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Here are some images of India that we feel can be reduced to nearest trash bin in the recesses of our mind. Welcome to India but don't expect the following here
Photo Courtesy: plusgood
Sages, yoga and mysticism - Too much has been written about the 'Mystical India' and 'finding peace' after visiting the Orient. If you ask me honestly, I will tell you. being an Indian, I could do with some much needed peace myself. The cities are choc-a-bloc filled with all the gifts that advanced countries have offered to mankind and villages are on the cusp of shedding tradition for modernity. Don't come here expecting to find sages and some profound inner peace or meaning of life being offered to you at every street corner or for that matter even in the 'holy' cities of India.
Photo courtesy: diametrik
Elephants and snake charmers - News flash! It's some time now since snake charming has been banned in India and elephants..err.. most elephants stay where they should be - in jungles or in zoos. Though if you have the gumption and the cash, I would advice you to pay a visit to the Vadi tribe in Gujarat who are traditionally snake charmers and toddlers right from the age of 2 play with deadly cobras as part of their day-to-day life.
The 'real' India - This one is a irony. Most tourists land up here with some vague notion of discovering the 'real' India. Sadly, there is no real or unreal India, it is just India with its contradictions and ironies. So don't be surprised to see high rise buildings next to slums or swanky shopping malls next to roadside tea-vendors. Both are real.
Photo Courtesy: priyamn
Hot and humid India - Dusty old colonial texts and old history books might have given you the impression that there are only three seasons in India - hot, hotter and hottest but that is as true as a Hindustani being a language. For winter afficionados there is always the visit to snow-capped Ladakh or the far-off spectre of Arunachal Pradesh to explore. Like its many contradictions, there are both blazing summers and freezing winters in India.
Photo Courtesy: Itinerant Tightwad
Spices and only spicy food - This one is my favourite. Although vast swarthes of India do have a connection with varied spices and herbs not all Indians love to have spicy food or have their food coated with layers of dripping oil or butter. The people in the Northeastern part of India, for example, would rather prefer their food mild and many dishes are boiled or steamed and close to other South Asian or European countries. With a plethora of eating options for people from across the globe in , finding your preferred dishes was never more easier.
Besides these pointers, there are a host of other things you will not find in India which includes public toilets, but welcome to India, take in its sights and sounds and leave a more satisfied traveller.
