North India

Visited: March 2000

Duration of visit: 8 days

Capital city: Delhi

Population: 1,057 million (2000)

North India travel blog reading time: 5 minutes

• McLeod Ganj: in search of Dalai Lama in Buddhist retreat under Himalaya.
• Practicing yoga in Rishikesh – the Yoga Capital of the World.
• Shopping in Delhi, before returning home after ending 15-month Asian Big Tour.

India was the final country on my Asian Big Tour, which began in Australia and took me through Southeast Asia and China. During this 15-months long trip, I visited most of the countries in the region and spent almost a month and a half travelling around India, before returning home completely out of money, but rich in experiences.

In this article I describe my travel to Western India:

• Buddhist retreat in McLeod Ganj
• Shopping in Delhi
• Practicing yoga in Rishikesh

More articles about my trips around India are available here:

After the Cultural Revolution in China and the expulsion from Tibet, the Dalai Lama found refuge in the hilly area of ​​the village of McLeod Ganj, in the northern part of India. This small settlement just below the stunning Himalayas may not boast special places to visit, but it offers breathtaking views and creates a very distinct atmosphere unlike anything I had seen in India before.

While the narrow streets and limited space present some challenges for traffic, I moved around on foot easily. I recognize many Tibetans and their descendants by their distinctive facial features. Many of them participate in daily rituals of praying, pilgrimage, meditation and spinning of the sacred wheels.

The local food, souvenirs, language and music create an image of Tibet as I imagine it from books or travelers’ stories.

Since I keep eating at street restaurants, the diarrhea unfortunately regains its strength. My mornings are now a series of panicked bathroom runs. Due to my stomach issues, I stick to bland food like rice and bread for the next two days until I feel better.

In McLeod Ganj, I also visited a serene temple dedicated to the Dalai Lama; a simple blue building adorned with sculptures of Buddha, various deities and ancient texts. In the main room, a dozen of the most devoted followers gathers to listen to a monk’s teachings.

The driver navigates the road like a madman all night, pausing for thirty minutes every few hours. As a result, we waste all the time he saves through wild and hazardous driving. Although I manage to sleep for a few hours, I finish the trip exhausted, hungry and in the bad mood. My exhaustion peaks as we arrive in Rishikesh following a long 17-hour bus journey.

Rishikesh, located at the foothills of the Himalayas, is known as the Gateway to the Garhwal Himalayas and the Yoga Capital of the World. The city promotes a vegetarian lifestyle and has a ban on alcohol.

I didn’t come to Rishikesh for sightseeing or the usual things to do, but to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of everyday life in India and to explore meditation, yoga, and life in an ashram – a spiritual monastery. Ashrams are a kind of centers of temporal retreats for spiritual inspiration, teachings and practice. Many of them can be located in very remote areas, but this is not always the case.

At first, I intend to stay in one of the ashrams. However, my favorite one is full and the second too neglected. I decide to spend the first night in a hotel. The next day I settle into an ashram that offers meditation, yoga classes and delicious vegetarian cuisine. The front desk personnel appeared to be bored, spending most of their time engrossed in cricket matches. It seems that meditation and yoga inspire more visitors than locals.

I participate in multiple sessions of yoga, which is beneficial for calming down and relaxing. At the same time, I feel that my body is increasing the flexibility after twisting for two hours, following the teacher’s instructions. The rest of the day I rest to recover from the strain on my joints. I feel a little dizzy, the persistent diarrhea reemerged, as it has frequently done during my stay in India. It is part of the experience.

My journey in India finish in the capital, Delhi. I am already an experienced backpacker for Indian standards. In the early morning, I take a moment to enjoy chai before taking a taxi from the central train station to the area of hotels. Besides loving Indian chai, I purposely arranged this break to wait until most of the crowds had left and the informal assistants had stopped their activities.

I find the capital city of India to be uninspiring.

Maybe this evaluation is unfair, since my main task is to find an inexpensive flight back to Europe. Throughout my day at the Aeroflot office, where I arrange my return ticket, I perceive Delhi as a disordered and chaotic metropolis, much like the rest of India. The streets are filled with numerous small shops, old buildings, even in New Delhi. Aggressive vendors offer various services and goods, which I don’t need.

Since this is the last stop of my 15-month trip, I’m not focused on sightseeing or checking out landmarks. My priority is buying gifts and souvenirs before heading home. The Paharganj area is well-known for concentration of unexpansive hotels, casual dining options and a wide range of shops orientated towards budget-conscious buyers.

The Paharganj is my paradise for two days, where after hard negotiations and searching for bargains, I make some good deals.

Unfortunately, I don’t have sufficient time for an in-depth exploration of Delhi’s attractions and landmarks, but I am looking forward to concluding my extensive Asian Big Tour and returning home.