Life IN INDIA :
by a woman
I have been born and brought up in India and the last 24 years of my existence have brought me to draw the following points-
India offers diversity. By that i mean you to expect a person with each and every set of belief, notion- from the good Samaritan to the very boorish man, from the very radical, realist to the superstitious, idol worshiper.
Being a woman, I have been subjected to catcalling and eve-teasing which is so common that it doesn’t effect me anymore at all.
Summers are killing with temperatures soaring up till 40 degree celsius (at times even higher).
But then the rains arrive and all gets better along with the usual chai and pakoda.
The most prestigious and elite schools, colleges and universities do not have AC mostly as compared to other first world countries.
Competition is cut- throat. So, if one is surviving and is willing to survive the next day then kudos to that person.
Since childhood our minds have been fed to think of only two career options- engineering and doctor. If neither of the two then you are doomed. But an MBA might just save you (pun intended).
Politics is thriving on caste, religion and reservation even after more than 60 years of independence post colonialism.
If you are a “good” woman then you are supposed to meet the following checkpoints-
Stay a virgin till marriage
No to alcohol
No to smoking
No male- friends
No late night parties
No speaking loudly
Be a good cook
Take care of others but not yourself.
Men face discrimination too in the following ways-
“You aren’t worthy if you aren’t employed.”
“How will you get a beautiful girl then if you don’t have a job?”
“Men don’t cry.”
“You are too sensitive! Are you gay?”
Show no emotion.
“You are supposed to be strong.”
On the birth of a boy child- “ Badhai ho! Ghar ka chirag aaya hai!” “Engineer aaya hai aapke ghar.”
Expect help from anyone and everyone. Sometimes even the closest of your friends might not be of any help to you but a stranger or even an autowala (taxi driver) might come to your rescue.
Racial slurs and body shaming is so common in our daily conversations that we don’t even realize it. Hypocrisy is the cherry on top.
Being among the millenials, I can definitely say that we take modernity with a twist of our culture- believing in our tradition, rituals, celebrating festivals joyously, respecting our elders and family no matter how much we complain but ultimately we always go back to them.
Being an Indian you are taught the art of Jugaad from childhood. We value our possession and believe in repairing them once broken rather than throwing it away.
Sometimes we can be unrealistically, hysterically optimistic. Maybe that’s what gets us by each day into slowly becoming a nation not just known for snake- charmers.
So basically what i am trying to say is living in India is just like living in any other country. But it’s something about here that even after so many hardships, troubles we still find the beauty in it. I don’t know if i got my point across or not as i tried to include every aspect i could think of as of now. And as an Indian i take pride in my country and accept it with all its imperfections.
P.s. This is my very first attempt to write on Quora so I hope I could satisfy you with my answer.
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Sonu Kumar, Bureaucrat at India (2018-present)
Originally Answered: How good is it to live in India?
Life in India can be joyous, tough, colorful, stressful, chaotic but never boring. You must have heard numerous times that India is one of those countries that you can love and hate at the same time. While I am an occasional victim of “i-hate-india” syndrome, for most of the days I absolutely LOVE living here (and you will too if you’re planning on moving here). Here’s why:
1. India is a food lover’s paradise
nothing beats Indian food – curries, pakodas, momos, samosas, dosas, naans, sorpotel, kebabs, paneer and so much more! For a change, the vegetarians will not miss out on the delicious fun. The best part is how the taste of the food changes from one part of the country to another. For instance, street food in DELHI is completely different as compared to Mumbai.
Indian Food – there’s something for everyone here!
2. Unity in Diversity
every city is different, people are different and there are many different subcultures. It is a lot of fun discovering new things about them even after living in India for years.
3. India offers interesting sightseverywhere
it is a photographer’s delight!
4. It is the land of mother of all the teas
which is available in every nook and corner.
5. Festival
Holi, Diwali, Onma, Eid, Lohri, Pongal, Christmas and more.. more than 40 festivals in a year that are super colorful and totally psychedelic! Depending on where you live, you will get a chance to experience as many as you want. More festivals = more holidays!
6. langyage
You will seldom face a language barrier here, despite the fact we have 22 official languages and 1652 unofficial languages because English unifies all of India.
7. Kaam Wali, Maali, Phool Wala, Driver – the comfort of domestic help will spoil you for life without breaking your bank balance.
8. Traveling in Indian Railways is awesome – from luxury of a 1
class to affordability of a general class, there is something for everyone.
