By: Namen Lagdiwala
Traveling to India for the first time was definitely an interesting experience for me. Traveling to different countries such as London, France, Bahrain, before reaching India was also my favorite part. I was introduced to many different traditions such as only eating with your right hand, strict vegetarianism, and much more. Visiting all of my relatives was definitely a hassle as I wanted to go sightseeing the different parts of India. Both of my parents grew up in the state of Gujarat, towards the western part of India. I grew up in the US.
Some of the memorable places I have visited were Shimla, Agra, Palitana, and Juhu beach! Shimla is a city located on the mountains near the Himalayan valley. It is a good place to go touring during the summertime. Visiting Shimla was an interesting experience for me as I ended up getting motion sickness while driving. Once we got there, we went horseback riding to the summit where we ate Maggi as it started to rain. Maggi are instant noodles that you can find at almost any South Asian grocery store. However, while horseback riding, I ended up falling down since it was my first time riding a horse.
Visiting Agra, Delhi was also an interesting experience. It was so hot and humid, and I was very surprised to see many people wearing long sleeves and jeans in the heat. While in Agra, I was lucky enough to go visit 1 of the 7 wonders of the world: the Taj Mahal and the Gate of India. It was beautiful.
Next up, we visited Palitana. Palitana is a small town on top of the mountain where there are no roads. You must walk. However, because it is on top of the mountain, you must climb over 3,750 steps to reach the top. You must not wear shoes nor be allowed to drink water as it will be considered unholy. The climb to the top is considered holy because every step you take is sacred to the Jain religion. Due to the town being divine, no one is allowed to stay there overnight, not even the priests. Climbing up to the top was definitely a difficult and tiring process. Climbing down was a breeze however, since it started to rain, it cooled us off.
Palitana Jain Temples (India Times)
Palitana Holy Steps (Jinesh Doshi for Medium)
Palitana Holy Steps, Morning View (Ozzy-Kunnu for Trip Advisor)
Lastly, our trip ended with a trip to Juhu beach. Juhu beach is located in Mumbai and it is known for a great tourist attraction and its beautiful scenery. I loved it.
Although I had many fun memories during my trip, there were a few downfalls. I ended up getting food poisoning from eating street food. I had so much authentic food and was gifted with so many traditional clothes from my relatives. Visiting my relatives was so much fun and now I cannot wait to plan my next visit to India.
Some takeaways I would give to the tourists that are planning a visit would be to have your trip planned beforehand and have everything prepared before you visit. Another thing tourists should expect is the amount of mosquito bites they will get so always have a repellent available. A restaurant I would recommend visiting is called Sizzling Salsa, in Surat. I don’t really remember what I ordered but I do remember that the dessert was immaculate.