Spiritual Quest

I was watching this movie – ‘The Guru’ on Star Movies. I realized that I always got topics to blog, after watching a Hindi movie. The Guru made me think about a certain topic, and here, I am putting a new blog, on what foreign travelers seek in India.

I am not talking of those people, who come see Kerala, Agra, Jaipur and go back. I am talking of those who come here, stay for a year or so, the hippy kind of guys, who stay in all the hill stations of Himachal, trying to search for their true identity, and search for their soul.

Whenever I read some foreign tourists travelogue, of his travels in India, they are full of words that are completely Indian.
#They seem to know more about our Vedas and Scriptures .
#They know exactly what ‘Om’ stands for and its 100 meanings.
#They know the stories of Rama, Krishna and the Mahabharata. They know about the preachings of the Gita as well
#Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare...! They know this and love listening to it. They know Lord Krishna had 16000 wives, and think its cool.
#Monkey God Hanuman, Elephant God - Vignesha, Ganesha, Niranjan, Vakratunda, all his many names & meanings
#Lord Shiva and his Trident, and the Ganges, and that its flows out of his tresses
#They know about all the sacred pilgrimage centers on the Ganges
#Hindu Gods with 2 or more wives – Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha, Karthikeya, Krishna..they know it all, better than us
#Shuklam, Bharatharam, Vishnum, Sashivarnam….
#Nava rathnas, their effect on our lives, the semi precious stones and their effects too
#Rahu, Ketu, Shani….
#Prithvi, Jal, Vayu..
#Kundalini – what ever that is
#Chakra inside us – Indian Life Science, I guess
#Kama Sutra and Vatsyayan
#Surya Namaskaram
#Vaastu Shastra, Astrology, Palmistry, Ayurveda, Homeopathy
#They want to learn yoga, meditation, and enroll into courses
#More and more of them are becoming vegetarians, are giving up drinking and smoking.
#They talk about cosmic forces, energy, good karma, bad karma, spiritual healing, inner peace, enlightenment and ignorance
#Also Biryani, Kababs and all its varieties – Tangri, Kalmi, Haryali etc, Idly, Dosa, Rasagolla, Gjam ( Gulab Jamun ), Sambhar, Rasam, Chutney, Malabar Fish Curry, Goan Pheni, Dum Aloo, Dal Bhukara, Chettinad Kozhi Urundai, Andhra Gonkura…..Bhang, Adrak Chai, Lassi hmm.
#Most weddings in India are 3 day long ceremonies. The significance of ‘Saath Phere’
#Akbar, Babur, Mauryas, Chalukyas, Marathas, Tipu…who succeeded whom. I am sure they read up a lot
#Tamil Nadu Express goes to Delhi from Chennai, about Deccan Queen, Darjeeling hill train…
And a lot lot more

Definitely, everything, more than i know about.