Over 5000 years the quest to spirituality has been a constant rouse for explorers across the world when they happened to arrive to India! That has always been a very important phenomenon of the Indian culture.
Despite that more recently, there has been a troubling side of it, being the repressive rules, the hypocritical approach of many folks irrespective of gender. The lack of awareness to global etiquette while interacting with travelers across the world has been a huge challenge, even so to provoke those tourism ads to educate Indians. While India always has brought a spiritual quest to many travelers and explorers there always are political considerations and factors in play in. Those that aspire towards a more fundamental leaning towards agendas that are meant to control chaos and simply construed as against ‘our Indian culture.’ This is simply a fact that many fail to address or simply choose to ignore!
But as a traveler, a travel blogger and most importantly an Indian, I’d like to say, that no matter what you do there are always two sides to this coin! And the change that is happening, is largely driven by an undercurrent of changing global economy, as well as cultural shift in the paradigm of the world. In light of that, there are some interesting aspects of India, that I’ve found amusing as always, as a traveler. While I’d relate to the thought and reasoning behind these small things, it’s ironic that while you go out there in the world probably imposing endless restrictions upon citizens. Restrictions on matters that are as trivial as what we should eat, what we should watch or many such things. There is a plethora of two faced approach where, in the name of religion anything goes.
Spirituality for us is not significant in the blindness that conquers the rationale of our country, but opens our eyes towards progression and a far larger understanding of what we should be as human beings. As always, religion world over has been an instrument used by people in their quest to power conveniently cite, unless they find value in people who are willing to apostatize their beliefs for their convenience.
To me, travel has certainly broadened my horizon to a greater extent. Travel has given me a perspective that is far wider and different. Especially if you were to compare it to a reason of meaning and belief that exists in your heart. Having said that, there has been the element of tolerance and contempt that conflict my thoughts every time I put on my backpack when I traverse the country.
Every different situation in different regions of the country either inspire me or bring me to a new low that I have probably never imagined. On most trips, I’m either enlightened or completely thrown back into stone age. But no matter what I do, where I go, there is one strong belief that I have which enriches everything about my travel experience. It’s the meandering quest towards a sense of calm and invigorating tryst towards experiencing spirituality despite not knowing the inclination towards it’s religious associations. There are no boundaries when it comes to spirituality especially when you are traversing not just across locations but beliefs that hold true to achieving a greater high, which is far more important than trivial matters of existence.
Travel reaches out to your spiritual roots to find art, imagination, a sense of purpose within history, heritage,nature, food, people, and magical souls that gives you that wider horizon of reality that exists out there in the world. Here are a few pictures that have captured my imagination leaning towards a spiritual belief of a simple admonishing fact that everything aside, Travel is that dose of medicine, that spiritual reality of my existence, that purpose of my life in this world that is constantly exclaiming to crave for more of such experiences across the beautiful country of ours! It is that singular belief, which, when, all said and done reaffirms and assures me that there is still hope…
A herd of horses taking a stroll at their whim at Rohtang Pass
The Magical Mountains of the Himalayas
The Golden Buddha viewing the Mountains
Statue of the Future Buddha
Queen of the HImalayas – Blue Poppy
View of Hampi from Anjaneya
A 61 year old Tibetian refugee manufacturing & selling handicraft since 1972.
Shing Theng – A saleswomans kid outside the monastery
Lamani Woman with her kid near the Lakshmi Temple
Idranna a local kid at the Lakshmi Temple
A Tiger Paw on our trip to Pench
Thai Monastery in Bodh Gaya
The Bodhi Tree
Kerala Backwaters
Fort Kochi – Chinese Fishing Nets
Sunset by the Bridge
Sunrise Enroute Trichy
Sunrise at Kanyakumari
Kanchenjunga Peak
India Gate
Hut @ Pondicherry Beach
Walk across the silent trails towards Vasudhara Waterfalls in Himalayas
Rajasthan: Land of the Kings
A view of the Mahuli Fort in the rains
This little squirrel found playing around inside the Red Fort…
Stone Chariot at Vittala Temple
View of Hampi
Travel Tales 