Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Tourist attractions - What did you know when you went to India?

What did you know when you went to India?

To say that the most meaningful advice I have received in my life is what my friend Lao Liu said: "Don't go to India if you have nothing to do.

But I was too young to take it seriously. 19 18 When I graduated, I planned to take a graduation trip. Just because I have some spare money on part-time, I quickly found a tour group to fly to India on a flying pig. I packed my luggage and set off the next day in a happy mood. I was the first to arrive at the airport except the tour guide. I recognized the tour guide at the airport at a glance, holding a small flag, yellow skin, big waist and round waist, holding a mobile phone and chatting endlessly. I rushed up to say hello, and the guide told me to sit down and wait for the others to gather. There are 10 people in our group except the tour guide. Most of them are family members Mom and dad have a child and two older students in their fifties and sixties. It seems to be the grandparents of husband and wife.

One: the special smell of India

Speaking of India, my first impression is that this country has a strange smell everywhere, which is very special. When I got off the plane and walked on the passage to the airport building, I smelled that smell. The moment I stepped on the airport, the smell made me happy and excited. It is the smell of god, magic, empire, resurrection and corrupt civilization, mixed with the smell of tens of millions of animals in India, including people and mice. The smell is heartbreaking and the struggle to survive. That's the smell from 10000 restaurants, 5000 temples, shrines, churches and mosques, and from 100 markets specializing in perfumes, spices, incense and flowers.

Second: India fever

Not long after I got off the plane, because of the bad weather in India, I was soaked to the skin and smelled sticky, just like the disgusting experience of splashing a big basin of water on your face before it was dry. On the way to the hotel, my sweat never stopped.

Third: unregulated traffic.

What's the traffic like in India? How to describe it? It's a complete mess. The street is full of car horns, and every car rushes into the street like a racing car. The engine of the bus roared, the shift lever suddenly shifted into gear, and the bus sped past the crowd crowded with baggage porters and pedestrians. People either stand on tiptoe to get out of the way, jump away or take a step sideways. The bus passed by, only a few centimeters away from hitting people. The palm of the car stood on the lowest step of the car door and cursed the crowd with fluent swearing.

Four: The road is full of men taking a bath.

To say that the most interesting thing I experienced on the road was witnessing the wonderful custom of bathing everywhere in the streets of India. Things that are impossible in your own country are really everywhere in India. Indians will take a bath in the busy streets with buckets, covered in soap bubbles, and greet passing Indian grandmothers. I even saw a family sleeping on the road. All the property is three bricks (cookers) for cooking, a board and a plastic sheet for lying down.

Five: India's standing baba

At 7 o'clock in the evening, we went back to the hotel. After dinner, we all went back to our houses to rest. At 8 o'clock the next morning, all the staff gathered to visit the Gate of India. It is one of the most popular and precious landmarks in Mumbai. This 26-meter-long basalt arch combines the architectural style of the Roman Arc de Triomphe with the traditional Hindu and Muslim designs. This is a welcome gesture of King George V and Queen Mary when they visited British India in 19 1 1. This arch is the gateway for the last British army to leave India in 1948 after India declared its independence from Britain.

Today, the Gate of India is one of the most popular gathering places in Mumbai for tourists and locals. Watch yachts and ferries sail into the sea from five piers on both sides of the arch. Enjoy the famous bhelpuri (a crispy and salty snack made of puffed rice and dipped in tamarind sauce) in some street food stalls. Or just spend an hour or two watching this lively scenic spot. Then, go southwest 10 minutes to arrive at Colaba Causeway market, which is a vibrant market selling everything you can imagine. This is one of the cheapest shopping places in Mumbai.

I was dispersed by the crowd in this market. When I found that I couldn't see the guide, I looked around in panic. At this moment, a short man with curly hair was talking to me with a big smile. I made a gesture to him to show that I didn't understand what he was saying. He seems to understand and speak English to me. However, my English is not very good. I stumbled and talked to each other. I heard the word search. I later learned that what he said was to take me to find the most worthwhile places in India. I followed him all the way to the corridor between the two brick buildings Within the walls of the temple, there is a tin roof and a slate floor. A group of people with strange steps entered through a door at the back of the corridor, while others entered and exited through another iron gate at the end of the street. Customers from all over India and all walks of life stood on the wall of the corridor. Everyone is standing. A faucet is installed in the drain pipe near the entrance of the iron gate, and some people drink water or bend over to spit. These strange people walked from one group to another, filling funnel-shaped clay hookahs with marijuana for customers and smoking with everyone. Seeing this incredible sight, I knew I had come to a wonderful place. If it weren't for this man, I might never see him again.

Standing Baba is a person who vows never to sit or lie down again in his life. They stand day and night forever. They eat standing, defecate standing, pray standing, work, sing and even sleep standing. Support your body with a sling when you sleep, so that the weight of your body still falls on your legs, and at the same time prevent you from falling to the ground after you fall asleep. After standing for five to ten years, my legs began to swell. In restless veins, blood flows very slowly and muscles become thicker. The leg is swollen, unlike the leg, there are many varicose veins on the surface. Toes are squeezed out from thick fleshy feet, like elephants' toes. In the next few years, the legs will become thinner and thinner, leaving only bones and a thin layer of skin, as well as shrinking veins that termites have climbed through. That kind of pain is endless and very unbearable. Every time I press it, my feet hurt, such as nails and spears. Baba standing in pain, but they are by no means still. They sway, dance gently, and constantly change their feet from side to side. Anyone who has seen them will be fascinated by that action, just as they are fascinated by the hand movements of the snake charmer who plays the flute.

Some people swear to be so ascetic when they are sixteen or seventeen. They are driven by some kind of mission. As far as other cultures are concerned, the same mission drives people to become priests, rabbis and imams. More elderly men abstain from sex in preparation for death and the next cycle. Many Baba, a businessman, buried himself in the pursuit of happiness, power and money before abstinence. Some saints have gone through other ways of practice, practicing self-punishment and penance, and finally vowed to become standing. There are also some criminals: thieves, murderers, gangsters and even veterans, who swear to endure endless pain to make amends.

At the last moment of departure, the enthusiastic Indian tour guide asked me for a tip and took me back to the hotel where the tour group was located. Whether traveling with a group or alone, I suggest that everyone should be mentally prepared to travel to a place. India's historical sites are still very interesting, especially religion and some sacred temples.