Sare Jahan se achachha Hindustan hamara,
Hum bulbulen hain iski yeh gulistan hamara
Iqbal
In the above prose in place of Hindustan any country’s name would stand true for its citizens. We all love our motherland whether we are Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Americans, British, French, Chinese, Japanese or the mighty Germans. Every soul loves his or her motherland and just like some Advertisement caption – ‘My daddy strongest’ or the ‘best’, we would say ‘Our motherland is the Best’.
You all might consider me a lunatic, stupid, foolish, mad or whatever but I don’t know why even after 50 years of partition I cannot distinguish between the three parts of my country, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, for me its all together as a huge subcontinent. As it had been in the past, a glory for us and a cause of concern and envy to the rest of the world. Yes it is this land which produced martyrs, poets, artists, champions, intellectuals, criminals and general warm loving affectionate people. This is a land of Ashoka the Great as much as of Akhbar the Emperor. Razia Sultan and also of Jhansi Rani Lakshmi Bai. The land of Rabindranath Tagore as well as of Kazi nazrul Islam. We love Jagjit singh as well as of Mehdi Hasan. Do you really think, 50 years of partition, hatred, bloodshed and warfare can drift us apart from the bonding of love, affection and togetherness that we shared for the past ‘x’ thousands years. When Bangladesh is flooded we weep, cause we suffer too. When there’s a draught in Pakistan, India is also at its mercy. Actually nature didn’t construct the landmasses for the barbed wires of 1947.
We eat, drink and breath the same stuff, all polluted. Our poverty line matches with theirs. Our political leaders fight for the kursi just like theirs. When a daughter is married off, she leaves the house with tears in all the three countries, where’s the difference?
Just imagine the most loved and sung song in India –
‘Sare jahan se achha hindustan hamara’ had been written by the national poet (if I am not wrong) of Pakistan, Yes, Iqbal.
And the National Anthem of Bangladesh has been written, composed by a poet whose ancestors were Hindu Brahmins, although his father had got re-christened to Brahmo Samaj, yes I am talking of Rabindranath Tagore and his piece –
Amar sonar Bangla, ami tomay bhalobashi.
Love is every where, in air, in water, in soil and above all in our hearts. We just need to revive ourselves to make this part of the globe the Best.
What to look out for
After all the sentimental talk lets talk about the why anybody should at all come to India.
Attractions: There are so many that one review of 8000 words is a too less place to write about it.
Well, you can taste the heights, the roughs, the depths, the plains, the forests, the deltas, the islands and etc etc. have I left out any other land form that world has, we have all.
You can go trekking and exploring the mighty Himalayas, climb the highest, Mt. Everest. There are other lesser heights too for a comfortable and easy trek.
Hiking to some of our many forest sanctuaries, Gir, Kaziranga, Corbet National Park or the Sudarbans to say Hello to the mighty Royale Bengal Tiger or the one horned Rhino in the Kaziranga Forest. There are plenty others.
A lavishing ride on a camel in the Thar Desert and through the Rajasthan would take you to a period of the Prince and Princesses and their exotic palaces. You can also go round the state in a palatial train, The palace on wheels.
The South of the continent is not left behind in showcasing the beauty, Kerala, Gods Own Land is in its true senses. You can have your entire self rejuvenated in any of the exotic Ayurvedic Centres there. Travel to the Andamans to experience the fun and thrill of travel to an island.
Goa, what should I write, just come and enjoy, especially during the famous Goa carnivals.
Hyderabad, not to be left behind, the land of the Tipu Sultan. Kanyakumari the tip of the country, embracing the Indian Ocean. Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra - amchhi mumbai!!!(although I am not from Mumbai, but still its mine too). Kolkata and Shantiniketan the University of Tagore. Our Capital city, New Delhi, see Qutab Minar, Red Fort, Lotus Temple and many other exciting locations. Oh! How could I forget the famous Taj Mahal in Agra, which is the piece of artistry in white marble built by the Famous Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. India has many more to offer which can’t be jot down here in space constraints.
Come here in any time of the year, each time is good for a particular portion of the massive land. Summers good to visit the North, Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal etc, which experience severe cold temperatures in winter. The rest parts are cool during winters, springs, autumn any time is the best time. Come to Calcutta during Durga Puja to take part in the festivity (You may glimpse the flavor of this festivity from my review on Calcutta). Come to India during Diwali to celebrate the Festival of lights. During Holi to enjoy colours. Take Holy dip in the Holy River Ganges, though polluted in present times, during the famous Kumbh Mela. There’s always an occasion of festivity in the air itself in India as we love to share and care and live a happy life.
Where to stay:
Well all the big cities in our country provides you with exotic, luxury, moderate, inexpensive hotels, motels and rest and guest houses in metros, cities, towns all over the country. Inter state transportation, can avail, air, rail or roads.
Essentials:
Money: Indian Rupees
Your passport, Visa and your identity cards or any other documentation that may be required the embassies would be able to help you better.
Culture, population and language:
India is a nation of vast and vivid culture ranging back to ancient era, from the Mohenjodaro-Harrapan times. Our sculptures, artistry and architectures are so intrinsic that it has been a focus to the world. Our temples, mosques, churches, monasteries, palaces, gardens everything is worth having a number of looks. Well we are the ones who gave the world the most essential digit in the number system, the zero, without which the IT would have not existed.
India is the second most populated country in the world and if population is not checked we would soon become proud of being the most populated nations, thanks to population control and family planning departments.
English is almost the second language to every second Indian in cites and towns, but in the rural and lesser English prone areas you might have to try out your hand in the sign language. India being a vast country of diverse culture, caste and creed, the number of languages spoken around here is innumerous. It’s a shame but it’s a fact that even being a Bengali I don’t understand half of the dialects of the Bengali as spoken in many parts of Bengal (including Bangladesh), leave aside languages from other states. So don’t even try to pick up any Indian language, you will be at lost once you move out from that area where it is spoken.
Continued
