#Mother Narmada river flows here

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मध्य प्रदेश को जहां भारत का हृदय कहा जाता है वहीं इसे नदियों का देश भी कहा जाता है।नदियाँ  बता दें, यहां कुल मिलाकर 207 धाराएं हैं। इस राज्य में छोटे से लेकर बड़े तक हर प्रकार के जलमार्ग का पता लगाया जाएगा।मध्य प्रदेश को जहां भारत का हृदय कहा जाता है वहीं इसे नदियों का देश भी कहा जाता है।नदियाँ  बता दें, यहां कुल मिलाकर 207 धाराएं हैं। इस राज्य में छोटे से लेकर बड़े तक हर प्रकार के जलमार्ग का पता लगाया जाएगा।

मध्य प्रदेश की नदियाँ: 

मध्य प्रदेश से तात्पर्य देश की केंद्रीय स्थिति से है, जहां भारत के लिए प्रसिद्ध स्वर्गीय स्थान की ऐतिहासिक पृष्ठभूमि जुड़ी हुई है, संस्कृति, स्थलाकृति सभी परिवर्तन इस राज्य में पाए जाते हैं।नदियाँ  यहां लोग हर उत्सव और संस्कृति से सराबोर हैं,नदियाँ  यही कारण है कि मध्य प्रदेश को देश का हृदय कहा जाता है। लेकिन क्या आपको इस बात का अंदाज़ा है कि मध्य प्रदेश को जलमार्गों की मातृभूमि भी कहा जाता है। वास्तव में, मुझे बताओ, यहाँ कुल मिलाकर 207 धाराएँ बहती हैं।नदियाँ

मध्य प्रदेश की नदियाँ: 

यहां ऐसी असंख्य जलधाराएं हैं, जो देश की पीने और पशुपालकों के लिए पानी की जरूरतें पूरी करती हैं। मध्य प्रदेश मुख्य स्थान है जहाँ छोटी से लेकर बड़ी धाराएँ बहती हैं। नदियाँ   इस राज्य को जलमार्गों का देश क्यों कहा जाता है, इसके पीछे यही प्रेरणा है। इस लेख के माध्यम से कुछ महत्वपूर्ण धाराओं के बारे में बताएं।

Mother Narmada river flows here:

Mother Narmada river flows here

मध्य प्रदेश की नदियाँ: 

नर्मदा जलमार्ग देश की प्रमुख नदियों में से एक है, यह जलमार्ग लोगों के विश्वास से भी जुड़ा है। आपको बता दें, जलधाराएं तीन राज्यों में बहती हैं, जिसमें मध्य प्रदेश, गुजरात और महाराष्ट्र आते हैं। नर्मदा जलधारा को वैसे ही देश का अस्तित्व कहा जाता है। अमरकंटक से नर्मदा की धारा प्रारंभ होती है, जो खंभात के प्रवेश द्वार में गिरती है। नर्मदा धारा की कुल लंबाई 1312 किमी है, जिसमें से यह लगभग 1022 किमी इसी अवस्था में रहकर तय करती है।

mother betwa river:

बेतवा मध्य प्रदेश की प्रमुख नदियों में आती है, जो रायसेन क्षेत्र के कुमरा कस्बे से भी शुरू होती है। बता दें, यह जलधारा यूपी के हमीरपुर में यमुना जलमार्ग में भी मिलती है। बेतवा जलमार्ग की कुल लंबाई लगभग 480 किमी है, जिसमें से 380 किमी परियोजना मध्य प्रदेश में चुनी गई है। बेतवा धारा के पोषक जलमार्ग बीना, केन, धसान, सिंध, देनवा हैं, इसे मध्य प्रदेश की गंगा भी कहा जाता है।

मध्य प्रदेश की नदियाँ: 

चंबल नदी के बारे में:

चम्बल (चम्बल) जलधारा मध्य भारत में यमुना जलमार्ग की पोषक है। यह धारा “जनापाओ पर्वत” बांगचू पॉइंट महू से शुरू होती है। इसका प्राचीन नाम “चर्मन्वती” है। इसकी पोषक शिप्रा, सिंध (सिंध), काली सिंध और कुनु धारा हैं। यह धारा मध्य प्रदेश के धार, उज्जैन, रतलाम, मंदसौर, भिंड, मुरैना आदि इलाकों से होकर भारत के उत्तर और उत्तर-केंद्रीय भाग में राजस्थान के चित्तौड़ गढ़ के चौरासी गढ़ सेकोटा और धौलपुर सवाईमाधोपुर से होकर गुजरती है। यह जलमार्ग दक्षिण की ओर मुड़ता है।