Me enjoying a ride on Indian Railways
9. India is a paradise for shopaholics with endless possibilities for every budget.
10. Mangoes! They are a gift of GOD – taste one in India and you won’t like them anywhere else.
11. Haircuts, manicures, waxing – beauty salons are affordable.
12. Want an AFFORDABLE tailor made suit that fits like a dream? India is the place!
13) India is a sensory overload – your senses of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching get bombarded with stimulation.
14) Beauty in chaos – India demonstrates that.
15. Living in India, you will always be around architectural miracles that will make your jaws drop. (Of course I was not gonna leave our beloved Taj Mahal in Agra out of this list). Every city has some history and landmarks that have their own story to tell. By the way, check out this guide about what to do on a day trip in Agra.
16. Need your dose of mountain magicwhen you’re in India? There’s nothing like the majestic Himalayas!
The Himalayas
17. Or tropical paradise? The pristine white sand beaches with turquoise blue water of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are some of the most beautiful beaches in the world – and yet not touristy!
18. Or maybe you want a change of scene? Try the hauntingly beautiful sand dunes of Rajasthan.
19. Want to ski? The ski slopes of Gulmarg or Auli are kickass!
20. Or, you may want to see the beauty of living root bridges in Nongriat, Meghalaya. And many, many undiscovered offbeat destinations within India. Seriously, India is a traveler’s delight! There is so much to see that preparing the best itinerary for India is not so easy.
21. Living in India will test your limits in every way and toughen you up. After this, you can live just about anywhere.
22. You can get almost anything delivered to your doorstep for free.Save the cell phone number of your corner store owner to open the world of possibilities.
23. Sarees! They make every woman look sexy!
24. It is the land of spirituality. You can learn Yoga for free in a local park or a temple. (Only if you can wake up as early as 5:00 am)
25. That awesome feeling with you hear people say how traveling in India has changed them for life.
26. Bindis on the foreheads, flowers in the hair and henna on palms – it is the land of hippie fashion!
27. The amazing sight of Rangoli artworkoutside houses on festivals and special occasions – very Indian and very pretty!
28. Sometimes when a yes or a no is not an acceptable answer, there’s a solution for that in India – the famous Indian head wobble.
29. Bhaang lassi – where else will you find a super potent marijuana milk shake that’s sold legally?
30. Watching the country’s obsession with cricket and how everyone turns overly patriotic when there’s a match against Pakistan – pure awesomeness. Yes, India has the best cricket team. Period.
31. The sounds of vegetable sellers on the street, vehicles moving, children playing – these background sounds of life will never make you feel lonely. 34) Indian marriages = week long festivals. All other marriages are too boring in comparison.
32. Indian traffic will make you an expert driver. I’m a living proof of that – I can now maneuver my car through ANY narrow or twisted lane that’s full of vehicles of different kinds, animals, people and what not.
33. The traffic and long queues will teach you how to be patient.
34. Nothing can beat a good old underground psychedelic trance party of Goa. After all, “Goa Trance” originated here.
35. Random sighting of animals everywhere – cows, monkeys sometimes even peacocks.
36. The possibility of a “jugaar” approach if things don’t work out normal way.
37. Indian offices are like families – everyone eats lunch together.
38. Witnessing Diwali celebrations that begin a month before the festival – dandiya dance nights, Diwali Melas (fairs), Ram leela performances (play), card parties and beautiful decorations.
39. Watching how the entire country comes together during Ramzam month for iftar to experience delicious treats on the streets. Try Delhi’s Jama Masjid road or Mumbai’s Minara Masjid Lane, and Mohammed Ali Road.
40. Celebrating Holi with powdered colors, water balloons and water guns. You can color just about anyone that you see on the street. It’s a big, fat psychedelic party!
41. Being a part of Christmas celebrations and parties with a dose of Indian-ness. Attending midnight mass and watching how the streets light up, especially in Old Goa, Shillong, Kolkata and Pondicherry.
Need more proof that living in India is awesome? Ask his Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists who lives in Dharamshala, India. If you nodded your head to a few or all of the above statements, please share this post with everyone you know! PS: it’s a light hearted post, so please don’t take things seriously!
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Prasanth Kola, studied at Nalanda Vidya Niketan
Originally Answered: What is it like to live in India?
To live in India is like............You cannot express it in words, you should experience it. One thing I can assure you with is no matter with how much expectations you come to live, you will always get a step higher than what you expect it to be.
You will be impressed, esteemed with it's History, Heritage, Historical monuments, Glory etc.
The most valuable thing which you can get here without money is people's love, they would never expect anything in return from you. You will love their way of living, culture, traditions, festivals. There are many to describe but my description doesn't make you to experience it. To know what is it like to live in India the only thing which you need to do is live and experience it. Nothing can help you to know the answer to this question unless and until you come to India.
- Proud Indian
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