‘India Will Stay With Me For Life': The Love-Affair ThatWas The India Experience

Original post: youthkiawaaz.com /2014/11/the-india-experience/

By Anesa Kratovac (IDEX Alumni '14):

Before coming to India, I had an interesting perspective on the life and issues of this vast land that is thebirthplace of so many innovative ideas, goods, religions and cultural diversity. Coming from aninternational affairs background, I also understood plenty about the issues that are ubiquitously faced bymost Indian citizens today, such as poverty, illiteracy, poor healthcare and inadequate infrastructure. Yet,what truly shaped my India experience is the rich complexity of contradictions in everyday life. I’ve trulycome to view my India experience as defined by these contradictions, because it is in them that one cantruly understand the essence of India and its confrontations in tradition and modernity, flexible nature andthe systematic influence of capitalism, reverence towards goddesses and strong patriarchal adherence,public life and private life and urban reality and rural existence (among many others).

Yet, the contradictions that never cease to amaze me are only one part of the story. What also helpedshape the most enjoyable aspects of my life in India are the numerous festivals celebrated throughout theyear, whose rituals I managed to immerse myself in fully and whose many nuances I would not be able tounderstand completely unless I became a full-time student of Hinduism. As someone who has beenimmensely spiritual throughout life (without religious attachments), I’ve also been very fascinated by theinclusion of spiritual symbolism in everyday life- from the popularity of the bindi, to the prevalence of the‘AUM’ symbol in the public domain, to goddesses and gods displayed on every street-corner and theprevalence of Hindu cultural influence in work-place culture and ethics. Ancient India truly permeates thelandscape of modern India in ways that are both very apparent and subtle. The visual feast of someinfluences is truly captivating- from the whiff of incense on the crowded streets to the sounds of templebells, and vision of cows making their home in the modern districts of cities. The chatter, the crowds andthe senses stimulation on every corner truly define the Indian way of life; it is a place where claustrophobiais not acceptable, spontaneous uncertainty is a way of life and dealing well with stress a necessity.

Another aspect of India that I found personally liberating, yet also quite often frustrating (there go thosecontradictions again), is that there is no “definite” in anything; things are easily negotiable, can change atany second and can be neglected in the name of inconvenience. Accountability is missing in all walks oflife, but that in itself is what gives India its rich landscape of complexity and unstructured livelihood thatadds to certain flavours of living in the moment devoid of structure. This is probably why many foreignerswho seek to break away from the monotony of life find certain salvation in the chaos of Indian public lifeand allure in its private traditions and rituals. The bombardment of the senses, the absurdities of life, thenot-so-subtle intrusion of public life into the private landscape, as well as the many small frustrations thatcan come up due to cultural misunderstandings, can invigorate and impassion the most closed-offindividuals… be it through the realization of their own intolerance or through the shifting of their owncomfort levels!

But there is also the other side of experiencing India for the first time and in depth. Certain culturalcomplexities can leave one exhausted, confused and frustrated. Some of my foreign friends feel thispressure on a daily basis, mostly through their grudging commutes to work, but have shared that theexperiences have indeed made them tougher, more tolerant and patient. I do agree; as much as I amgrateful for many luxuries that I am experiencing in my middle-class, Mumbai-based life (especiallycompared to the circumstances of my prior work in Ghana, Africa), there are still certain cultural nuancesthat I confront only because I am foreign. Coming from more open and liberal societies, most of myforeign friends and I also feel we have to revert to the dominant cultural expectations- not because we feelwe have to, but because we feel pressured to do as the locals do. I assume we do this because we have acertain reverence to the culture but also because we want to blend in and feel more home with oursurroundings.

In retrospect, there will be many things I will miss about India. Through many visible contradictions, I got toknow more about this country, and it is through them that domestic discussions are generated aboutIndia’s social issues and progress. I will miss the smells, the colours, and above all, the temples. Hindutemples have left a mark on me; their inviting, open-door nature creates an ambiance of a home away fromhome. The spiritual significance of the many gods they house is always mysterious and transcends anysurface knowledge I can capture from active questioning of those around me. And yes, of course, I willmiss the Indian food! As a long-time vegetarian, India has been my gastric sanctuary. Truth be told, boutsof food poisoning have been interjected with the savouring of sweet, sour and spicy condiments but thatnever stopped me from exploring. The variety of the flavours and dishes is still astounding to me, and, afteralmost six months of living here, I can testify that I’ve only tasted a very small fraction of the culinaryparadise of India. Although, I am aware that I am probably not alone even among the natives themselves!

Spiritual inquiry, especially in the light of my own practice of Buddhist beliefs since college years, haslikewise proven enriching, especially in the light of India being the birthplace of many ancient religions andbeliefs. My avid interest in Hinduism was also satiated through books like the Bhagavad Gita, explorationof street life and various festivals and rituals through which I got to dance the garba and create my ownrangoli for Diwali. I’ve had an artistic love-affair with the henna cone and even painted a three-foot Ganeshpainting on my room wall to watch over me and bestow upon me wisdom and progress. Truly, I can saythat I absorbed India and that India will stay with me for life. Through the sometimes bumpy journey ofmaking the country my temporary home, I’ve come away with a truly unique understanding of my ownidentity through others’ identities and vice versa. It is very clear to me that in experiential novelty alone, wecan learn more than all the books we read combined, and travel is life’s best teacher. So, thank you anduntil next time, India!