कार उत्तर प्रदेश प्रांत में यमुना में शामिल होने से पहले राजस्थान और मध्य प्रदेश के बीच रेखा बनाती है। इस जलमार्ग पर चार जलविद्युत परियोजनाएं – गांधी सागर, राणा प्रताप सागर, जवाहर सागर और कोटा टोरेंट (कोटा) चल रही हैं। यह राजस्थान का सबसे ऊँचा झरना है। सामान्य लंबाई में 135. राजस्थान का आधुनिक शहर कोटा इसी नदी के तट पर बसा है।

[athenaion]

water, ritual purity, immersion

i. 

i dream of water: being immersed in water, water running down my hands, water washing away the miasma of my life. 

ii.

when i first began honoring the greek gods, i dutifully mixed tap water and salt, lit a bayleaf on fire, doused it in the water, and sprinkled it over my head and neck in my mother’s bathroom. khernips. this would wash away the miasma, and i could approach the theoi with clean hands, with a clean heart.

yet i felt silly, and the droplets would crust over on the mirror, and my mother would later yell at me, ask me what on earth i’d been doing in the bathroom. i looked at the burnt particles of the bayleaf floating at the bottom of the bowl and thought to myself, this doesn’t feel very clean.

i no longer sprinkle myself with khernips when i approach the theoi. instead, i wash my hands, rinse my mouth, and cover my head with a scarf. i dream of lustral water that dances with light, sparkles with purity, as clear as water taken from the mouth of a spring. it is not the khernips of hellenismos. it is something entirely different. 

my world is not made of salt and sea, rocky crags and mediterranean winds. my world is of appalachia, shadowed by endless trees, free flowing rain and landscapes carved by more creeks, streams, and rivers than one could ever imagine.

iii.

i read, enviously, of the jewish custom of mikveh, dreaming of a space where i can go and wash away my own impurities, and emerge, cleansed. i know this is not the complete picture of what mikveh is and what it means to the jewish faithful, but i long for the feeling of stepping slowly into water, thinking of the blessings i have, thinking of that which i want to cut away from me, to be made holy by the embrace of living waters.

it occurs to me that my heritage, hinduism, or at least the hinduism given to me by ethnicity, time, place, and caste, has a rich and storied symbiosis with water as well. 

i think of gangajal, the water from the river ganges, flowing from the tresses of lord shiva’s hair. i think of the penitent and the holy, immersing themselves in the banks of rivers, in temple pools called theertha, prayers on their lips, seeking release from the cycles of this world. i think of ganesh chaturthi, how statues of ganesh are immersed in water to release him back to his heavenly abode; of how both the sacred and profane are carried away, whether through the disintegrating clay of statues, or the ashes of our bones after our deaths, into the water, by ganga, and into the life beyond. i think of the way the priests at the temple offer water as prasad, spiced with saffron, and cardamom, and how the remnant droplets after i’ve drunk are passed over my hair as a blessing. i think how eagerly i’ve always bathed the shiva lingam at the temple, how lovingly i’ve accepted the water flowing from the yoni, and touched it to my throat, my lips, and my forehead.

i am in the united states, and there are no temple pools for me to immerse myself in, no holy rivers beloved by communities over millennia, no worship of the water itself. here, i make jokes about how our rival city has a river that once caught fire, how if you jump into the monongahela river, you’ll grow a third limb, how ew i would never swim in the ohio river...  further west, the indigenous guardians of the land and water we occupy fight for their right for clean water.

water is life. 

i think of what has been taken from me, growing up in the west. i think of how the allegheny, monongahela, and ohio rivers would be deified, as though goddesses like ganga, yamuna, narmada, or whether they would be more like river nymphs. i wonder what the indigenous peoples of the area saw these rivers as, because the peoples who lived here were not static, and some of them have been long lost. i wonder what it would be to worship and honor our three rivers, in their way, in my way.

