South India is Tough

When I look back on my travel adventures, there are moments when I can hardly believe that I was the fortunate individual who had the opportunity to experience it all. My journey to South India falls into this category of extraordinary experiences. It was spicy for all my 5 senses: from what you see, hear, and feel, to what you taste and smell.

Some backstory: I was traveling with a small group, accompanied by a local ex-Hindu monk as our guide. Our trip was pilgrimage-themed, so to speak, as we were visiting some fascinating Hindu temples hidden from the gaze of tourists.

I will try to pass you the feeling that I've got from India through my typical storytelling. Culture, personal experience, and insights. As is my intention with every post, I hope to inspire you to embark on your own journey and witness the marvels of India firsthand.

Variety is the spice of life

Upon landing in Delhi, I was immediately struck by the cacophony of noises, the intense heat, and the bewildered expressions all around me. It was a chaotic introduction to a country that seemed to defy simple characterization.

Maybe because plurality is a distinct national feature. Proofs? Take a look at these facts:

You can find here all five climate types: Tropical, Dry, Temperate, Continental, Polar
Three ethnographic groups co-exist in India: White type (Caucasian group), Yellow type (Mongolian group), and Black type (Ethiopian group)
Plus thousands of ethnic groups: Aryan, Kashmiris, Siddi, and moooore
447 languages with 22 of them being official
Four-caste system + the untouchables: The Brahmanas, The Kshatriyas, The Vaisyas, and The Sudras
It is home to six major religions: Hinduism (79.8%), Islam (14.2%), Christianity (2.3%), Sikhism (1.72%), Buddhism (0.7%), and Jainism (0.37%)

There is an explanation and a unifying thread for that (at least in my head). Hinduism is the answer. As the oldest living religion on Earth, dating back more than 4,000 years, it presents a complex tapestry of beliefs and practices. Unlike Western religions, Hinduism lacks a singular prophet or god. Instead, it is a confluence of various religious and philosophical traditions, emphasizing a way of life rather than strict adherence to dogma.

Hinduism followers embrace and live through the multileveled and pluralistic nature of their traditions. Truth can be found through any path, as the god is manifested in everything (don't forget about 2 million Hindu deities).

Let's clarify this. While there are indeed three principal Gods in Hinduism:

Brahma, who creates the universe
Vishnu, who preserves the universe
Shiva, who destroys the universe

They are literally in everything and everyone. It's essential to understand that these deities are not seen as separate entities but rather as manifestations of the divine, known as Brahman. Despite their distinct roles, Brahman is omnipresent and encompasses everything and everyone. However, Brahma is not worshiped with the same fervor as other gods because his role in creation is considered complete. Instead, Hindus worship various expressions of Brahman, which can take diverse forms.

In essence, the belief is that everything is interconnected, and all aspects of existence are manifestations of the divine.

Written and unwritten code of living a life

Whatever you believe in, the ultimate goal of a Hindu is self-knowledge. By knowing one's self, one comes to know God and understand their life purpose. Dharma is among the major guiding principles towards this goal. Dharma's meaning is similar to duty, divine law, and cosmic order, directing one's actions and deeds. In other words, it's all about treating others as you would like to be treated by them (aka the ethical Golden Rule). The laws of dharma apply at the highest level and are believed to be linked to the laws of karma.

Karma is another crucial concept both in Hinduism and Buddhism. It somehow reinforces your dharma, as this cosmic law promises consequences for each of your decisions and actions. Simply put, karma is what you get in this life and the next one for what you have done here and now. Next life?

Yes, death for most Indians isn't the end of everything. It's just another life chapter for your eternal soul that constantly gets reborn in different forms. A term for this cycle is Samsara or reincarnation, which is a quite painful spiritual process. Why? Because you can be born as a pig, tree, star, or literally anything in your next incarnation, depending on your decisions and actions in this life.

For this reason, the ultimate goal for every person is to liberate one's soul from the suffering of rebirth (Samsara). That you can do by reaching Moksha, a kind of release and enlightenment of your soul that reconnects you with the one and only God, and frees you from a messy material life full of hurdles, suffering, and endless lessons. From the psychological point of view, Moksha is about self-knowledge and self-realization – things that can be unlocked through meditation or revelation.

