH is Love"
"The fruit of LOVE is Service"
"The fruit of SERVICE is Peace"
God bless you
Mother Theresa