I cannot not start my story of travelling from anywhere else but India. Afterall, I am originally from India. I have now lived in the UK for more than a decade and made a wonderful life here with my wife, but India will always be my motherland. So travelling in India is exactly where I need to start my travel stories from.
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Apart from being a British-Indian, I am also a Bengali and that probably defines me more than anything else. For those who are unaware, a Bengali is normally someone who comes from the region of Bengal, which is situated on the eastern side of the Indian subcontinent. Without going into too much historical detail and the impact of colonisation, Bengal was divided into two in 1905 by the British Raj, East and West Bengal. A political crisis followed, and Bengal was reunited in 1911. Only to be partitioned again in 1947. This time, East Bengal became the dominion of Pakistan and renamed as East Pakistan (till it gained independence in 1971 and became Bangladesh), and West Bengal became a part of the Indian Republic.
Although both sets of my parents’ family hail from East Bengal, partition forced them, like millions of other families, to leave everything they had and flee to West Bengal with their lives and little bit of dignity. So, although I am an Indian, born in West Bengal, my clan is still referred to as “Bangals”, i.e. people who originally hail from East Bengal. If you are interested more about Bengali culture and food, read my blog about the Bengali Fish Curry as a taster.
Anyway, so coming from India, I couldn’t start this journey of documenting my travels from anywhere else but India. However, truth be told, I haven’t travelled a lot in India. For those who have never been to India or a similar sized country, it is probably hard to envisage how big the country is. So, it is practically impossible to travel to all the major cities, towns and sites. Unless perhaps if that is someone’s full time job. In my case, growing up, it was always a case of prioritising other “important” things, like education, first. Having said that, travelling is in the blood of a Bengali.
If a Bengali is not eating or chatting with their friends, they are probably planning for their next holiday. And unlike some western standards, a Bengali (or even Indian) holiday isn’t about going to a seaside resort and relaxing for a week. You relax when you are dead – that seems to be the motto of most Indians when it comes to travel. For Indians, travelling is about exploring a new place, culture and experiencing that place through the lens of the local people. So unsurprisingly, having grown up in that school of thought, I love travelling, exploring and experiencing new things.
Growing up, Kolkata (previously Calcutta) was the most common city for me to visit with my parents. Most of my parents’ extended family lived in and around Kolkata. So almost every year, we would go there during the summer holidays to see the family. It was not really the kind of travel that I have been talking about so far.
The first proper bit of travelling in India I did was when my parents took me to Varanasi. This city is famous all over the world for its spirituality and temples. To be honest, I don’t remember much, apart from a sweet dish called Rabri! If I haven’t mentioned it before, a Bengali’s life pretty much revolves around food. It is the basic building block of our culture and society.
The other place that I vividly remember travelling to, again with my parents, is the seaside city of Puri and the historic town of Konark. Puri Is famous for its Lord Jagganath Temple and Peda, another sweet. Konark, on the other hand, is famous for its ancient Sun Temple. Like many other ancient temples in India, it has a sundial. It was impressive!
As an adult, the first place I visited on my own was Trivandrum, in the beautiful southern state of Kerala. Well, technically, I can’t call it travelling as I was down there for work. However, when I was there, I did go out and out exploring. From it’s beautiful coastline and to some nearby attractions like Kanyakumari. If you want to explore the most beautiful and peaceful beaches in India, I highly recommend you check out Kerala. It is one of my favourite places in India.
Some of the other places I have been able to cover in India are Delhi, Agra, Mumbai, Jaipur and of course Goa. Of these places, as a tourist, I’d probably say Goa is my favourite. So much so that I want to retire there!
But I am far from being done with travelling in India. Every time I go back, I try to go somewhere new. Still on my list are Darjeeling, Jim Corbett National Park, Kashmir, Ladakh, Sikkim, Himachal, Udaipur, Rann of Kutch, the Andaman Islands and so much more!
If you have travelled extensively, or even a little bit in India, what is/are your favourite place(s) that you have been? All recommendations, stories and tips are welcome! Contact me directly or leave a comment below.
Until next time, when I will write about my first foray outside of India, take care all you lovely people!
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