India Collection
When I first went to India, I thought I was going to have an experience like Eat, Pray, Love. But the movies aren’t the real-world, and this trip really had me confronting my pre-conceived notions.
For instance, when I think of cows being sacred, I think of them living peaceful lives out in a pasture – but the reality is that with no one to stop them, they were grazing on garbage in the street. The lived practice of reverence was much different to my imagination.
Similarly, while conceptually I knew the cities would be crowded, experiencing the weaving traffic, the heavy smog and clamor of vehicles, animals and people was a harsh contrast with my expectations of peaceful reflection and meditation.
But amidst and beside the chaos, I did also find a lot of beauty – just not in the way I expected.
Jaipur, the pink city, was big and bold in a way that resonated with my Italian / Latina soul – vibrant colors, intricate patterns, and ornate designs. And I will never forget letting an elephant eat out of my hand!
Mahabalipuram was one of my favorite stops near Chennai – a place where history meets the sea. This was also my first time visiting a beach in India, which was a different experience of the culture, as everyone was still in traditional attire in an environment that has always been casual to me. No bikinis and flip flops here!
Throughout my travels I also visited the capital, Delhi, and Lucknow known for its vegetarian cuisine and listed as one of UNESCO’s 70 gastronomy cities, as well as the Taj Mahal.
Ultimately, I found India to be a place where the past and the present overlap in unexpected ways. Where traditions and history are the underlying fabric that people of today weave their lives through in a beautiful tapestry that continues into the future.