iv.

we slip into the waters of the allegheny river, and the silt on its banks grabs us, holds us. we fight to cross the threshold into swimming in the allegheny’s waters. though we have swimsuits on, being in a river we never think of unless we’re crossing a bridge carries with it its own kind of nakedness, a re-imagining of what it means to be in pittsburgh, which sparkles just around the bend of the allegheny. above, meteors streak the sky, and we cheerfully keep count of the ones we catch sight of. i try to swim out to the 40th street bridge and am caught in the wake of a passing boat instead. i’ve never felt this deeply connected to my city.

in a lake, lake norman, under a new moon, four of us swim, old friends, each other’s found family, dressed in nothing but each other’s laughter. i am being carried on the back of a man i love but cannot be with; we silently take joy in the feel of our skin against the other’s. i bury my nose in the back of his neck. he squeezes the back of my thigh, in acknowledgement of what is passing unsaid between us. his long-term partner and my best friend are treading water in the distance, giddy with the joy of skinny-dipping in a wine-dark lake. i love him so much, and the warm water lapping at my feet remind me it’s okay to love him, still.

in yet another lake: i ask some friends -- friends i haven’t known for very long, treading in the brisk, late summer waters of skaneateles lake, bathed in only the silvery light of the almost full moon -- ask them what they wanted to let go of, and in the rough ebb and flow of the waters, pushed and pulled by the moon, we let our insecurities and self-hurts be taken away. nothing changes between us, but i feel closer to them, as though we’ve glimpsed each other’s spirits.

v.

as the summer ends, i will dream of being in the water with my friends, over and over and over. soon, it will be too cold to be outside, and artemis will reign as the queen of winter. the waters around me will freeze, and i will forget about them, until artemis’ reign ends and persephone returns from the underworld. 

i will wish for a place to ritually immerse myself. i will battle with the thoughts of properly preparing khernips or creating something that is more personal and profound to me. my spirituality itself feels like a confluence of rivers, endlessly flowing, bringing to my heart the waters of hinduism, the tides of hellenismos, and the waves of my own gnosis. 

i will wonder, dreaming endlessly of floating in water, as a child still in its mother’s womb, what water means to me.

fin.

this reflection inspired by this article: https://www.hinduismtoday.com/environment/indias-profound-kinship-with-water/

[altughuner-blog]

They say there are only three things from the time of Sri Krishna – Govardhan Parvat, Land of Braj and river Yamuna.

The Yamuna with her dark waters is like Krishna in her looks. She is one of his wives and in Mathura, she is the Pattarani or the chief wife. Your visit to Braj Bhumi can not be complete without visiting the holy river.

Boat Ride on the Yamuna river in Mathura

Taking a boat ride on the holy river is a popular pilgrim and tourist activity. So, one morning I also took a boat to admire the different ghats of Mathura from the waters of the river. I probably wanted to see what the river gets to see every day.

Video of the Boat ride

As I was walking towards the ghat, I heard a group of young boys chanting Vedas, repeating after an acharya, sitting under a small canopy. The bazaars were still opening up, but temple bells could be heard just about anywhere.

Vishram Ghat

Vishram Ghat

We started from the famous Vishram ghat on a colorful boat. It is believed that Sri Krishna took rest here, after killing Kamsa and that is how it got its name – Vishram Ghat. It is located bang in the middle, there are 12 ghats on either side of it.

Boats here have colorful flags all around them and an equally colorful carpet to sit on. The boatman told us stories of Braj Bhumi in Braj Bhasha. Poems and saying just flow from his mouth. They add to the joy of a boat ride on a warm March morning.

Kamsa Qila Fort

Kamsa Qila or fort

He tells us about different ghats and their stories as we row towards the left of Vishram Ghat towards Kans ka Qila or the Kamsa’s fort. I am keen to go inside and see the fort, although I know at best it could be the place associated with Kamsa. The fort in red sandstone is obviously recent. Everyone tells me, there is nothing inside to see. From the river, it looks a fairly large fort. Reflecting on the waters, it looks even more majestic.

