🇮🇳 India

Hej! I’m sharing a glimpse of my experience visiting contrasting and spectacular India. I was there in 2014. Below are some notes on what I tasted, saw and listened to.

Important: I only share my own experience and recommend the things I personally tried and liked. Therefore, everything written below is extremely subjective, and does not cover all the wonderful local features and places ☺️.

🗺 Places: Candolim, Vijayapura, Badami.

🏛 Top sights visited:

🎧 Local musicians:

• 🇮🇳 A. R. Rahman (singer). Genre: film score
• 🇮🇳 Rashmeet Kaur (singer). Genre: pop
• 🇮🇳 Arijit Singh (playback singer). Genre: film score
• 🇮🇳 Mithoon (composer). Genre: film score
• 🇮🇳 Panjabi MC (DJ). Genre: bhangra
• 🇺🇳 KSHMR (DJ). Genre: electro house
• 🇺🇳 Kerosene Club (DJ). Genre: goa trance
• 🇺🇳 Tarun Shahani (DJ). Genre: psy trance

🎚️ Authentic EDM genres:

• Bhangra. Originated: mid-1960s
• Goa Trance. Originated: early 1990s
• Psy Trance. Originated: late 1990s

🥘 Local food & drinks:

• Phool Makhana (फूल मखाने)
• Thali-Style Dishes (थाली)
  • Dal (दाल)
  • Paneer Makhani (पनीर मखनी)
  • Aloo Matar (आलू मटर)
  • Kachumber (कचूमर)
  • Raita (रायता)
  • Roti (रोटी)
  • Basmati Rice (बासमती चावल)
  • Gulab Jamun (गुलाब जामुन)
• Samosa (समोसा)
• Jeera Aloo (जीरा आलू)
• Vada Pav (वड़ापाव)
• Butter Chicken (बटर चिकन)
• Kanda Bhaji (कांदा भजी)
• Chana Masala (चना मसाला)
• Chole Bhature (छोले भटूरे)
• Puri Bhaji (पूरी भाजी)
• Khoya Paneer (खोया पनीर)
• Palak Paneer (पालक पनीर)
• Rogan Josh (रोग़न जोश)
• Lamb Korma (मटन कोरमा)
• Tandoori Chicken (तंदुरी चिकन)
• Kulfi (क़ुल्फ़ी)
• Kheer (खीर)
• Mukhwas (मुखवास)
• Vada (वड़ा)
• Naan (नान)
• Karnataka (Regional Special): Masala Dosa (मसाला डोसा / ಮಸಾಲೆ ದೋಸೆ)
• Karnataka (Regional Special): Bisi Bele Bath (बिसी बेले बाथ / ಬಿಸಿ ಬೇಳೆ ಭಾತ್)
• Karnataka (Regional Special): Mysore Pak (मैसूर पाक / ಮೈಸೂರು ಪಾಕ್)
• Goa (Regional Special): Vindaloo (विंदालू / विंदालू)
• Goa (Regional Special): Goan Fish Curry (गोवा मछली करी / हुमण)
• Goa (Regional Special): Ros Omelette (रोस ऑमलेट / रोस आमलेट)
• Goa (Regional Special): Sarapatel (सोरपोतेल / सोरपोतेल)

🎬 Local movies:

• 3 Idiots (३ ईडियट्स). Year: 2009. Genre: comedy
• Dunki (डंकी). Year: 2023. Genre: dramedy
• Slumdog Millionaire (स्लमडॉग करोड़पती). Year: 2008. Genre: drama
• Shantaram (शांताराम). Year: 2022. Genre: drama (series)
  

🪔 Authentic features:

