India—An Ethnic Kaleidoscope
Chandrabhaga Fair, Jhalawar
Image | Chetan Shanker Jha
Guest Contributor | Chetan Shanker Jha
Let’s recall our primary school days. It is no surprise that the story of the elephant and the five blind men—each feeling a different part of the elephant and having a completely different idea of what an elephant is like—is an apt articulation about this exotic land called India. A nation or a “Wonder World” that dazzles with color and chaos, India takes visitors on a journey of soul-stirring encounters. This country boasts a matrix of innumerable co-existing beliefs, a 5000-years old civilization, a home to some of the most colorful and vivid folklore from several ethnic groups, five seasons a year; a festival every day, a smile every second. It’s easy to realize that India is a magical paradox with modern connotations.
India is a rich tapestry of language groups, diverse tribes, and topographic cultures ramified into echelons of vivid social strata for ages. By one count, there are 4,636 separate communities (most of them language groups, tribal groups, or caste groups) that speak 325 languages and belong to 4 distinct ethnic groups. Depending on who is doing the counting and how they are actually counting, it is said that throughout the whole of India, people speak between 300 and 3,000 languages and up to 22,000 dialects. Many Indians are multilingual, sometimes speaking up to 10-12 different languages and dialects. And this is just the tip of the iceberg!
These different ethnic communities often correspond with different customs, dress, food, and cultural expressions such as dance and music, practices, and rituals. The population is not only immense but has also been highly varied throughout recorded history. The socio-cultural invasions of numerous former empires across the country from time to time led to hybrid communities. Modern lifestyles and ancient practices are all superimposed on a heterogeneous socio-cultural base.
India encompasses some of the oldest and most colorful cultures. Travelers from all over the world are attracted to this magnificent dynamism. Across the vast and fertile landscapes, you can discover a history of human civilization that can trace its heritage, customs, and its traditions back to over two millennia.
Festival of Colours
Image | Chetan Shanker Jha
A land of matchless superlatives that reverberates with an astonishing amalgamation of medieval moments and colonial repercussions, India beckons the discerning travelers to imbue in “an unparalleled experience.” For instance, the azure blue mosaics in the streets of “the Blue City,” Jodhpur, contrast with the sonorous metropolis, Mumbai, home to Bollywood and the finance capital. An extravagant seduction of unique architectural turbulence, as is evident in the ancient temples of Tamilnadu (South India) and Khajuraho (Central India), or the iconic world-renowned Taj Mahal in Agra, will simply leave you spellbound!
Toor Ji Ka Jhalra—an 18th-century stepwell, Old City, Jodhpur
Image | Chetan Shanker Jha
The ethnicity across India is a testimony to a dynamic heritage of the country, some of which dates back to more than 2000-3000 years. Along the Ganges River in the northeastern part of the country, the city of Varanasi, which dates back to the 11th century BC and is considered the spiritual capital of India, attracts millions of pilgrims and visitors alike. The fascination with India does not end here—instead, it begins! People inhabiting distant regions still celebrate the same (or similar) festivals on the same days and at the same times but with different names, and at times, with a different set of rituals pertaining to the festival.
Early morning flower vendors at Howrah Bridge in Kolkata
Image | Chetan Shanker Jha
Take Makar Sakranti (pronounced MAA-kaar san-KRAN-tee) for example, a festival celebrated all over the country on January 14, when the sun ascends northwards and enters into the Capricorn zodiac. Thousands of pilgrims across north and central India purge themselves by taking a holy dip in the sacred river Ganges while children go berserk running around in awe of kite-flying. People in the state of Assam and north-east India celebrate it as Magh Bihu. People down south in Tamilnadu have jubilations in the name of Pongal. Those in Punjab dance it out as Lohiri.
Such is the vividness of these festivities that each region has its own delicacies and sweets which are prepared and distributed as ambrosia—the blessed, heavenly food.
Street snacks at a colorful local market, Mumbai
Image | Chetan Shanker Jha
As each community takes pride in celebrating its festivals, many travelers plan their visits to India around these times to be immersed in the locals' lives and add to their most unforgettable moments. Numerous photographers from all over the world congregate to capture legions of priceless and colorful moments. It’s no wonder that a lot of tour operators from around the world sell the festival-specific itineraries, either as premium cultural or photographic tours or even as gourmet trips, since these festivities offer a plethora of exotic food in each region. For instance, milk cake-fudge, a popular Indian sweet, is presented in over 500 different varieties, with the addition of nuts and cherries in many, each being simply tantalizing.
Inevitably, Masala chai—Indian tea blended with different spices—takes the center stage as well. However, during the festive times, every street corner boasts of a different variant of this delicious drink, to which the world now seems to be addicted. The chai latte is available in many countries including predominantly coffee-drinking nations.
A proud female vendor of at a Masala chai shop, Chennai
Image | Chetan Shanker Jha
India's ethnic and regional complexity sets it apart from other nations. You can often tell where somebody is from by the way they are dressed: their headgear in the form of different turbans or the loincloth for men, and lehangas (traditional long skirt) or saris (traditional attire of cloth draped as a skirt and covering for shoulder and head) for women. Sometimes even names give away your geographical roots. With a name, one can surmise people's eating habits, folklore, and traditional beliefs.
India’s soul is hard to describe in words. It is an enchantment, it is a way of life, it is the transmigration of your soul and heart. It is falling in love—with life, with people, with jubilation.
There is so much more to experience in India, the words and space here can’t express it adequately, just like a 4”x6” picture-postcard can’t do justice to this kaleidoscope of what is one of the most intriguing nations in the world—India.
Holi, the Festival of Colours
Image | Murtaza Ali, Pixabay
Chetan Shanker Jha has lead tours across India and Nepal since 2005 (with Intrepid, now called PEAK DMC} and embraces the sentiment “Welcome a visitor, send back a friend (for life)." He has been honored with several awards and nominations from Wanderlust Magazine, UK and PEAK DMC, Chetan understands the importance of my role in making travellers’ holidays memorable. While not guiding, Chetan enjoys birding, photography, food, travel and meeting people. You can follow him on Instagram @jhachetan241 and on Facebook @chetan.s.jha.