Colorful Boats on the river

Holi

Rest of the river is lined with colorful ghats buzzing with activities. I was visiting a few days before Holi when the historical city is already in Holi mode. I saw many families playing Holi with the Yamuna. Yes, you heard it right. Playing Holi with the holy river. They would sing Hori or the Holi songs, throw some color in the river and then play among themselves. In fact, this was a ritual inserted in almost every ritual taking place on the ghats. The mood was that of joy and celebration – which is the eternal mood you associate with a place that was chosen even by Sri Krishna to play and do his Raas Lila.

Do read – Govardhan Parvat Parikrama

The only distinct feature I can remember is a tall tower in red sandstone built in Rajasthani Jharokha style called Sati Burj. Apparently, a queen, who was also the mother-in-law of Akbar, did Sati here and this tower was erected in the memory of that.

Verses of Puranas talking about Yamuna and Mathura

Verses from Puranas

Across the ghats, there are boards with verses from Puranas talking about Mathura in Sanskrit with Hindi Translation. I loved it. Hope other places also replicate this practice of putting the Sthal Purana or the literature on the city in public places.

Do read – Making of Mathura Peda

Unfortunately, the ghats of the river are not clean. I saw the sewerage flowing right into the river. The garbage lines up like a threshold between the steps of ghats and the water. It is a painful sight to look at dirty water.

Having said that, there is no dearth of stories when you sit by the river quietly flowing along the moon-shaped ghats of Mathura. Just sit back and let the Brajwasis regale you in the stories of the land.

Chunri Manorath ritual – When the Yamuna Wears Sari

On the boat ride, my guide told me about this unique ritual that is performed on the holy river. As luck would have it, the boatman informed us that a couple of Chunri Manorath is planned for the day. I quickly reworked the plan for the day and made sure I see this unique celebration.

What is the ritual?

Manorath means a wish. Chunri is the scarf that is worn with Indian dresses. On auspicious occasions, women are offered Chunri as part of festivals or during auspicious functions like weddings and engagements. It is generally a sign of acknowledging the auspicious aspect of the divine feminine.

Chunri Manorath Ritual for the holy river

At Mathura, the ritual involves offering a Chunri to the Yamuna, for she is the most auspicious goddess of the land. Families bring rolls of many Saris stitched together, usually 101 Saris but sometimes as many as 400 saris stitched together. This long roll of clothing is then taken on multiple boats to the other end of the holy river. The long cloth is held in a way that it looks like the Yamuna is wearing a Chunri.

Do read – Holi Festival in Mathura Vrindavan

It is usually done by families to mark an occasion or to say thanks for a wish fulfilled. I saw two Chunri Manoraths that day. A family of 90-100 people from Gujarat was celebrating the 60th birthday of the patriarch, who performed all the pujas with his wife. Another family of 10-12 people of Rajasthan was welcoming the new bride in the family.

Who Does Chunri Manorath?

Families performing Chunri Manorath

Chunri Manorath is mainly done by Vaishnavs from Gujarat and Rajasthan who follow Pushti marg. For the followers of this sect, Yamuna is the prime deity. However, there is no restriction, anyone can do it. Priests there will tell you stories of their famous MP Hema Malini doing this ritual here. I assume for winning the parliament seat.

This ritual can be done almost around the year. A shelter has been built on the steps of a ghat to enable people to sit while the ritual is performed. The ritual is long and can take many hours.

Story of Chunri Manorath

It is said that the Gopis of Braj while playing with Sri Krishna developed a sense of pride that Sri Krishna listens to them and would do anything, they ask him to. As soon as Krishna sensed it, he wanted to correct it. He vanished in the waters of the holy river leaving Gopis in a dire state. They were lost and in despair sang Gopi Geet.

They went from forest to forest, from pond to pond looking for Krishna. Finally, they went to the Yamuna and asked his whereabouts. The holy river was moved by their desperate state and she requested Krishna to come out and bring the joy back on the faces of Gopis.

Gopis thanked Yamuna Ji by offering Chunri to her. Since then this ritual is followed by people who want to thank the holy river for fulfilling their wishes.

Video: Watch the Chunri Manorath ritual

Ritual

Families come in a procession, carrying the Chunri or the roll of Saris on their heads. They are dressed in their best clothes. One family has all the women wearing red bandhani saris. Another one has women wearing heavy silk saris and best of jewelry. I guess most of them were wearing new saris. They come to the ghats of the holy river dancing and singing to the love music. As they pass through the markets, everyone knows that the river is going to look beautiful once again.

