The Colourful Chaos Called India!

This article is meant for those of you who have never been to India but are planning to go. There are some things which you should know in advance - however, there is absolutely NOTHING that can prepare you for such adventure. No matter how much you read about it, how much you know about it, how many Bollywood movies you have seen and how good your Hindi has become - once you come, everything will be upside down in your westernized mind!
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India is HUGE!

The varieties of India are found everywhere. The first thing what fans of India must understand is the fact that this country is literally as big as one third of Europe! Trying to catch up with everything that is going on in just one day on area as big as one third of Europe seems like an impossible task. Therefore, judging a country of this size, which is populated by almost double more people than the whole Europe as well, by some breaking news that find their way to our TV is simply indecent. Being informed about India does not mean to be aware of all current news but actually requires a lot of attention and personal engagement.

The size of India is one third of Europe but its population is twice as big!

India is VARIOUS!

The best word to describe India would be - various. Varieties are on every step from the top to the bottom. Not everywhere people speak the same language, nor they eat the same things, nor they live the same lifestyle. A true fan of India should know at least the main differences between North and South India. This is the point where you should start from to get a better concept of the Indian culture. Next step should be learning about Indian religions, which have a big impact on the culture and behaviour, attitude and manners of the people in general. Residents of such multicultural country come with a different background and are interested in different things. On top of that, it is not equally developed which results in obvious differences among people walking on the street every day. The key point to understand these varieties is to keep the mind open. We know you would be thrilled to jump of the plane and enter into a Bollywood film - but this will not happen :)

An open mind is the key for understanding the varieties of India

India is BEAUTIFUL!

That is right - India in Bollywood films is not what you will experience once you go there and the sooner you remove that concept from your mind, more open you will be for catching its real beauty! What you see in the films is just a small frame filled with desired looks, behaviour and values. It is a good way of observing what is important to the people, however, one should not get confused with reality and film on the screen. Just as it would be ridiculous to expect that everyone is jumping as swiftly as like Lara Croft, singing heavenly like Mariah Carey and is as charming as George Clooney in USA - in the same manner it is ridiculous to expect that every man in India is ready to dance on the street like Hrithik Roshan, every businesswoman looks like Priyanka Chopra and every married couple lives their life happily ever after, feeding each other with sweet laddus every day... after they had run away from their strict parents who did not agree with the marriage. Actors live in the film, characters live in the books and real people live in real world.

Himalayan valley of flowers

India is ASTONISHING!

The warmness and closeness present among Indian relatives and friends is something worth focusing on. Here on the West side of the map many people are not in good relations with their family members and would probably not consider everyone as a "family" like an average Indian does. Families in India are very big and well connected. They nourish their relations as something of the highest value. Therefore, anyone of us can learn more about importance of family and friends from Indians.

Another amazing thing about India is food! So much of different delicious food nowhere will be found! From vegan to vegetarian and meat dishes - all of them prepared in a unique way with exotic flavors get everyone hungry in a second. Eat while you are in India! Let those worries about weight at home because this is a once in a while opportunity.

Last but not the least among the most astonishing things about India is its nature. In this country you can definitely see pure, untouched nature in its best form. From fresh Himalayas and Himalayan valleys to sparkling Ganga and Yamuna - everyone can find something they will love about India. And that is the biggest beauty of it. You might not find exactly what you were expecting over there, but you surely will be amazed... if you are open enough.