Interestingly enough, due to the collectivism of Eastern cultures, the very concept of happiness and self-realization is often derived from social engagement instead of the independent activities of Western truth-seekers. That's why you will see a lot of collective rituals performed in temples, at home, and on the street.

Meditation is a pretty popular type of spiritual ritual because it's a multifaceted activity that helps to connect the body, mind, and spirit. It's usually performed in solitude, while puja gives a collective flavor to spiritual practice.

As you see, these principles explain, to some extent, the chaotic vibe of India. So, let's move along because there is so much more to tell and show.

A sacred trade or a little bit of glorification

Puja is the worshiping of gods. All you need is a representation of a god (a statue or picture) to whom you bring offerings and forward your prayers. Once again, the recipient doesn't matter much, as we have already learned that there is no deity hierarchy, no single rule book, and no orders that would define and determine a person as a Hindu. Hinduism is a way of life, and it still plays a central and definitive role in the life of many of its people.

There is even proof with numbers and official sources: In India, there are approximately 3.01 million places of worship (more than schools and workplaces). So, temples here are a big deal and the largest community hubs. Hindu temples aren't separate buildings like Chrisitian churches, cathedrals, and basilicas. They consist of the whole complex of buildings, and their structure and symbolism stem from the Vedas (ancient religious texts).

If you look at temples from a birds-eye-view, you will see them structured in concentric circles and squares embodying the elements of the universe: water, air, fire, and aether. You've probably guessed the explanation for this. These structures display a common principle of Indian philosophy about the interconnectedness of everything, giving us the feeling of fractals. Yet again, the primal concepts of karma, moksha, and samsara are 'built-in' in the very structure of the place of worship.

Usually, a temple is dedicated to one god, a statue of which will be placed in the center. While above or under the statue, there will always be a space in the shape of a square. It's a manifestation of the Purusha concept, the impersonal, unchanging, and empty something-and-nothing at the same time that penetrates everything and brings potential things into existence. Super abstract as usual, I know, but that's what Hinduism is about – omnipotent yet very personal truths and principles.

However! There is something brilliant and very much practical about Indian temples as well. I was puzzled when I came across sandboxes placed in many of these sacred territories. Huge 'squares' of sand without any tips or instructions are just existing there peacefully. Only later did I learn that sandbox technology is used during the construction to add sand to the foundation pits so that it acts as a cushion to protect the temple from earthquakes. A clever and visually pleasing trick.

When people have a category or a bit about a caste system

So many paragraphs about rituals and religion, blah blah, you might think. But that's just how it is in India – Hinduism spans all facets of life. Some lousy metaphor to add more weight to my statement: if you are a fish, then Hinduism is like water to you; it's like a natural habitat you live in, not just a part of your life.

This way of life is perfectly paired with Indian castes, the 3000-year-old hierarchical groups that divide people into categories, which are still in use today. Four castes + the untouchables are hereditary, unchangeable, and are based on an individual's karma (work) and dharma (duty).

Even though India is a secular country, and caste discrimination was banned by law in 1948, caste identity is still strong. It continues to play a key role in social norms, values, employment, and marriage. Well, last names almost always indicate a caste of the person.

5 castes in the modern world and their typical occupations:

Brahmans: are engaged in religious education and teaching, priests and academics
Kshatriya: perform different public services, like administration, law and defense
Vaishya: businessmen and other roles connected to commercial activity
Shudra: unskilled workers, usually servants and taxi-drivers
the Untouchables are considered outcasts because they are impure by birth. Meaning that their parents' jobs were about cleaning, sweeping the streets, and preparing bodies for funerals. Actions that involve death corrupt the soul. As you remember, occupations and class are inheritable, making the caste you are born into your permanent burden.

Welcome to the family; you are here forever

This brings us to the family topic, which also has a solid built-in hierarchy and set of rules at its core. In recent decades, the situation with arranged marriages is getting not much but a little better. Raising levels and scope of education and urbanization are slowly but surely loosening the enduring commitment to the caste division. More women are getting into education, and more inter-caste love marriages are happening to some extent only.

