Following a lengthy car journey from Khana National Park to Nagpur (where airport to Mumbai is situated), with the journey taking almost 7 hours along a mix of bumpy roads and tarmac highways interspersed with small villages, larger towns, fields and a log lorry plummeting down the swirling steep hillside into a small wall, yes, you did read that correctly! … we assumed the lorry driver was swerving and trying to stop somewhat abruptly to allow us to pass, then we watched around 7 skinny men pile out of the cab as it was still traveling at speed – no, how wrong we were, as our driver calmly announces ‘brakes had gone’ and off we drove without the offered stop of assistance or a rear view mirror glance!!!! Maybe ‘brakes had gone’ is normal here!!
So, eventually we flew via Air India to Mumbai to stay in a truly magnificent hotel – Taj Mahal Palace … club suite, 24 hour butler, Louis Vuitton, Faberge and diamonds enticing us from hotel boutiques adorning roomy corridors…. not sure how we were placed in here by our travel company but my goodness, what a treat and a stark contrast to jungle ‘huts’ as we overlook the sea and Gateway of India ….
With only one day in this vibrant city, the sounds, colours, smells, infrastructure, poverty, wealth (in equal measures of extreme), people and sheer impact being in India hits you with such force, you cannot help but be captivated and left craving more …. to simply walk the streets, watch and listen – it’s all happening every single day …. Yes, we have seen some sights of beauty and hardship, but my goodness, have we been completely blown away … there is no half way here, you either love it or not, but if the former, you will be left needing to return and trust me, you will be made so very welcome and you will eventually smile a warm smile …
FACTS picked up along travels:
* Wife (usually within older Indian generation) must never call their husband by his first name as it apparently it shortens his life (me thinks, if you get a rotter in that arranged marriage, many offers of cups of tea and individual biscuits should be called from the kitchen, using his name to ensure he hears the kind gesture!!)
*Arranged marriages can only be performed on certain days of the year depending on moon/planet position (?). Checks are completed on lineage (not closer than 4th generation though such options not available in remote villages resulting in some birth defeats …) wealth, religion, food (veg or meat eater) prospects etc … No questions of likes/dislikes, hobbies, career aspirations, favourite tv programme etc considered as most not even options ….. These days youngsters see pictures of proposed match by phone so not a complete surprise but still parents choose ….. !!
*More commonly now, arranged marriages do not come with a Bride dowry. The bride’s parents might give a gift ranging from a washing machine, tv, car or house…
*Weddings last up to a week as various rituals are performed on different days from applying henna to hands etc, dressing bride and groom and applying jewellery, visiting ‘elephant’ god for blessing and generally getting sozzled on the local brew made from ‘Moer’ (?) flowers.
*Every item, ranging from phone to car, is taken to elephant god temple for blessing of longevity – Swastika symbol applied to bonnet of car (with sand type substance) or onto phone box (!) to show item has been blessed – seems this was used by Indian people before Nazi’s took it over.
*Bride’s parents buy all saris/jewellery/food etc for groom’s family and groom’s family buy for Bride’s family … seems competition to be most elaborate wedding rife as thousands of rupees spent to reflect apparent wealth …
*Hundreds of guests turn up to wedding celebration week and are expected to be fed etc for duration … gift they provide is usually around 100 repees (£1!)
*Wives never speak ill of their husbands even if in troubled marriages – may mention it to their mother but no further as shame too high. They simply put up with situation. Divorce too shameful and rare.
*They say class system (untouchables to VIP’s) no longer exists though I have to say, blind eye does appear mostly turned to poverty and slums and we definitely witnessed Indian people within our safari camps not speaking to others as clearly classes differed ….. even in the ‘comments’ book, one Indian family gave special mention to one of their ‘servants’ at the camp and on overhearing a loud American mother speak of how ‘the help’ was providing a meal on their homecoming, still we shudder at others placement of humankind.
The End Bit …..
Never have we seen such extremes – stunning architecture and beauty from times gone by; chaotic streets alive with horns and bicycle bells; greeted by flies in toilets next to kitchens at most eating establishments; preferring to use ‘bush toilet’ to public facilities – certainly a quick learned lesson; towns looking like a bomb has recently and carelessly been dropped aside rickety scaffolding erecting the next concrete monstrosity; dirt and squalor, smiles and grimaces, stenches and scents …. certainly a country to test any strength of relationship as you lean on each other whilst grasping for the only thread of certainty from whence you came – many wealthy seeming so elevated, yet condescending and aloof, justifying their efforts, with others surviving in such poverty and lacking our modern conveniences, cramped living conditions, need for an education as competition for betterment and employment in such great demand, leaving behind the lowest of souls who know their place …. a real eye opener and definitely a wonderful experience …. this was INDIA ….
