On the roadside, fresh and hot from a pot of bubbling oil, are carefully stacked tiny, golden puffs. Put one between your teeth and bite down. Instantly the frail crust gives way, flooding the mouth with cool, cilantro-flavoured water spiked with chilli. This is great fun, like popping edible balloons. There is extremely joy with each little explosion. The witty little golgappas or pani pooris, created with a subtle sense of humour, are a memorable snack on the road.
Get Indian in your attire
For the ladies, wearing the Indian ‘sari’ will be a delightful experience. After you’ve managed to put on one that is. There is an art to it, which the friendly Indian ladies will only be too happy to help you with. Gentlemen may try out kurta-dhoti and ‘sherwanis’ with the famous gear for the head, turban.
Healing Gems
The Navaratna (nine gems) is an exquisite piece of jewellery and every woman must own one. Traditionally the stone and its weight are decided according to the individual’s astrological chart. The Navratna consists of diamond, ruby, emerald, coral, pearl, sapphire, garnet, topaz and cat’s eye. This combination of gems is considered highly auspicious and is said to protect the wearer.
Join a cookery class
Learn the subtle variations of India’s cuisine and unlock the magic of Indian food. The flavors of Indian food are alluring and fragrant. Fluffy rice, tender morsels of meat and chicken, creamy and aromatic sauces, hot baked breads studded with spices, mouth-tingling chutneys and pickles-all these authentic flavors are yours to be discovered and enjoyed.
Design your hands
Mehendi, “henna coloring” has become the in thing for women. No Indian wedding is complete without mehendi. Whichever part of the country the bride may be from; her hands are adorned with the lovely red hue of mehendi. Visit a local bazaar and get your hands colored. Popular traditional images used in mehendi designs are the peacock, the national bird of India, the lotus flower, and an elephant with a raised trunk- a symbol of good luck. It usually takes over six hours for the mehendi to set properly. The intricate patterns are dabbed with cotton balls doused in sugar syrup and lime juice to make the mehendi darker.
Get married Indian Style
Indian marriages are symbolized by a host of rites and rituals, traditions, pomp and festivity and numerous customs passed down from generation to generation. Take a quick peek into the world of Indian weddings in all their glory by getting married Indian style at a luxurious heritage hotel. The groom dresses in traditional attire and is welcomed by friends with flower garlands by the bride’s ‘close relatives’ (hotel staff and guests in the case of international visitors). The bride and groom exchange garlands during this ceremony. The mahurat or auspicious time for the wedding ceremony is usually set after dinner. The couple walks around the sacred fire. At the end of the ceremony, the newly-weds touch the feet of elders to take their blessings.
Visit an Indian home
Indians are hospitable people and respect religious and social customs. Chances are that if you show an inclination, you will get invited to their homes. Indians have always believed that ‘The Guest is God’.
Learn Yoga by Traveling
Yoga is a system of exercises for physical and mental well being. It was developed about five thousand years ago. It combines stylized poses with deep breathing and meditation. The term Yoga is derived from a Sanskrit word meaning to ‘join together’. The ultimate aim in yoga is to unite the human soul with the universal spirit. There are great opportunities to learn yoga and make it a part of your everyday living.
Watch an Indian film
Be it the Oscars or the friendly neighborhood theatre in our country. Indian movies have made a mark in the world. When in India, it will be a good idea to hop into a movie-theatre and experience an exciting array of drama, emotion and dance & music. You will not only be thoroughly entertained but you may also find enough inspiration to make a flick of your own.
Celebration of goodness over evil
In October a ten-day long festival is celebrated to mark the victory of prince Ram over the evil king Ravana. Ram-Lila, a drama which brings to life the legend of Prince Rama is held in various parts of the country. On the tenth day a huge effigy of Ravana, filled with crackers, is burnt. This becomes a most spectacular display of fire works that fills up the evening sky.
Eat food of a banana leaf
Numerous local restaurants in South India serve their staple. Dosas, griddle-fried pancakes and Idlies, steamed rice dumplings on a banana leaf. It can prove a little awkward to those who have never used their fingers before. But once you get the hang of it, there can be no other way to eat these delicacies.
The Indian Digestive
The Indian paans are famous for their taste and digestive properties. Paans are special leaves commonly had with betel nuts which can also be tailor-made on request with coconut powder, clove, sugar, camphor, gulkand (a sweet paste), etc. Go ahead and eat your heart out and top it up with paan.
Sip tea at a wayside stall
On the way to Kerala’s hill country, Munnar, stop at a tea plantation tea stall and sip a cup of the brew. The cool mountain air makes the experience invigorating. ‘Kawa’ is a light tea, without milk, topped with grated almonds, popular in Jammu and Kashmir. The masala tea served in the Dhabas in north India is another specialty.
Holi-Festival of colors
Welcome to Holi, India’s fluorescent Mardi Gras where no one is safe from being turned into something that resembles a Jackson Pollock canvas. It is the most colorful, friendly battle on earth. Holi is a time for celebrating the arrival of spring and the approaching harvest season. The frenzy takes place all across northern and eastern India. Join in the celebration as vibrantly colored powders are thrown on friends, relatives, and strangers. The festival is accompanied with noisy makeshift parades, feasts and dancing in the streets, and in true Indian fashion.
Explore a village by jeep
Explore the Buddhist mountain kingdom of Ladahk and mysterious Nubra Valley. Wide open spaces, wind across your face, breathtaking, bewitching scenery is what you are driving past different landscapes on mountain roads. The Zankar valley is a particularly challenging area where even a casual visit to a monastery or a remote village settlement involves a rewarding safari. Driving past different landscapes, apple orchards, quaint villages and temples, the tribal districts where the landscape contrasts starkly with the greenery seen earlier; the Great Himalayan jeep safari is an unmatched experience.