As for an outsider, a passing tourist, and a woman, the local social climate still seems pretty hostile. A personal story from my trip:

On our last day, my mum and I decided to explore the capital, New Delhi, without our group and on our own. Well, the atmosphere was pretty tense everywhere we went: men were staring at us without any decency or even the slightest respect. When we were wandering down the city center, a man approached us and said: 'you better leave, it's dangerous here for you two'. Damn, I was scared.

We entered the nearest restaurant for a lemonade, and I asked a waiter to help us call a taxi. You know what? He said they don't do that here. It was the first time that I got into a situation when everyone refused to help. For a wonder, I managed to call an Uber, which is also a hell of a challenge, and we successfully fled that hostile environment.

I don't claim to know everything, but research confirms a sad situation for Indian women in terms of their rights and personal liberties. Marriage is virtually universal, divorce rare, and virtually every marriage produces children. Family elders arrange almost all marriages on the basis of caste, degree of consanguinity, economic status, education (if any), and astrology.

It's not a dress, it's a long piece of fabric

Enough with tough social topics, let's try on some national clothes. Everybody knows it's Indian clothes when one sees these colorful, long pieces of fabric wrapped around women. The locals are immune to globalization when it comes to such traditional treasures as outfits and food.

Clothing for most Indians is also quite simple and typically untailored. Saris for women and mundus for men. Saris are usually very long silk or cotton fabric pieces ranging from four to nine meters in lengths decorated with embroidery. Mundu is a white sheet of cloth the ankle-length that is tucked in over the waist.

How a sari is wrapped varies significantly from one region to another, while shoes are not that important. In rural areas, a majority of people don't wear any shoes at all. Though the higher one's caste is, the more likely one is to wear tailored outfits.

Spicy and vegetarian fuel for body and soul

Closing my long-ish stream of consciousness with something quite (for my taste) delicious and available to everyone. That renowned and hot Indian food. Each state (29 of them) has its own specialties and local twists on the national cuisine.

Common ingredients include rice, curries, hundreds of spices and herbs, chicken, naan bread, dal (combinations of steamed vegetables), chutneys (spreads made from veg/fruit and herbs), masala tea (mixed with milk and spices), yogurt (used as an addition to meals to temper spiciness), sweet and even too sweet for me paste-ish desserts (Indians were the first to produce sugar crystals in 500 BCE).

Some regions consume a strictly non-vegetarian diet and eat chicken, lamb, and even beef (!) Why (!) ? Because traditionally, in Hinduism, cows are regarded as a symbol of non-violence, wealth, and mother-goddess. Milking cows is good because they share their sacred milk, which nourishes the human body and soul. That's why there are lots of cows cruising down the streets, roads, and temples.

Killing one for food is forbidden by law in some places, and however, the scale of this taboo is exaggerated.For instance, in southern Indian state Kerala, beef accounts for nearly half of all meat consumed by all communities, including Hindus.

As for me, I was mostly hungry there because the food I was able to eat (most of it was too spicy even to chew) didn't fill me up.

India is a compulsory country to visit if you want to explore the world

I spent 10 days in south India and New Delhi. To be honest, I was confused from the beginning to the very end. For an outsider, many aspects of Indian culture were the blind spots that didn't let me make sense of the things that seemed natural and integral to locals.

Probably the most annoying national trait is that unconscious inertia of the Indians: they are very slow workers. The thing that I came across a lot was the variations of this situation: one person would be dealing with some request or problem while other members of staff (around 4 fellows) would just be standing by his side and watching without trying to speed things up and actually help him.

Another disappointment that can't be ignored is the level of cleanliness which was freakishly low. It's small things like dusty glasses and stained mirrors and the more significant things like obviously dirty walls and thrash at your feet.

So, if you ask me now: will I ever go back to India? My answer is: not in this life. But I would definitely recommend it to someone who likes unpredictable adventures and is immune to frustrations.

Some books and films

Fiction books and about India from a Hindu perspective that clicked with me:

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
Life of Pi by Yann Marte

Films

Slumdog Millionaire
Salaam Bombay
Water
Jodha Akbar