They sit on the steps of the ghat as the priest prepares for the Chunri Puja. A platform is a setup to perform the following Pujas in sequence:

Ganesh Puja Kalash Puja Matrika Puja Krishna and Yamuna Puja

Sri Krishna and the Yamuna Murthis

Two pots are painted as Krishna and Yamuna. They are decorated like a bride and groom. Every person participating in the puja offers them clothes and jewelry. They are surrounded by sweets of all kinds. I watched the Murtis being decorated with lots of love and affection by the priests as well as the family members.

Offerings to the Holy river

The holy river at its edge is offered various things that are offered to any deity in temple worship like milk, curd, Haldi, Kumkum. Since this was also the Holi time, they also offered her 5 colors as if playing Holi with her.

Colors to play Holi with the river

Once all Pujas are done, people start boarding the boats in a sequence holding the Saris, Challenge is to keep the Saris high up in the air. It is a beautiful scene to see the colorful Saris unfold as the boats move slowly across the river, adding color to it. However, the best part is the joy on the faces of people offering the Chunri. It is like they are living a dream.

In between the instructions for the boatmen, we could also hear ‘Yamuna Maiyya ki Jai’. Once done, everyone congratulates each other for the task well accomplished.

Long ritual

Going by the amount of time spent on doing the Puja or number of things offered, I am sure it is a pretty costly ritual to undertake.

I spent a good 3 hours observing this ritual. The big family was kind enough to invite me to join in for a part of Puja where you offer color to the river. They even invited me to come on board for taking the Chunri on the other side. I said thanks but stayed back to look at from the ghats.

It is one of those serendipitous experiences that make you present at the right time and right place. Till a day before, I had no idea of this ritual. In the morning, I just thought we will look at the ghats on the boat ride and then go on with exploring the rest of Mathura. The holy river has other plans for me. She wanted me to see her draped in colorful Saris. It could not have happened without her grace. These are moments when you feel fulfilled as a traveler.

I later learned that a similar ritual is done at the Narmada as well. Let’s see when the Narmada decides to include me in her glorious moments.

Do try to witness this unique ritual as and when you get a chance.

Stories of Krishna and Yamuna

On the ghats of Mathura, you hear various stories.

One story says that it was the Yamuna who got to touch his feet first, just after he was born. As we know, when Krishna was born, his father Vasudeva carried him in a basket across the Yamuna to Gokul to the home of his friends Nand and Yashoda. When he was carrying the waters of the river came till his neck. This is when Krishna took out his feet from the basket and let the Yamuna touch them. The waters receded and Vasudeva could easily cross the river.

Another story is if various acts of Krishna, all of which were done on the banks of this river, including his Raas Leela and Playing of Flute.

Yet another story depicts the river appearing in her human form with a garland of lotus flowers to marry Krishna.

The Yamuna, as we know is the daughter of Sun and sister of Yama – the God of death. She is also considered the Shakti of Krishna in liquid form, sometimes called the form of Birja Devi.

Read more here.

Travel Tips for Boat Ride

You need about an hour or so to leisurely enjoy the ghats here, including the boat ride.

I paid Rs 400/- for an exclusive boat ride for an hour. It can easily seat 15-20 people.

Try visiting in the morning when the ghats are buzzing with activity and the sun is favorable.

The post Chunri Manorath Ritual – When Yamuna River Wears Sari appeared first on Inditales.

[altughuner-blog]

India Travel is unique. There is so much you can explore that you can get lost in the options. Most of the times you are not even aware of the options available and you end up going to cliché places only.

Stock Photos – Shutterstock

While your India Travel plan should definitely have the famous monuments like Taj Mahal, it is the experiences that would give you the real flavor of this nation.

Top 12 India Travel Experiences

So, let me take you through some Indian experiences that you can include in your travel itinerary.

1. Explore the Wildlife of Indian Forests

In the culture that is overwhelming, sometimes the countries wildlife takes a back seat. Remember India is home to unique species including Tigers, Lions, Single Horned Rhinos, Elephants. Indian forests and jungles are full of animal species that would amaze you.

