Namaskar

The rich cultural tradition and rivetting beauty of India has captured the eyes of many. Since time immemorial,there have many dynasties and rulers who have ventured towards the rich heartland of India in pursuit of greater wealth and prosperity.There was a time in history when India was called "The Golden Bird" In 1897,Mark Twain described it as"The land of dreams and romance..."
It is the variety and heterogeniety of India that makes it alluring to the traveller who is eager to understand rather than judge on first acquaitance. India is whatever you want it to be,but never what you expect it to be.Communication in India,where there are 15 assorted languages and umpteen hundred dialects, is sometimes best accomplished in simple english.Yet, attempts to speak the official Hindi are always appreciated.The language follows regular phonetic pronounciation similar to spanish, and the letter "h" is almost always silent, except at the beginning of the word.

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Every morning at dawn, an ancient ritual takes place in the holy city of Varanasi or Banaras.Thousands gather on the banks of the river Ganga and utter holy mantras.Religion is an integral part of the total Hindu tradition.Four of the worlds major faiths have met on the Hindu soil:Hinduism ,Budhism,Christianity and Islam.Despite their apparent differences,these faiths have met in India,influenced each other and,after an initial period of confrontation and conflict, accomodated each other.A famous Indian philosopher had to say"Your call goes out to the Hindus,the Buddhists,the Sikhs,the Jains,the Parsis,the Muslims and the Christians.They all come,gather around your throne,and weave a garland of love for your worship" Though the ethereal mystique of India continues to charm the naive outsider,the country experiences a new wave of changes.We are not far away from the realization of the"global village" The Namaste is the Indian form of greeting with folded hands.A humble welcome to the visitor.The respect given to visitors in India is overwhelming.The visitor is taken as the reincarnation of the Divine.


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sumita@grove.ufl.edu Sumita Singh

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida 32601

Thanks for visiting....India sure captures your eye!