Many people involved in photography and filming travel to exotic countries in search of colorful material. And the point here is sometimes not even in architecture and antiquities found underground, but in the very way of life of local residents, in their faces, smiles and cultural characteristics. One of the most famous and popular places in Asia is, of course, India. And in many respects the popularity of this country is due precisely to its color, which is literally in everything, and if some aspects of the life of local residents delight, remember that there will be another side of the coin, which, perhaps, will cause disgust.
As a rule, everyone arrives at Delhi airport. The city is large, and there is something to profit from, but first you will need to settle, and we hope that you have found accommodation for a couple of days before leaving your country. Local flavor will be waiting for you literally at every step. Firstly, the rules of the road - they are not here. It sounds strange, because Delhi is the capital, but there is real chaos on the roadway. The rules themselves, of course, are, but no one observes them and no one really monitors their observance, crazy motor rickshaws overtake each other in the oncoming traffic, and if a traffic jam forms, the concept of “oncoming” simply disappears. By the way, you can't signal the honk near the station - otherwise, because of the hundreds of continuous beeps, it would be impossible to talk. To take pictures of various crazy traffic situations, it is enough to ride an auto rickshaw, especially in the area of the station. On the road, by the way, it is quite possible to meet people selling all sorts of things, even pressed cow dung. This is fuel instead of wood. Right there, these "firewood" are molded with their bare hands, so if you see such "masters" - do not miss it. The station itself is also a curious sight - at night there may well be 4 Indian women sleeping on the floor side by side, covered with blankets, and nearby, on the same floor, two men can whisper political issues with a very serious air. On the second floor, by the way, there is a ticket office for tourists, where some of the tickets are kept. That is, part of the total number of tickets is immediately postponed and is not sold to Indians at the box office on the ground floor, these tickets are designed specifically for foreigners.
There is a market right next to the station in Delhi - there are no such types as in Indian markets anywhere. Moreover, the Indians are so beckoning to buyers that it is impossible to look at it without a smile. There is no point in describing the Indian market, you will see everything for yourself, you can shoot here freely, everyone is just happy. In every city, the market is perhaps one of the most colorful and juicy places where you can walk as if you were a kind of exhibition of impossible food and impossible people. After filming in Delhi, you can go further, and take a ticket in advance, at least a day in advance.
The train is like a separate city. In seated carriages, seats near the windows are more expensive, in the "reserved seat" - three shelves. Sometimes there are so many people on Indian trains that it’s not clear how it doesn’t fall apart at all, let alone what it drives. But - this is in the cheapest cars, you are unlikely to be going to travel in such, although, from the point of view of valuable material, such a car is the very thing.
Traveling around the country by bus can also provide valuable personnel. Bus tickets in India are cheap, to find out the timetable at the bus station, you do not need to know the language, you just need to name the city you need with an interrogative intonation, going up to any driver. Sometimes a huge number of people can be accommodated in such a bus, among whom you can see representatives of all religious movements in India, traders with bales, villagers and sadhus migrating with the rainy season. If your task is to travel and take pictures, so to speak, in photo hunting mode, a bus can be much more convenient than the same train, since there is always a place, you can change direction as you like, it is cheaper, and in each new place you will find some surprise.
While traveling around the country, you will be amazed by every Hindu, every street, every city - everything here is so unusual for our eyes. If we talk about the most picturesque places in India, then these are, of course, Varanasi, aka Benares, as well as Vrindavan, Mathura, Bombay (and especially Bollywood), Amritsar and Kolkata - according to some opinions, the quintessence of Indian contrasts.
It is impossible to live in Calcutta. It is there that you can find incredible poverty and desolation, peeling, with broken windows, once luxurious colonial buildings in the city center, thousands of rickshaws (not moto and not bicycles - just rickshaws), and fantastic slums. And the market .. The market in Kolkata is worth visiting for those who have already visited similar markets, for example, in Delhi, otherwise there is a danger of getting too much culture shock.
