Travelling through India for three months ॐ

[Bazooka Jesus]

Heya folks, so it looks like I might finally grow a pair, realize a long-cherished fantasy of mine and spend these winter months in India.

At this point my travel plans are still very much up in the air, but I am thinking about spending the month of December down south and then travel along the western coast up to Rajasthan and from there go explore the northern part of India; I definitely want to visit Varanasi, perhaps Rishikesh too if it isn't too cold at that time of the year (?).

Now, I am sure that some of you fine people have been to India before or are perhaps even living there. Do you guys have any special recommendations for an aspiring India pilgrim such as myself? I would especially be interested in possible inside tips that might steer me away from the beaten tourist path and get me in touch with the authentic part of India... you know, the real stuff. 

(I am posting this in the spirituality section of the forum since I am hoping for recommendations from people who are well versed in the spiritual/yogic tradition of this country, so... it'd be great if you mods could just leave it here. Pretty please? ???)

Thx!

Edited August 25, 2023 by Bazooka Jesus

[Javfly33]

Wow, I´m envious. Can't help you in this but wish you a good trip!

PD: Maybe visit Kailash https://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/tibet/ngari/mount-kailash.htm 

Edited August 24, 2023 by Javfly33

[Jowblob]

I'm also going next year to India in may to Ranikhet--> dwarahat > mahavatar babaji cave
And also to haidkhan > Mount Kailash -->> mahavatar Haidakhan babaji temple/cave

 

I'm going in may next year  for 2 weeks, so if there are people that are interested leave a msg ... Maybe we can go together

Edited August 24, 2023 by Jowblob

[Bazooka Jesus]

15 minutes ago, Javfly33 said:

Wow, I´m envious. Can't help you in this but wish you a good trip!

Thanks! 

It's not one hundred percent decided yet, but I currently have a very strong "why the fuck not" feeling about it. 

24 minutes ago, Javfly33 said:

PD: Maybe visit Kailash https://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/tibet/ngari/mount-kailash.htm 

Been thinking about going to the Himalayas, but winter might not be the best time... I'll probably freeze my butt of, lol. But maybe I'll cross the border to Nepal at mid/end February and hang out in Kathmandu for a bit before going back to Europe. I'd sure LOVE to visit that place. 

[Bazooka Jesus]

6 minutes ago, Jowblob said:

I'm also going next year to India in may to Ranikhet--> dwarahat > mahavatar babaji cave
And also to haidkhan > Mount Kailash -->> mahavatar Haidakhan babaji temple/cave

I'm going in may next year  for 2 weeks, so if there are people that are interested leave a msg ... Maybe we can go together

Interesting. Good luck wth your travel, my man. ?

[Soul Flight]

I have never been. I have heard one must be prepared for dense populations, witnessing extreme poverty and hunger, lack of public restrooms and cultural acceptance of public defecation in public places, no toilet paper, and different toilet habits with a cup of water to rinse your backside.

[Javfly33]

7 hours ago, Bazooka Jesus said:

Thanks! 

It's not one hundred percent decided yet, but I currently have a very strong "why the fuck not" feeling about it. 

Been thinking about going to the Himalayas, but winter might not be the best time... I'll probably freeze my butt of, lol. But maybe I'll cross the border to Nepal at mid/end February and hang out in Kathmandu for a bit before going back to Europe. I'd sure LOVE to visit that place. 

Do it... you only live once. I want to go to India too in a few years when I really burn myself up of western culture, which im getting close lol. 

 

[TheAlchemist]

Amazing. I just travelled for three months last winter in India..

My tips:

• Use trains (sleeper class for best adventure, general class if you are fully insane)
• Eat local food, look for places that are busy and stick to veg food to prevent food poisoning.
• Don't let the touristy spots demoralize you about India, they will be filled with all kinds of touts and scammers. But outside those tourist hotspots you wont find almost any of that and people tend to be super genuine, just the best <3

Interesting places:

• Auroville, Pondicherry
• Ramana ashram and Arunachala Mountain in Tiruvannamalai 
• Arambol beach, Goa. (Hippie lifestyle and psytrance parties in Anjuna/Vagator winter). Palolem or Gokarna are better for peace and quiet chilling. All of these beach places are a bit touristy though. 
• Mumbai, see the utter intensity of what human life can be in an Indian mega city. 
• Kodaikanal or Vattakanal (known for some special mushrooms growing there certain time of the year)
• Varanasi 100% recommended. 
• In Rajasthan go to Pushkar during the Camel Fair if you can, I heard it is wild. Otherwise Pushkar, Udaipur, Jaipur etc. in Rajasthan tend to be a bit more touristy but still can be worth a visit I think.. 
• Meditation retreats. Here is a great resource: https://www.reddit.com/r/Buddhism/comments/jr19vu/updated_buddhist_dharma_retreat_listings_for_asia/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=2
• Any small villages along the way.

