Passage BACK to India

Today one of the most predominant questions rising is what is the INDIAN culture? Is it now associated with adaptation of the western culture and losing the identity of traditional Indian values? Having moved to India after my life In the Middle East, I was honestly confused about what our traditions were to begin with, until I went to Phaltan and remembered why India was known for its world famous hospitality and love.

Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts, Pune, organized a field trip to Phaltan, a beautiful and quiet village 4 hours away from Pune. It was a part of an environmental awareness course. So in a way it turned out to be a two way bonus as we experienced the splendor of nature while imploring the rich culture and hospitality of India. We drove into a beautiful farm house owned by Babu Kaka and his family who had been living there since three generations. This place also saw a lot of change in time periods, right from India's glorious period to the colonization and finally the socio economic and environmental changes since independence. Their family welcomed us with a wonderful breakfast that consisted of Poha, Custard Apple and fresh herbal tea. The food was incredible because it was not only of great taste but it was so fresh with all ingredients grown on the organic farm they owned. We walked through the vast farm that was inhabited with various farm animals. The family explained us to how they considered these animals a part of their family and the incredible part was animals that were not likely to display loyalty had also developed a sense of belongingness with the farm and their family. He shared with us a moving story of how a buffalo sacrificed itself to save his life. The lunch was another spectacular experience. The fresh rotis, sabziz, custards and pickles were mouthwatering and kept inviting us back for several rounds.

What was most wonderful was the simplicity and authenticity of their lives. They were genuine honest and extremely hospitable. They welcomed us into their homes and treated us like part of their family and although we were a big group they ensured to attend to all our needs. The cherry on the cake was they had something I rarely saw on the faces of people in the city. A genuine smile. They were truly happy and that showed on every aspect of that trip. I believe that somewhere along the path of developing our lifestyle and materialistic needs, we began to lose out on our identity as true Indians. Our needs turned us away from the values we were known for and took us into a path of monotony to strive for comfort and break some aspects of togetherness and harmony. Just some food for thought: Make a conscious effort to help someone out and be hospitable the next time you get the chance to. This trip has definitely inspired me to do that. Needless to say, I came back home remembering why we say I am proud to be Indian.