Collarwali Tigress at Pench National Park

Most forests come under the forests department who are responsible for conserving and preserving them. This means the entry is restricted. It is usually accessible through guided safaris, where a forest jeep and a forest guide will take you around and show you flora and fauna of the forest. Some national parks also offer elephant safaris, walking safaris and boat safaris too.

All safaris are worth exploring. Imagine sitting in a boat surrounded by lush green forest and animals just doing their regular business and birds flying all over.

Single-horned Rhinoceros grazing at Hollong

Some national parks like Pench, known for being the setting of Mowgli allow you to live in tree houses. There are some forests with lovely tribal villages or forts and this where you get to explore nature and ancient aboriginal culture.

Read More – Our Complete Guide to Planning Wildlife Holidays

2. Understand the Indian Temple Architecture

Growing up in the northern state of Punjab, I grew oblivious to the stunning temples that exist in most of India. I discovered the temple architecture pretty late in life. However, once enticed, I can not just get enough of them. The more I visit an ancient Indian temple, the more I discover, an architecture that is soaked in stories, legends, philosophy, aesthetics, and history.

I highly recommend that you visit at least one set of ancient Indian temples, whichever part of the country you visit.

If you are visiting for the first time and doing the most popular Delhi, Agra & Jaipur circuit, consider extending it to include Khajuraho.

Kandariya Mahadev Temple at Khajuraho

Heading to the Himalayas? check out Jageshwar Dham in Uttarakhand or Stone and Wood Temples of Himachal Pradesh.

Southern States

If you are doing southern states, you would be spoilt for choices, wherever you go, you will find beautiful temples. My favorite cities to explore south Indian temples would be Kanchipuram and Thanjavur. Both present the two prominent temple architecture styles – Pallava & Cholas. Kerala has its own slanting roof architecture dominated by wood.

Brihadeeswara Temple popularly called the Big Temple or Thanjavur Temple

In the West, you should not miss Kailash temple at Ellora or Kopeshwar Temple in Khidrapur.

Eastern states, check out the lovely Terracotta temples of Bishnupur or the Puri, Bhubaneshwar, and Konark in Odisha.

In the North East, there is Kamakhya temple near Guwahati and then the temple town of Sibasagar.

Even the touristy Goa has its own style of Goan temple architecture.

Look for the material used in the making of a temple, the motifs used, the stories carves, the style of Shikhara or the superstructure, the presiding deity and local folklore when you visit an Indian temple.

Check out our series on Temples of India

3. Visit a Museum for some time travel

Museums are not really our strong point when it comes to popular tourist places. Having said that, to meet India of a different space and time, you do need to check out some of our museums. Your travel cannot be complete without visiting a few museums.

Shiva Lila from Tanjore Gallery

Archaeological Survey of India has many museums full of ancient artifacts, specially excavated sculptures that are like a treasure hunt. Ask a curator to take you around the museum, and you will discover the stories and technologies of good old days of the nation.

Delhi, I highly recommend the National Museum and Sulabh Toilets Museum

Mumbai check-out the Bhau Daji Lad museum that documents the city of Mumbai and its rich & diverse history

Chennai – the Egmore Museum has the best of Chola bronzes

Kolkata, we have the oldest of Indian Museums called India Museum

Hyderabad has Salarjung museum for history and a very innovative Sudha Car Museum

Jaipur has the Albert Hall Museum

Ahmedabad has Calico Museum

Vizag has a submarine museum

Every state capital and major archaeological sites have impressive museums. Mathura museum has some of the best gems of Mathura school of Art.

Buddha statue in Mathura School of Art style in Red Stone at Mathura Museum

Do not hesitate & request the staff to show you the museum. The documentation and guided tours are still in the making. Hopefully, this should change soon.

4. Enjoy Indian Cuisine in a Thali

You would probably eat Indian food primarily during your India tour. However, make sure you try a local Thali whichever part of the country you set out to explore. A Thali is a full platter that comes with many dishes, sometimes as many as 30+.

Rajasthani Thali

Thali meal usually comes in a round plate, with different bowls carrying different dishes. Some items are common but Thali from every region is different. It is full of local cuisine, local and seasonal vegetables and side dishes like pickles, lassi or sweets.

