<\/p>\n

A group of smiling young faces stare back at you from the photograph. Their bodies are thin and semi-clothed, and they are sitting in filth; a stagnated water puddle serves as a befitting background. Kids of slum dwellers in Kolkata are extremely excited at having their picture taken. Their joviality belittles their circumstances. This shot may win a photo contest someday.<\/p>\n

A Sadhu Baba is sitting on a ghat in Varanasi, bestowing spiritual reverence to his followers. Ash-smeared forehead, long graying beard, minimal clothing and a peaceful expression — he has it all. Dried-up flowers and half-used incense sticks — remnants of previous religious ceremonies — are strewn around. The atmosphere symbolizes everything that is holy and spiritual.<\/p>\n

A cow is sitting in the middle of the road in a congested market. Cars, buses and rickshaws all go by without as much as anyone taking another look. Traffic is rowdy, horns are blaring and people are jostling for space to walk. All around, there are old crumbling buildings and older shops, dilapidated signboards and dirty walls.<\/p>\n

This is India as the world sees it.<\/p>\n

The image of India as a country is plagued with clich\u00e9s. In most cases, even before I open a publication or start reading an article or blog about someone\u2019s time in the country, I usually know what\u2019s coming. It\u2019s either a recollection of a resilient experience in a budget hotel somewhere in the depths of the city or a picture of the sunset on the Ganges with (possibly) a floating dead body as the backdrop. Better, a spiritual experience bestowed upon them during their stay in a yogic ashram.<\/p>\n

Every country has elements associated with it that represent and symbolize it — something new that it has to offer. In the case of India, the novelty element manifests itself in the form of the elephants on the road, the beggars on the traffic light signals, the sadhu on the ghats and the villagers carrying pots of water in sweltering summer heat.<\/p>\n

The exoticism of India lies in the picture of the old, emaciated rickshaw-puller or the eunuchs dancing on the streets. This is the picture of India that sells.<\/p>\n

As an Indian, however, I\u2019d say that this picture is biased and incomplete.<\/p>\n

India has another face too: that of being a developing, progressive, educated and culturally diverse nation. A face that is hardly recognized or rarely spoken about, simply because it mirrors itself as something that is not unique for the Western world. To a visitor, visuals of a prosperous life with all its peripherals are not as exciting simply because it\u2019s a life they have been used to for long and in fact have left behind. It’s not what they have come seeking.<\/p>\n

This thought in mind, I spoke to a few friends and acquaintances whom I consider models of modern-day India. Did this generalization, this one-sided representation bother them too? Isn\u2019t this stereotype of being a country of poor, hungry people damaging to India? What does the “other face” consist of? How can it be brought forward to the world?<\/p>\n

Akash is a software developer works for a multinational company in New Delhi. He\u2019s young, opinionated and also an atheist.\u00a0He wonders whether expectations are blinding visitors from the truth. \u201cThe answer is to explore both sides of the coin. Reflections of modern-day India, in the form of a thriving middle class, a growing economy and a youthful global culture may not be interesting to a Westerner per se, but this is a picture that is completely relevant to what a huge part of India is about, especially today.\u201d<\/p>\n

I couldn\u2019t agree more, and I thought of some ways a traveler to India can experience this “other face of India.”<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Meet the Locals<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spend a little more time in the bigger cities interacting with the youngsters as well as with the urban, working-class Indians, to gain an insight into life as it happens on an everyday basis.<\/p>\n

Explore Indian Music<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hindustani classical music is the oldest form of music in the world. Institutes such as the ITC music academy in Kolkata<\/a>\u00a0chronicle this history, and live classical music concerts are frequently held at India International Centre<\/a> in Delhi. Local rock music has evolved as a result of a fusion\u00a0between\u00a0old classical and contemporary sounds. Live gigs by homegrown rock bands like Parikrama and Agnee fill weekend calendars for clubs and lounges all over the country.<\/p>\n

Sample the Food<\/strong><\/p>\n

India has 28 states and 7 union territories, each having a cuisine of its own. Curry doesn\u2019t even begin to cover it. Every state food is distinct, including the spices that are used, the cooking methodology and even how it\u2019s consumed in some cases. Dilli Haat in New Delhi, a traditional open-air handicrafts bazaar, is a one-stop destination for food from every single state in India.<\/p>\n

View the Arts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Indian art forms are versatile starting from local traditional arts like Madhubani and Kalamkari paintings to more modern artwork by well-known Indian painters showcased at venues such as the respective National Gallery of Modern Art museums in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.<\/p>\n

Explore the Architecture<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are 17 different architectural forms present in India. Dravidian architecture, Chaulakya architecture, Rajasthani architecture and Architecture of Kerala are part of this list. Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, the Konark\u00a0and the Sri Venkateshwara Temple in Tirupati are all in South India and are some of the best examples of old intricate forms of Indian architecture.<\/p>\n

*<\/p>\n

One of the reasons why we travel is to expand our own view of the world. Preconceived notions of a country and its culture is detrimental not only to the nation but to the ethos of this purpose as well.<\/p>\n

For someone who belongs to the developed world, the visuals of a less prosperous life, heart-wrenching poverty and soulful spiritualism are extremely attractive because they add meaning and perspective to their travel experience. It\u2019s a testimony to the human spirit and highly fulfilling on a personal level.<\/p>\n

However, it is also important to realize that as a visitor to a country, one carries a greater responsibility — a responsibility to view and then portray that country in its entirety, not just in a way one chooses to see it.<\/p>\n

I’m not advocating telling someone how exactly to travel, or what to see specifically. Instead, I simply raise the question of what responsibilities travelers have while seeing the world.<\/p>\n

Is travel just a personal pursuit, or is it a means to an end? Is it just an avenue for one\u2019s own individual gratification, or is there a greater purpose? Should travel be a medium for spreading awareness about social issues? And should it serve to dispel those preconceived notions so firmly in place within us all?<\/p>\n

What do we owe to the country we choose to visit?<\/p>\n

The answers lie within ourselves. In the end, it\u2019s just a matter of asking the questions.<\/p>\n

By Priyanka Kher<\/strong><\/p>\n

[Pahar Ganj in the morning by Christian Haugen\/Flickr<\/a>;\u00a0Meenakshi Amman Temple by Brad Coy\/Flickr<\/a><\/em>]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

About the Author<\/strong><\/p>\n

Originally from India, Priyanka called New Zealand home for six years and lives in he United States now. Road trips, food and writing constitute the three big loves of her life. She is an optimist who believes that life goes on, no matter what. You can read more about her and her musings at RoadIsWhereTheHeartIs.wordpress.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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