Aarti- Homage to the Ganges
In Rishikesh and neighboring Haridwar, each evening, as the sun’s last rays reflect off the boundless waters of the Ganges, people gather for the Aarti. This divine light ceremony is filled with devotional songs. The Aarti, ornate oil lamps, are released into the water. Aarti is a time when people break free from the stresses and strains of everybody’s life, and gather together in joy, reverence and peace. As the bright yellow sun dips in the water, one is filled with a deep sense of bliss and spiritual connection.
Sound and lights
The Lal Quila (Red Fort) is an eloquent reminder of the glory of the Mughal era, and its magnificence simply leaves one awestruck. It is a calm heaven of peace, which helps one to break away from the noisy and busy life outside the walls of the Fort, and transports the visitor to another realm of existence. Sound and light shows, highlighting particular phases of history are held here and are worth attending. The shows are in Hindi and English. Sound and light shows are also held at other important monuments.
Spring ahoy
From the backwaters of Kerala and the waters of Goa to the northern frontiers in Kashmir, cruising on the calm waters surrounded by scenic beauty adds a magical charm to a unique holiday. You could choose to stay on a houseboat or Shikara in Kashmir. Or relax in the Kettuvallams in Kerala, a houseboat made out of jackwood planks sewn together with coir ropes.
Sunset on the dunes
Take a camel safari out into the desert to watch the sunset over miles upon miles of sand. Camp on a solitary oasis, experience the dark starry nights and dance to musicians playing haunting music.
A palace shimmer in the lake
The Lake Palace, Udaipur is one of the most beautiful palaces in the world, arising out of the turquoise waters of the Pichola Lake, an elegant fantasy in white marble. The palace was built in the 17th century on a natural foundation of 4 acre of rock. Run by the Taj Group, the rooms are decorated with cusped arches, inland stones of pink, green lotus leaves and painted mirrors.
A centuries-old eco-tourism efforts
While in Jodhpur, visit the Bishnoi Village. The Bishnoi clan holds a special significance in the culture of India. Their commitment to the natural environment is extraordinary. The basic philosophy of the clan is that all living things have a right to survive and share all resources. In the fifteenth century, Jambhoji, a resident of a village near Jodhpur, had a vision that the cause of the drought that had hit the area and the hardship that followed was caused by people’s interference with nature. Nature protection was given foremost importance in these tents. Since then, the sect has religiously followed these tenets. The blackbuck and the chinkara are not afraid of humans here and are often seen near the villages eating out of the villager’s hand.
In the footsteps of Kipling
Relieve the good old days of the sahibs and shikari (hunter) by going on an elephant safari. Elephants might seem huge, intimidating beasts but they are quite gentle really and one can soon get used to the swaying motion of the elephant’s gait. Travel through the hills and wide river valleys of the Corbett National Park, named after the famous hunter turned conservationist, Jim Corbett. Wild Boar and herds of deer browse the vegetation in this scenic reserve, becoming a convenient prey for the park’s leopards and tigers.
The Darjeeling train journey
Make sure to be on board the Darjeeling Himalayan Train. Described by the Guinness Railway Book as ‘one of the world’s most spectacular’ rail journeys, it is one of the things you must do when you are in India. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is a piece of inspirational railway engineering. A tiny locomotive engine heaves its way up a near-vertical mountain, daily hauling its trainload of men and materials up a climb of over 2000 meters.
An oil massage in Kerala
Ayurvedic massage may have tongue-twisting names, but have close-to guaranteed remedies for many ailments. A synchronized massage uses traditional herbal oils as masseurs knead the body. The effect of this is obvious as the body relieves itself of excess fluids. An unusual feeling of wellness is experienced with Sirodhara, as medicated oil is poured in an even stream onto the forehead, said to pacify and revitalize the mind and body.
Watch a Kathakali dancer apply makeup
A Kathakali performance is a major social events that starts at dusk and goes on through the night. Kathakali is performed only by men. The makeup is so elaborate that it is more like a mask. The materials that comprise the makeup include rice flour for white, the red is made from Vermilion (a red earth such as cinnabar). The black is made from soot. The colours are not merely decoration, but are also a means of portraying characters. For instance, red on the feet is used to symbolize evil character and evil intent.
Stands on the tips of India
Kanya Kumari, the southernmost point of peninsular India, is where the waters of Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea meet- a place from where one can see spectacular sunrises, colourful sunsets and the full moon rising from another part of the sky! A temple dedicated to goddess Kanyakumari is located close to the seashore. Off the coast, on a rocky island, is the memorial to the great Indian philosopher-Swami Vivekananda who sat in meditation here in 1862.
Rajasthani Music
Folk music is a vital part of Rajasthani culture. Through songs the legendary battles of the Rajputs are told. The music engenders both a spirit of identity and provides entertainment as relief from the daily grind of wrenching a living from the inhospitable land.
Visit a spice garden in kerala
A visit to a spice garden is memorable Here one can find spices native to the state growing in a garden. Pull some nutmeg from the bark of a nutmeg tree or wrench out some peppercorns. Owned by families, one can get a glimpse into their simple homes and a taste of their gracious hospitality.
Shopping
India is a paradise for shoppers. From traditional Indian bazaars to modern shopping arcades, India offers splendid buys to suit individual taste and pocket. No matter where you are in the country, you will encounter a bewildering array of shopping options. You could shop for fine brocades, shimmering silks, woolens, cool cottons and a range of other fabrics. There is rich embroidery and mirror work as also an amazing variety of gold and silver jewelry, precious and semi-precious stones, miniature paintings, metal, marble and stone-wares, pottery, jute and bamboo crafts, to choose from.
