*Keep in mind, this is in the perspective of someone who has grown up as an outsider to India. My opinions may be different from those who live in India, but that’s the point of this.
Visiting India and exploring the small towns every year has definitely become progressively more difficult every year, as I am getting older and I have more commitments back at home in New Jersey, but I find it ironic that this year of all years is the one that I am really sitting down to write about my experiences. After all, I’m only staying in India for two weeks this year as opposed to the month-long norm.
From being a new tourist to the breathtaking greenery in Kerala, Taj Mahal in Agra, or the Ganges River, to being a yearly visitor, I suggest being prepared for anything. India is a beautiful place and there’s no other way to put it but there are some issues that arise in regard to cleanliness, at least coming from someone who expects it. I’m telling you to be prepared for this because you won’t enjoy India in its natural state if you’re not satisfied with the conditions in some areas.
The truth is that India’s natural beauty is overlooked because the first thing people see are the various pieces of junk littering the roadsides, forget the enormous amount of noise pollution and dirty windows. I have to admit, you need to learn to see beauty in these things. It’s something you adapt to; the reckless people become a part of the massive yet remarkable population, the dirty windows become a sign of life after life after life, and the junk littering the roadsides add character to the place. This isn’t me saying that littering and uncleanliness is good, it’s just me emphasizing that you can’t see the beauty in India if you don’t learn to love its quirks.
India’s beauty is beyond anything you can see anywhere else in the world. It’s unique to itself, especially in its people. Being the most densely populated country in the world, it’s probably not a big shocker that everywhere you look, there are people. The streets are crawling with people, so much that after a while, they become a blur. But it isn’t this observation that fascinates me; it’s the fact that the peoples’ lives are so blatantly open. Anyone can walk into your house at any time and have a conversation with you before leaving again, you can just leave your house and show up somewhere unannounced- it’s not an uncommon on peculiar thing. Personally, I both love and hate this. I love this because from the days I have stayed in India, I have felt closer to those around me and more connected to those who show up. I feel as if I have an extended family, one that isn’t bound to the same house. It’s a great feeling, really. And why do I hate it? Sometimes I’m too lazy to get ready so early in the morning and someone will show up and see me in my worst state 🙁
However, no matter how much love you send out in the world and no matter how much you feel connected to others, sometimes it isn’t enough. The uncleanliness in India needs to become a health concern of the government- it came to my attention, according to indianexpress.com that the blankets offered by the railway systems or trains in India are only washed once every two months. I understand that it may not be feasible for them to wash blankets after every trip considering the population and amount of people who take the trains, but that shouldn’t be an excuse. If the fact that my dog ate my homework isn’t an excuse, neither should this. So anyway, being someone who won’t even touch the doorknob to a public bathroom without either using tissue paper (there you go) or hand sanitizer afterwards, you can imagine how horrified I was- actually, still am. I even used the blanket provided by the AC compartment on an Indian train last year on my way from Kerala to Chennai. I can’t even imagine how people who use these trains and blankets on a regular basis feel. And this definitely isn’t an issue that doesn’t bother Indian civilians and only foreign visitors- it’s something that will probably never be accepted by the public of any kind because at the end of the day, who wants to use a blanket that has been passed down from strangers for two months? This is where the government needs to step in and be proactive. The population isn’t an excuse. Do something!
I’m sure that this isn’t a problem solely happening in India- we just don’t know about the other countries just yet. So, in conclusion, my advice to anyone thinking of traveling to India, or any other developing country, is just to enjoy themselves and don’t let things like these shock you like they shocked me. Bring bug spray and toilet paper, keep your suitcases closed, and always remember that under all of this are stunning landscapes and structures just waiting to be uncovered. Forgive my cheesiness. `