There exists a place with sights beyond imagination, animals roaming free, and food that tastes like heaven on Earth. This place took my breath away, brought tears to my eyes, and put a smile on my face. This place is called India, my home country. I wasn’t born there, but my roots stay deep in the soil and the people.
I’m sure you’re aware that everyone seems to think India is gross. Trust me, I will never stop hearing this. If you think this or have made a joke about it, you would be slightly correct. However, I would never use gross. I will admit it is unsanitary, but what do you expect from a third-world country barely recognized by the rest of the developing world?
While the sights are impeccable and awe-inspiring, the most beautiful part of India is the people. They are the ones to smile first and have the biggest hearts out of anyone you will ever come across. They are also incredibly hardworking and you will never hear them complain about it.
In Indian culture, respect is the key virtue; everyone must embody it. People leave out food bowls for the stray dogs and cows that roam with free will. Cars and scooters will stop for or go around a cow in the road. I had the chance to feed multiple of these “royal” cows and monkeys with their babies and they grabbed the food without hesitation.
India is overwhelming in terms of sights, smells (albeit sometimes unpleasant ones), and sound. For example, in America we only really honk if the person in front of us is moving rather sluggish, but in India, it is courtesy to honk and let people know “Hey, I’m near you”. Some of the trucks even have “Honk OK please” written on the back.
After visiting the magnificent symbol of love, the Taj Mahal, and the royal Pink City of Jaipur, Rajasthan, we traveled to Ahmedabad. For a little background, we went with my grandparents after begging them to take us. Ahmedabad is my Naani’s (grandmother’s) city and it was her last time visiting. In Ahmedabad, I received the best Christmas present I could have ever gotten.
We visited a shelter for blind women where they were taught how to wash their own dishes, do their own laundry, and start to make their own food without using the stove. They learn how to be independent and the shelter supports many of them through education. While we were walking around the place and they were showing us everything, I felt one of the women grab onto my arm to help her through the doorway. She quickly apologized but I helped her through as there was a step up into the room.
I knew this was the place I wanted to donate to, help, or do whatever I could to keep it running. We ended up donating in my mom’s and my name and will keep doing so.
The next place we went was an orphanage. This orphanage isn’t like a lot of the other orphanages you hear about. They have a school, not only for the children staying there but also for anyone in the area who couldn’t afford to go to the private schools that India mostly consists of. They also have physical therapy and other health services. I held a 6-month-old named Mahi and her smiley reaction to my smile made my heart happy.
We also got to meet these lovely ladies who had been there since they were kids and are now 80 years old, but they didn’t want to leave the walls of the orphanage. They get happy when anyone comes to say hi and I wanted to sit with them and share my time with them. They then took us to the school part and we saw the ending prayers of the school day. These prayers were then followed by a quick slide down the slide in the room and they were off.
Ahmedabad is a beautiful city just next to the Sabarmati river and it also contains the home of Mahatma Gandhi, one of our world’s greatest leaders. It was unreal seeing where he and his wife lived, as well as where he started the Salt March.
After that, we went to Visnagar and visited the nearby village of Kharod where my grandfather grew up. We met truly the nicest people in the world. Their names were Savitaba and Amiratdada. Ba and Dada are used at the end to signify respect for your elders. Their son had passed away from cancer and they had given their life savings for his treatment. The dada works as a tailor but doesn’t get a lot of business. When we walked into their home, I immediately tear-ed up because they had the biggest smiles on their face and the fact that they were still able to keep those smiles made me emotional. They even tried to give us money, which we slipped back into the envelope we gave them. This is what I mean when I say that people are beautiful. They are struggling, but still feel they want to give us money out of respect and it would never sit right with us if we took it.
When we were leaving, the ba held my face and was telling me in Gujarati (the language they speak in Gujarat) about how much I reminded her of her granddaughter. I started crying, I lost it, to say the least. They hold a special place in my heart and I had never met them before.
On the day before we left, we visited the nearby public school in Visnagar. We had set up for the school to provide all the students with a warm meal consisting of Poori (a flat, but puffy fried bread) and Channa (garbanzo bean curry-like deliciousness). It combined the foods from each part of India we are from, so it was very symbolic to our family. I handed out the Poori and loved hearing “Janki (I lose the second A in Gujarati) beh beh (which means two).” I had given so many out, that my mouth was watering.
After the meal, the children led in prayers and one of the head teachers taught them the importance of giving back as part of the Gujarati culture. He introduced my amazing mother to share a few words and she did with tears in her eyes. We left the school proud and very hungry for some Poori and sabji my Naani had made.
India completely changes your view on the world after experiencing true humility and gratitude. I will always suggest not fully believing everything you see on social media and making assumptions about a completely different country. India is full of the brightest and most humble people on the planet and it absolutely took my breath away with its intricacies, vibrancy, and beauty.
milan • Jan 28, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Love it!!