• Authentic Principle: Ahimsa (अहिंसा)
• Hinduism (हिन्दू धर्म)
• Sikhism (सिख धर्म)
• Jainism (जैन धर्म)
• Yoga Practices (योग)
• Devanagari Script (देवनागरी)
• Bollywood Movies (बॉलीवुड फिल्में)
• Madhubani Art (मधुबनी चित्रकला)
• Kalamkari Art (कलमकारी)
• Gillidanda Game (गिल्ली डंडा)
• Kho Kho Game (खो-खो)
• Carrom Game (कैरम)
• Chaturanga Game (चतुरंग)
• Bharatanatyam Dance (भरतनाट्यम)
• Nagara Architecture (नागर शैली)
• Title of Guru (गुरु)
• Indo-Saracenic Architecture (इंडो-सारासेनिक वास्तुकला)
• Indian Folklore (भारतीय लोकवार्ता)
• Indian Cars (Brands: “Tata”, Mahindra")
• Authentic Musical Instrument: Saraswati Veena (सरस्वती वीणा)
• Authentic Garb: Sari & Sherwani (साड़ी और शेरवानी)
• Heritage of the Maurya Empire (मौर्यसाम्राज्य / मौर्यसाम्राज्यम्)
• Heritage of the Gupta Empire (गुप्त राजवंश / गुप्त)
• Heritage of the Chola Empire (चोल साम्राज्य / இடைக்காலச் சோழர்கள்)
• Heritage of the Maratha Empire (मराठा साम्राज्य)
• Karnataka (Regional Special): Heritage of the Rashtrakuta Empire (राष्ट्रकूट राजवंश / ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಕೂಟ)
• Karnataka (Regional Special): Heritage of the Vijayanagara Empire (विजयनगर साम्राज्य / ವಿಜಯನಗರ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯ)
• Karnataka (Regional Special): Culture of Kannadigas (कन्नड़ लोग / ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರು)
  • Kannada Script (कन्नड लिपि / ಕನ್ನಡ ಲಿಪಿ)
  • Dollu Kunitha Dance (डोल्लू कुनिथा / ಡೊಳ್ಳು ಕುಣಿತ)
  • Dasa Sahitya Literature (दसा साहित्य / ದಾಸ ಸಾಹಿತ್ಯ)
  • Kambala Buffalo Race (कंबाला / ಕಂಬಳ)
  • Pallanguzhi Game (पल्लांगुझी / ಅಳಗುಳಿ ಮನೆ)
  • Legend of Naale Ba (कल आना / ನಾಳೆ ಬಾ)
  • Authentic Musical Instrument: Tamate (ढोल / ತಮಟೆ)
• Goa (Regional Special): Culture of Goans (गोवाई / गोएनकर)
  • Authentic Principle: Susegad (सुसेगाद / सुसेगाद)
  • Fugdi Dance (फुगडी / फुगडी)
  • Authentic Garb: Pano Bhaju (पानो भजु / पानो भजु)
  • Authentic Musical Instrument: Ghumot (घुमोट / घुमट)

🎊 Authentic holidays & celebrations:

• Republic Day of India (गणतन्त्र दिवस). Month: January
• Holi Festival (होली). Month: February or March
• Gandhi Jayanti (गांधी जयंती). Month: October
• Mahavira Janma Kalyanaka (महावीर जन्म कल्याणक). Month: March or April
• Vijayadashami (दशहरा). Month: September or October
• Diwali (दीपावली). Month: October or November
• Makara Sankrānti (मकर संक्रान्ति). Month: January
• Maha Shivaratri (महाशिवरात्रि). Month: February or March
• Rama Navami (राम नवमी). Month: March or April
• Karnataka (Regional Special): Karnataka Rajyotsava (कर्नाटक राज्य दिवस / ಕನ್ನಡ ರಾಜ್ಯೋತ್ಸವ). Month: November
• Karnataka (Regional Special): Yugādi (उगादि / ಯುಗಾದಿ). Month: March
• Goa (Regional Special): Goan Carnival (गोवा कार्निवल / गोंय कार्निवाल). Month: February or March
• Goa (Regional Special): Shigmo (शिग्मो / शिगमो). Month: February or March

💐 National flower: Indian Lotus (कमल)

• Goa (Regional Special): Red Jasmine (रेड जास्मिन / चमेली)
• Karnataka (Regional Special): Indian Lotus (कमल / ಕಮಲ)

🦉 Local wisdom: “The half-filled pitcher overflows with noise, the full pitcher goes silent.” / “अधजल गगरी छलकत जाए, भरी गगरिया चुपके जाए ।" — Indian proverb

👨‍🎓 The oldest university: The University of Calcutta (कलकत्ता विश्वविद्यालय), Kolkata, est. 1857.