You must experience a local Thali whichever part of the country your India Itinerary takes you to.

Satvik Thali in an Indian Ashram

I also recommend that you try a meal at a local temple or an ashram. This would be simple yet wholesome food that is served with a lot of gratitude. It is almost always served free though you are free to contribute to the temple after the meal.

Check out our detailed post on – 15 Best Indian Thalis to explore Indian Cuisine

5. Converse with an Indian River

Ancient Indian Civilizations grew on the banks of rivers. Even today, almost every major city or town has a river or two flowing through it.

Rivers are considered Goddesses for their life-sustaining waters or mothers for they nurture us with their water. The tradition today lives in the form of river worship. In many places, you will see temples dedicated to major rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, and Kaveri.

Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi

I strongly suggest that you attend at least one Arti of a river that you may be passing by. The most well-known river Artis are:

Ganga Arti at Dashashwamedha Ghat in Varanasi

Ganga Arti in Haridwar & Rishikesh

Saryu Arti in Ayodhya

Yamuna Arti in Mathura & Vrindavan

Narmada Arti in Maheshwar

Tapti Arti in Burhanpur

Most of these Artis is done in the evening, just after sunset. Lit up lamps reflecting in the waters of the river look beautiful. This is not a formal event where you need an invitation. Just land up at the place where Arti is performed, and be a part of it.

Sunset time over the mighty Brahmaputra river, Guwahati

You can also take cruises on rivers like Ganga and Brahmaputra or boat rides on rivers like Chambal and Mandovi.

6. Go Shopping in Indian Bazaars

Markets are a microcosm of a culture, an indicator of what is consumed by that land. Now, of course, we have new age shopping malls in almost all big and small cities.

My favorite go -to places are old style markets where small vendors bring their stuff to sell. You will be surprised how these markets are dominated by women.

Colorful Hyderabadi Bangles

Old markets have areas designated for different types of merchandise like one lane for clothes, another for jewelry and a different for spices. So, you get all your options in one place to choose from. In Goa, Mapusa market is even designed to make sure that you can buy the fish just before heading home.

Brassware at Chawri Bazaar

Indian markets are crowded and chaotic and buzzing with energy. I can bet this is the best place in the world to hone your negotiation skills. If you are not in a mood, just stand in a corner and see the ongoing negotiations. They are just a treat to watch.

Some of our favorite markets across the country are:

Delhi – Bazaars of Old Delhi or Chandni Chowk

Hyderabad – Laad Bazaar and the lanes around it

Goa – Anjuna Flea Market

Jaipur – Bapu Bazaar

Varanasi – Thatheri Gali

Chennai – T Nagar

Highly recommend that you spend a few hours in a local Indian market during your India Travel, no matter which part you travel to. You see a transactional world that is so much a part of any culture.

7. Hike to a Fort

In Sanskrit or Hindi, Fort is called Durg meaning something that is not easy to reach. So, the forts are usually located on hilltops from where the soldiers can keep an eye on any approaching danger of any kind. There are forts all along the long coastline of the nation.

Landscape view of Kumbhalgarh Fort, Rajasthan

Many forts are as large as a mid-sized city with villages living within the fort walls. Fortified with tall strong walls on which you can literally walk, these forts are a living heritage. Each fort has some unique construction to admire like Vijay Stambh in Chittorgarh Fort or the second longest wall of Kumbhalgarh Fort.

There are sea forts like Sindhudurg that have been standing in the middle of the see for 400+ years with a source of sweet water. There are forts like Jhansi made famous by the queen who ruled from here. And there are living forts like Orchha and Jaisalmer Fort.

India was made up of many small kingdoms until 1947. So, it is not difficult to find a fort anywhere in the country. Check out our series on – Forts of India

You can also try and live in a heritage hotel, which may have been a palace or a house of a noble family once upon a time.

8. Taste Street Food & Let your taste buds go wild

I can live on Indian Street Food. You find it everywhere, in the streets, in public places, outside colleges and universities and just about anywhere.

