India is the most contradicting country I have ever been to. Everywhere you look there’s color, yet pollution can make it appear very dark. It is incredibly loud, yet so filled with peace. The many flowers make the air smell sweet, but a lot of the time you’ll get random whiffs of sewage. All these sights, sounds and smells make for quite the cultural experience! For this blog I want to try my best to describe life in India through these three senses.
Sights-
This country is absolutely beautiful. Most homes are painted in vibrant hues of pinks and blues, each uniquely its own. In front of these houses on the entry way are drawn floral designs, typically white and sprinkled with specks of orange. Rooftops are always a thing, looking over city buildings, rice fields or village huts. As you drive out of the city you are greeted by green fields and blue skies. What you’ll most likely notice in the villages are straw roofs, tall statues of hindu gods, many many farm animals, mass amounts of garbage on the side of the road and a whole lot of joyful kids running around pant-less. The streets are busy and bright, people walking shoulder by shoulder and avoiding the autos that rush by. Small markets are wedged between buildings that stand with giant Telegu posters advertising “american” products. Stands are setup and authentic dishes are made before you. Street vendors push their carts around carrying copious amounts of yellow, red and white flowers. Flowers are everywhere, they line the fences of houses, sit in the long braided hair of the women, are strung around the cows that roam freely and are hand-picked by locals, offered to you as a sign of appreciation for your visit. Women wear beautiful cloths draped over their shoulders, flowing all the way down to their feet. Each item of clothing has a different purpose and is typically multi-colored. Saris are worn by the married women and are bedazzled by silk and gems. Bare feet are usually the shoe of choice. Bangles are stacked on each arm, piercings in almost every nose, wedding rings worn on toes and big sparkly earrings on each lobe. Temples can be seen from miles away and they are everywhere. They’re giant and ornately designed, stretching from the ground up with sculptures of many gods, looks as if its been splashed by a rainbow and is always mostly empty, both physically and spiritually. Though gorgeous the majority of the time, the sights of India occasionally make your heart feel heavy. Seeing first hand the desperation for hope, the desire to worship and the poverty can make this colorful country seem dark. Despite that, what I have seen here has changed my outlook on life and has me in awe of God’s creations!
Sounds-
This is one loud country! Especially on the streets. So. Many. Horns. Not a second goes by where you don’t hear the long sound of a car horn or the short beep of a tuk-tuk. Even from the comforts of your own home you can still hear the commotion of the roads! In your house you hear a lot of pots banging as rice and chai are being made at all times during the day, locals talking very loud across the room at each other and loud fans due to the lack of AC. Even the rural areas of the villages are noisy with conversations, animals and chants being spread throughout speakers. Namaste’s are constantly exchanged when westerners are seen as well as the often asked question- “selfie?” and children yelling “sista! sista!”. Loud Telegu music is played in each restaurant. Silence seems rare, but when it happens even the that can be loud!
Smells-
Boy oh boy, I could write a novel on the smells of India. There is a naturally sweet aroma because of the flowers, but it is often intercepted by the smell of cow (and human) doodoo. The edges of streets are also widely known as a restroom, so sewage lines the walkways and fills the air. Trash is burned on the side of the road and surrounds everything around it. Waste that does make it into toilets are spewed into the bodies of water, causing streams, lakes and oceans to have a peculiar scent. Chai smells like Christmas in a cup, curry and chapati and rice have the familiarity of a Mexican food restaurant. Incense fill each household, along with fires from cooking, giving off a smoky scent. I swear I smell something new each day!
Those are only a few of the sights, sounds and smells that I have personally experienced living in India. I hope this gave you a good picture of my time here!