Bombay is huge, but not suitable for recreation. Officially, 17 million people live here, but in reality this figure has long exceeded 20. Not far from Bombay is Bollywood - the world famous center of Indian cinema. Bollywood is a vast territory on which the film studios of various film companies are located. There are many tourist offices throughout India offering trips to Bollywood, but most of them are in Bombay, however, you can make a trip to Bollywood on your own, because since 2011 the entrance to this abode of cinema is free. However, you will need to find out in which pavilions, at what time the shooting takes place, so as not to miss the most interesting. By the way, on the set, you can often see brahmanas (priests, priests) who consecrate the site before filming, and sometimes a brahmana can almost run from one set to another.
A separate category of incredibly colorful characters is Indian sadhus. Wandering monks, of whom there are a huge number in India, mostly belonging to countless streams of Hinduism, live their own special life, far from worldly concerns. Sometimes they live at temples, sometimes - near settlements, or, on the contrary, in the jungle or mountain caves. Just take a look at the Naga Sadhu parade during the Kumbh Mela, when several thousand naked, ash-smeared men walk along the main street of the festival with songs and shouts. The time of the parade is usually the same day as the Royal Ablution. Kumbha Mela is held in Allahabad, Ujjain, Nashik and Haridwar. In 2015 (August 15 - September 15), and 2016 (from April 22 to May 21), it will be held in Ujjain and Nashik, respectively, the full schedule of events, as a rule, becomes known about a month before the festival, however, the program may be a little change. In 2007, according to official data, 70,000,000 (!!!) people took part in the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad.
This event is very big and definitely worth visiting, and even if you come and shoot a film within the framework of this festival, you will capture the Indian flavor almost to the full. All sides of the semi-primitive Indian life are seen here as best as possible, however, all these people come from somewhere, and go somewhere after the festival. The most famous places where you can find a large number of sadhus are Varanasi, Rishikesh, Kathmandu (Nepal), Vrindavan, Mathura, and almost any city with an ancient temple. By the way, Vrindavan is interesting not only for its Indian flavor, but also for a large number of European Vaishnavas (Hare Krishnas) who sometimes behave very funny and even wildly.
The number of burglaries and robberies in India is very low, however, caution should still be exercised. It is better for women not to travel alone, as there are cases of sexual harassment, and if we talk about Calcutta, then a woman should definitely not wander here alone. If it so happened that you want to wander around, but you don't have anyone, spend time in the center, in crowded places, where you can immediately turn to the police or passers-by for help. Usually, people react immediately, thieves are caught and beaten right on the street, although not very hard. Then the police will inevitably wait for them.
In dealing with a sadhu, show respect and remember - if he begs for money from you, then this is most likely a disguised beggar. When talking with ordinary people, show courtesy and restraint, do not invite anyone into your room and do not allow excessive familiarity.
A separate category of sadhus is aghori. They can be found in places with the ancient temple of God Shiva and smashan (a place where corpses were burned), it is believed that they are the most in Varanasi and its environs. Followers of this ancient teaching perform rituals at cremation sites, eat feces and urine, sometimes even the flesh of corpses, worship the wrathful forms of Shiva and Shakti, and unite their consciousness with the harsh, dark sides of life. To see, and even more so, to capture any of their rituals, is a great success, since they are usually carried out at night. One more point - you shouldn't try to talk to the Aghori, as his worldview is very radically different from yours. He may even launch a rock or a piece of dog droppings at you, making it clear that communicating with him will require an unformatted consciousness from you, free from patterns and prejudices. So you better shoot them from a distance. Many Aghori sadhus live in the vicinity of Rishikesh and Kathmandu (Nepal), where, by the way, is the Pashupatinath temple with smashan. By the way, one of the governors of GOA, after leaving his post, left his home and went to the Aghori sect, like his son. For Europeans, such extremes may seem like demonic barbarism, however, they are not. The civilization of India is one of the oldest, their religion and picture of the world are very deep, it is simply not worth measuring them with our formatted thinking. To understand the worldview of these people, their picture of the world, it may not be worth condemning them. If you are ready to look at this culture through the eyes of a child, not only an interesting adventure awaits you, but also many discoveries, including in yourself.