Ravi Gol Gappe Wala – Lucknow

Indian street food is generally tangy with a generous dose of spices. They work perfectly on the tongue, though on the stomach the effect may vary from person to person. The list of street food is exhaustive, but here are some popular options:

Pani Puri also called Gol Gappe or Puchkas Pao Bahji Aaloo Tikki Wada Pao Samosa Kachori Bhelpuri or Jhalmuri Bhajjis or Pakodas Bhutta or roasted corncob

My favorite cities for vegetarian street food are Indore, Lucknow & Ahmedabad. Though every city has something unique to offer in their platter of Indian street food.

Kalkatta Dahi Wada – Mouth watering Street food in Jaipur to try

9. Weave in a Textile Stop in your India Travel Plan

India has a long history of textiles and everything to do with textiles. The world came to us for textiles, for the dyed cloth in indigo. There are different weaves and patterns that have evolved over a period of time, over which we paint and we do embroidery, sometimes even with gold and silver and gemstones. Textile heritage of the country is incredible and one that you must explore beyond just shopping.

Colorful Handloom Saris – Maheshwar

Popular weaving hubs are Varanasi, Kanchipuram, Sri Kalahasti, Pochampally, Patan, Paithan, Bhagalpur, Maheshwar, Bishnupur among many others.

You can also see weaving being done at some of the Khadi Ashrams. Try to understand how the threads are woven together to make patterns on the garment.

Saris are the most beautiful example of the textile tradition of the nation. However, the woven cloth is used to stitch all kinds of garments and home linen.

Do include Textiles in your Indian tour – it is one of the few continuously living heritage of the country.

If you are a jewelry enthusiast, do explore the jewelry along with textiles. From tribal jewelry in beads and silver to gem-studded jewelry to junk jewelry on the roadside stalls – it is a world in itself to explore.

10. Fruits – Have you tasted our Mangoes?

Fruits thankfully still belong to their respective geographies despite all the initiatives to plant them elsewhere. Mango is the king of fruits for us and the best time to enjoy them fresh is peak summers.

Mango Fruit stalls in Panaji Market, Goa Summer Delights

Sometimes I feel we manage to tolerate the summers only because it brings Mangoes and other juicy fruits like melons with it. Most Indians would have fond Mango stories to tell.

We all fight about which Mango variety is the best. Everyone likes the one they grew up with. I love Banarasi Langda while my spouse thinks Alphonso is the best mango. There are mangoes that you cut and eat, the ones you suck and eat, the ones you make drinks from and eat and the ones you pickle to savor for the rest of the year.

Litchi and Bel are some other summer fruits found mostly in the foothills of Himalayas.

Enrich your India Travel by tasting these yummy fruits.

Read More – Pink & Purple Fruits of Goa

11. Explore the Rural Life and Artisan Villages during India Travel

You might have heard that real India lives in its village. I do not agree with that. I think urban areas may have similarities with urban pockets around the world. Rural regions are little more rooted in the culture and traditions.

Gateway to the fort at Bishnupur

I recommend spending some time in a small village. Check out this list of Rural Tourism Companies that offer experiences in Indian hinterlands.

National award winner Dhokra artist Smt Budhiarin Devi at Ektaal crafts village

You can also choose to visit artisan villages like Bishnupur in Bengal, Raghurajpur in Odisha, Pochampally near Hyderabad or Firozabad near Agra. Again these places are not too difficult to find. You just need to budget some time in your trip itinerary to stop at a village and explore the simpler life of agrarian society.

12. Soak in a bit of Living Art Forms during India Travel

Culture is best communicated through native art forms and the country has so many that I always lose count. Here are some ideas for you to connect or pick up. Check out the local newspapers for ongoing shows and tickets.

Kathakali performers mix with the audience to engage

Watch a classical or a folk-dance performance

Watch a Bollywood Film – you can even take a Bollywood tour in Mumbai

Attend a painting or a Rangoli making workshop

Visit an Art exhibition

Take a Yoga class

Join a cooking course

Haleem Khan performing Kuchipudi

India Travel is all about discovering a new facet of the country at every step. We have a local saying that translates – Every 3 km the water changes and every 12 km the language changes and along with them changes everything else. This is the nuanced diversity this country holds.

Yoga Practice on the beach?

Do include some of these experiences if not all when you plan your India travel.

Best India Travel Experiences, Stock Photos – Shutterstock

Do not forget to share your experiences with us.

The post Planning India Travel? 12 Unique Experiences To Explore appeared first on Inditales.