If you need some small help with some practical things like how to book train tickets etc. feel free to shoot me a message. Godspeed my friend! 

Edited August 25, 2023 by TheAlchemist

[Bazooka Jesus]

@TheAlchemist

Dude, you're the man! Thank you so much for the amazing input and your kind offer to help me out with further practical tips... I might take you up on it! 

5 hours ago, TheAlchemist said:

My tips:

• Use trains (sleeper class for best adventure, general class if you are fully insane)

Lol, I have already heard that taking a train in India can be quite an adventurous experience.  Have you tried sitting on the roof during a train ride?

5 hours ago, TheAlchemist said:

Eat local food, look for places that are busy and stick to veg food to prevent food poisoning. 

Mmmm, I am already looking forward to the Indian street food. You have any favourite dishes that you'd recommend trying out?

Cheers!

[Water by the River]

Hampi 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampi

Sinhagad Fort in Pune
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinhagad

Gol Gumbaz
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gol_Gumbaz

And if you are there a few months, then the Lonely Planet up & down & back again.

I worked in Pune for half a year at a time when the majority at traffic lights were bicycles nearly 20 years ago. Nowadays its a lot more scooters and cars, and much less bicycles in the big cities... Quite a lot of progress, but still shocking poverty and lots of slums. Yet the people are mostly very nice.

Water by the River

[TheAlchemist]

2 minutes ago, Bazooka Jesus said:

@TheAlchemist

Lol, I have already heard that taking a train in India can be quite an adventurous experience.  Have you tried sitting on the roof during a train ride?

I didn't see a chance to travel on the roofs anywhere, a huge portion of the rail network is electrified nowdays, so I don't think it really happens anymore.. if you go to Bangladesh you can try that

5 minutes ago, Bazooka Jesus said:

@TheAlchemist

Mmmm, I am already looking forward to the Indian street food. You have any favourite dishes that you'd recommend trying out?

Oh man the food was heavenly and so affordable..

Biryani, chole bature and chana masala with chapati, vada pav, samosas, idlis, dal tadka.. so many good ones. Best places are these random shacks that dont even look like restaurants but are filled with locals, you just say 3 chapatis and they bring you the bread and top up your plate with some gravy to infinity..

[EugeneTheSage]

I recommend visiting the Isha Yoga Center near Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. There is the most powerful consecrated space called Dhyanalinga. Sadhguru told that if someone had been there "he/she cannot escape the sowing of the seed of Liberation". They say if you sit there you'll naturally experience the meditativeness or perhaps altered states of consciousness. 

[Bazooka Jesus]

@Water by the River @EugeneTheSage

Thanks for the recommendations, guys. 

21 hours ago, Water by the River said:

I worked in Pune for half a year at a time when the majority at traffic lights were bicycles nearly 20 years ago. Nowadays its a lot more scooters and cars, and much less bicycles in the big cities... Quite a lot of progress, but still shocking poverty and lots of slums. Yet the people are mostly very nice.

Wow, interesting. Did you work at Osho's ashram?

[Water by the River]

40 minutes ago, Bazooka Jesus said:

@Water by the River @EugeneTheSage

Thanks for the recommendations, guys. 

Wow, interesting. Did you work at Osho's ashram?

No, It was in a normal company. I had regular business trips in the years following that in India, so it was interesting to see how it developed.

Edited August 26, 2023 by Water by the River

[Bazooka Jesus]

Keep them recommendations coming, boys and gals!

[PurpleTree]

Don’t eat fruits that you can’t peel

as a kid one time ate fruits in a hotel in Kolkata and got worms

[Sabth]

I saw this on Instagram and feel like want to go to Amboli Ghat waterfall. It seems like a nice place. 

[Bazooka Jesus]

1 hour ago, PurpleTree said:

Don’t eat fruits that you can’t peel

Haha... during today's travel research I stumbled over the slogan "Boil it, cook it, peel it or forget it". LOL. Looks like the universe is really trying to tell me something here.

[Bazooka Jesus]

3 minutes ago, Sabth said:

I saw this on Instagram and feel like want to go to Amboli Ghat waterfall. It seems like a nice place. 

Mmmm, interesting. I am thinking about spending the month of December in Goa, so who knows... I might actually go check that place out!

[LSD-Rumi]

On 25/08/2023 at 4:55 PM, EugeneTheSage said:

There is the most powerful consecrated space called Dhyanalinga.

@Bazooka Jesus Yeah, make sure to visit this dhylalinga thing and tell us if it is bullshit