After a surprisingly pleasant forty-eight hours on the train (we traveled in AC) the six of us arrived in Delhi. Sue and David Hudson, who are living in Delhi while they serve as the PC(USA)’s regional liaison and coordinator for South Asia, offered to host us during our stay. Having embraced the practice of Indian hospitality, the Hudsons welcomed us into their home with hugs, delicious (sometimes American!) food, and lively conversation. We were extremely grateful for their boundless generosity, especially when a bout of food poisoning caused us to cancel our trip to Rajasthan and recover on the Hudson’s couch. As Ariel, John, and I lay on our deathbeds, we could not have asked for better honorary parents.
Our time in Delhi, Agra, Mussoorie, Dharamsala, Amritsar, and Goa was a wonderful (and intense) discovery of India’s diversity. We witnessed new people, religions, languages, and landscapes, all of which contribute to the country’s rich and multi-faceted culture. As with our visit to Andhra Pradesh at Christmas, this tour highlighted Kerala’s relative development and offered new insight into the desperation of many of India’s citizens. For instance, in Kerala beggars (mostly adults who have lost an appendage or the ability to walk) frequent train and bus stations. Yet, in Delhi, beggars line street corners waiting for traffic to stop so they can approach auto-rickshaws and car windows. Many of these are children bearing the scars of abuse and mutilation - scars that will theoretically attract the sympathy of passengers. These people are evidence of a country that is becoming increasingly polarized; much like in the United States, the gap between India’s rich and poor is only widening.
Agra, the home of the country’s most majestic monument, was a striking example of the discrepancy between rich and poor. After an early morning visit to the Taj Mahal, Team India decided to scrap the city’s remaining tourist sites and visit ‘the real Agra.’ At this point we were traveling with Pulkit, my best friend from Miami University who is currently living in Delhi with his parents. As a Hindi speaker, Pulkit was able to explain to our auto-rickshaw drivers that we were traveling on a budget and preferred not to pay a fortune on entrance fees. Thus, they gave us a non-traditional tour including a riverside farm with a view of the Taj, a local Hindu temple, and a couple craft shops. This revealed a crumbling city full of laborers who have likely never been inside the gates of India’s main attraction. Yet the nation’s signs of poverty stand against a backdrop of immense natural beauty, rich history, and vibrant culture. India is a land of contrast.
To view my pictures from our ‘All India’ tour, visit my web album.
By Sudie
Also published at www.sudieniesen.com
