India evokes opposing emotions and associations in many people.
On the one hand, it brings up images of vibrant colors, women in sarees, beautiful smiles, spirituality, yoga, delicious food, spices, Taj Mahal and much more. On the other hand, India reveals a less pleasant side of itself, with images of poverty, traffic, crowded cities, stomach problems experienced by tourists and poor treatment of women, to name a few.
This dynamic can create confusion in someone who would love to go to India to experience its magic but is also afraid because of everything negative they have read and heard.
While it is true that India can be intimidating, it offers so much more than what meets the eye. Just like the story of “four blind men and the elephant”, what you may have heard about India is either filtered through how other people have experienced it or what you may have read. All those things maybe true but they are not the absolute truth. In the story of four blind men and the elephant, the king tells them that, “An elephant is a large animal and each one of you have touched only one part. If you put the parts together, you will see the truth.”
What are some of your thoughts and beliefs about India that you believe to be absolute truths? What are those “truths” that are keeping you from traveling there?
I was born and brought up in India and moved to U.S when I was 17 years old. I have had a love and hate relationship with India myself, depending on what I was going through in my own personal life and the values I identified with at the time. So, I certainly am aware of how you might feel when you think of traveling there.
I can only share with you some of my own trepidation when it comes to traveling there on my own. Even though I grew up in India, can speak the language and have family still living there, I would not travel alone as a woman.
Why is that?
As a young girl growing up in India, I encountered some unpleasant and uncomfortable harassment whenever I traveled alone. More recently, in 2012, I was in India attending my cousin’s wedding when an infamous incident happened. A gang rape took place in a bus in New Delhi, leading to the tragic death of the young girl. That incident sparked a lot of anger and rage in me. In that moment, I decided that I would never go back to India again.
I realize there were two reasons why I felt so angry, one being that what took place was awful and wrong on so many levels. It brought out the ugly side of some Indian men & society at large. At the same time, it was personal for me. It reminded me of my own encounters with men on a bus when I was traveling alone from Jaipur to Ajmer, where I had gone to a boarding school. In that moment, when I imagined how it could have been me and the fact that I have a young daughter who could experience the same thing, I felt extremely angry. I vowed never to go back.
Fast forward two years when a Peruvian friend asked me to accompany her to India on a business trip. She needed someone who could speak the language and help her navigate the country. I was reluctant to go because of my fears but agreed.
The trip was quite demanding and required traveling within India to cities where I had never been. I was the one responsible for making all travel arrangements within India, making sure we were safe and at the same time taking care of all the business dealings for her. Even though we stayed very busy and hardly had time for any sightseeing, I still ended up having the most amazing time of my life!
Unbeknownst to me, a transformative process was happening within me. In those 10-days, I was once again able to see India with joy. I was able to accept and embrace an imperfect India. I realized that if there is evil and suffering then there is also kindness and beauty. It is up to me what I choose to focus on.
Somehow, somewhere India had done its magic on me. It had healed my wounds. It restored the faith which I had lost. Most importantly, I was able to find peace and happiness in the midst of chaos, both in a literal and a metaphorical sense.
Just like in the story of four blind men and the elephant, if I had believed only one truth about India and had allowed my fears to keep me small, then I would have not only robbed myself but so many others of the gifts I have to offer.
Seeing India with all its beauty and shortcomings has made it possible for me to take people from around the world to India. I have become a vigilant, uncompromising trip planner and at the same time offering an authentic, full immersion experience, not a tourist on a bus tour.
Can you imagine what is possible when you travel with someone who is not only familiar with the country, speaks the local language and knows the culture and who also brings sensitivity, passion and personal connection?
I wouldn’t have bloomed if I hadn’t gone through the dark and turned my suffering into happiness.
I am offering my next Journey to India: Nourishment for the mind, body and spirit this November. If you’d like to join me or would like more information, please contact me at garima@bloomwithgarima.com
I would love to talk to you about this adventure/opportunity and see how it can be a magical experience for you!
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