The Foreign experience in India!

First of all, some of the so called 'wild' behavior of the tourists, I have witnessed myself. The thing to remember is that whenever you visit a foreign country you should take care to pay heed to the local customs and traditions. Also, I have posted some guidelines here for the tourists visiting India for the first time.

Remember, India is a huge country and for the most part it is yet to adopt the western way. Just because you see a cow walking on the road that does not mean that the whole of India is backward or is still antiquated. Frankly, I do not see why seeing a cow on the street amazes the foreigners so much. The cows are present in the villages in the west as well, so why is it that an Indian cow can attract so much attention?

Anyway, here are some of the pointers that I think foreign tourists should take a look at,
1. First of all, leave all your perceptions of India back in the west, India is not just about snake charmers, elephants and jungles. There are quite a few tourists who seem to think that Rudyard Kipling's romanticizing of India is all true when it is not.

2. Please take care not to wound the sentiments of any Indians that you may meet, do not mock them or say things about their religion. Remember that most of the Indians, especially in the south know English quite well, even the beggar on the street would know a smattering of English.

3. When you leave the airport or the train station, ask the government official or the tourism board people to help set up your transportation, other wise you are setting yourself to get fleeced. Once you enter India, think in Rupees and not dollars.

4. DO not wear skimpy clothes, it only brings unwelcome attention and what is more it is not appreciated by the locals. I know that the Indian summer can make many a westerner sweat like anything, so do not travel to India in the peak summer season. Remember that India is not LA, so take care to wear modest clothing at all times.

5. Remember to drink plenty of fluids when in India as the heat can really get to you unless you are in the north where the opposite would hold sway, north as in the Himalayas.

6. Remember to buy some stomach medicine and carry it with you at all times as most of the Indian food is 'too spicy' for almost all the westerners. If you are the kind of person who loves a bowl of hot chili, you would love the Indian food.

7. Indians are always ready to help you at the drop of the hat, so if you need assistance, you can probably ask them for assistance. Indians by and large are quite friendly people.

8. When visiting a temple, please take care to heed the local customs, some of them may seem too antiquated to you but it is not your country so remember to follow them accordingly. When it says no photo should be taken in a temple of god, which means no photo. If you do not follow that, it may result in your camera getting confiscated or worse, in you getting arrested.

9. Certain temples are off limits to all foreigners and no exceptions are made as far as this goes, so sorry about that.

10. When you visit an Indian household, remember to take some gift with you. Take care to leave your footwear OUTSIDE the house. most of the Indians do not appreciate you trampling all over their homes with your shoes.

11. Do not hug or kiss an Indian woman as a form of greeting, that may be the norm in the west, but in India, it will result in you getting into a lot of hot water.

12. Above all, remember to be courteous and thank any Indian who helps you. Also, take care not to litter and have a nice time in India!

Time for a Kancheepuram idli?

Right now, it is late morning and I wish that I had a snack or two with a hot kancheepuram idli or two. This idli is not like all the other idli's that one may have come across, rather it is hot, peppery and contains a few herbs or so that gives it a whole new tang.

Kancheepuram, the city of a 1000 temples or so has been in existence for a long time to come and so has this idli that carries the same moniker. To travel to kancheepuram, one can catch a flight to Chennai and from there rent a car/taxi or go by bus to this fabled city. This is a city that is steeped in tradition and if you are planning to flaunt your body by travelling there in a bikini, do not bother to go there at all. This is a city that still believes in the old ways and the quaint thing about all this is the atmosphere here.

One of the places that one must visit in Kancheepuram is the Kamakshi Amman temple, this temple was built by the rulers of the Chola Empire in and around the 14th century and its control lies with the Sankara mutt. The Sankara mutt is another place that one can go to for a peace of mind.

The oldest temple here in Kancheepuram is the Kailashanathar temple and this was built by the Pallava rulers around the 8th century. When you walk in such old temples, one of the things to hit you is the smell of bats. As the temples are old and as the rafters are old, the bats have got themselves a nice and cosy home. Remember that these structures are old and as such, bats and other avian creatures may have made home in these places. All that does is add to the already ancient air of these temples.

Normally, the westerners who visit here have certain preconceptions and all I can say on that is to leave your preconceptions at home where they belong. Please remember that you are not allowed to take photos inside of the temple and if you plan on still doing so, say goodbye to your camera.

The ambiance aside, there are very few decent hotels here in Kancheepuram. This place is literally like a time machine that takes you back a few centuries. All in all it was a very nice experience for me to visit these temples especially the Ekambareshwar temple. This temple has a very nice story to go with it and has a tree that is most definitely a 'must see' one. Have a nice time in Kancheepuram and have a idli or two!