India is a wise and colorful country, where every traveler will find something of his own. Everyone comes here: wealthy and not so wealthy, party-goers and seekers of sacred truths, lovers of measured relaxation on white beaches and tourists eager to ride on elephants.
Beach vacation
A huge number of beach lovers come to India, because some of the best and most picturesque beaches in the world are located here. The beaches located in the state of Goa are famous all over the world. The southern coast is chosen by adherents of civilized recreation. It is here that the comfortable hotels and the best water sports centers in India are located. The most incendiary parties take place on the beaches of Mumbai. Not only representatives of the local elite flock here, but also famous personalities of Europe.
In the northern part of the state, tourists who prefer an "easy" budget vacation stay. Lovers of solitude and wildlife choose the beaches of the Lakshadweep Islands. It is believed to be the best place in India to explore the underwater world. The state of Kerala offers not only beach activities, but also relaxation on the inland rivers and lakes, where you can make a close acquaintance with the exotic nature of India.
Excursions and attractions
A person who has come to India for the first time should visit the Golden Triangle excursion, which covers the most famous and largest sights of the country. Delhi, Agra, Jaipur are cities that are the vertices of a triangle. Also, the tourist will be able to get acquainted with other points located on the route to each of the cities.
Jaipur- a city where you can fully enjoy the ancient Indian culture and architecture. Here, the tourist route runs through the Palace of the Winds - a unique place that was built in the form of honeycombs by a special order of the sheikh. More than half of the day is devoted to a tour of the museums of the City Palace Complex. There you can see small copies of Indian monuments, musical instruments of all times, Indian national clothes and much more.
Delhi- one of the most modern cities in the country, where you can not only enjoy the original culture of old India, but also get acquainted with new streets and buildings. Jama Masjid Mosque, Chatta Chowk Market, Fort Museum, modern Connaught Square are just a small list of interesting places in Delhi. At the end of January, a festival of folk songs and dances is held here, which attracts fans of ethnic music from both India and other countries.
Agra, another point of the "Golden Triangle", is famous for the famous Taj Mahal. Everyone dreams of looking at the tomb of the Empress, made of white marble, complemented by precious stones and patterns of black marble. The 22 domes above the gate symbolize the time spent building this architectural masterpiece.
India- a multifaceted country, which involves a lot of different types of recreation and excursion programs. In order not to get confused among such splendor and diversity, it is better to decide in advance what you expect from India and decide on the route.
India is a colorful, beautiful, mysterious country, which, probably, everyone dreamed of visiting at least once. Despite stories of poverty, wandering cows, mud and various diseases, India beckons and the popularity of this tourist destination only increases every year. Of course, for a trip to a colorful and controversial country, you need to prepare so as not to be disappointed.
You can go to India at any time of the year, but the most suitable time is considered from October to March, but the summer months are also suitable for high-mountainous regions. As for vaccinations, you can not do them if you strictly follow all the rules of hygiene:
- you cannot drink tap water;
- fruits and vegetables must be washed;
- purchased products should be consumed only after heat treatment;
- to gradually get used to local food, you need to start eating in restaurants.
For a comfortable stay and communication in the country, it is not necessary to know Hindi, a few ordinary phrases in English are enough. Indians will always ask to be photographed with you, do not be ashamed of this, you need to agree, because Indians believe that a photo with a European person brings good luck.
Indian bazaars and beggars
Not visiting Indian bazaars means not visiting India. Famous Indian bazaars filled with flavor and aromatic spices are what you need. Chandi Chowk is considered the most colorful and original. You need to remember that in Indian bazaars, as well as in Turkish bazaars, you need to bargain, because here prices are overstated by 10 times.
You should not give in to plaintive requests for help from beggars, if you help one of them - a crowd of beggars will not give a pass. There are many monkeys here, so you always need to stay alert, as these thieves are mostly trained by local hooligans to steal expensive equipment from tourists. Take more photos and have new experiences. We also advise you to watch a video that tells about this amazing country in India.
