What are Indians really like? What are the characteristics of their culture, traditions, and the way they welcome foreigners? If you are planning a trip to India or are simply curious to learn more about this amazing country, you are in the right place. In this article we tell you what the people in India are like, what makes them unique — and why you might fall in love with them at first sight.
If you want to feel like a super star, go to India.
It’s no joke: there, just being a foreigner-especially with fair skin-is enough to attract attention worthy of the red carpet. As soon as you stop for a photo, within seconds you are surrounded by dozens of smiling people asking for selfies, as if you were a famous actor. The curiosity is sincere and never intrusive, and it is just one of the many aspects that make India so alive and human.
Organized chaos: the magic of the road
Anyone visiting India for the first time is overwhelmed (literally and metaphorically) by the colorful, pulsating chaos of its streets. The first thing you’ll notice? The horns. Lots of them. Incessant. They sound to say “I’m passing,” “look out,” “I’m there too,” but rarely out of anger. The traffic seems like a dance without choreography: cars, tuk tuk, motorcycles, pedestrians, cows, goats–each follows a mysterious logic, yet everything flows.
Sacred cows are the true queens of the road. They walk undisturbed, lie down in the middle of intersections, and no one dares disturb them. They are considered divine creatures, and this says a lot about how much spirituality is intertwined with Indian daily life.
Always with a smile
Despite daily difficulties, most Indians have an open gaze and a spontaneous smile. Even if they don’t speak English-and often don’t understand a word you say-they go out of their way to help you, to communicate with gestures, to offer you something, even if it’s just a little bit of their time. Kindness is a form of culture, not an exception.
Weddings that look like festivals
Another world to discover is that of Indian weddings. If you get a chance, ask a local to tell you about them-or better yet, try to attend one. In India, weddings last several days, sometimes up to a week, with endless ceremonies, rituals, dances and banquets. And yes, they are still often arranged by families, albeit with the consent of the bride and groom.
Each wedding day has a specific meaning, such as the Haldi (where the bride and groom’s skin is sprinkled with a yellow turmeric paste to purify them) or the Sangeet, an evening of music and dance that involves everyone. Clothes are a riot of color and embroidery, jewelry abounds, and the celebration is communal, inclusive, and generous.
India is a continuous party
Not a week goes by in India without a religious, cultural or seasonal festival. Some are known all over the world, such as:
- Holi, the festival of colors, celebrating the victory of good over evil and the arrival of spring. An explosion of colored powders, music and smiles.
- Diwali, the festival of lights, a symbol of inner light overcoming darkness. Homes are filled with candles, lanterns and traditional sweets.
But there are also lesser-known and equally fascinating celebrations:
- The Kite Festival (Uttarayan), celebrated in January especially in Gujarat, where the skies are filled with a thousand colors and people compete to “cut” the strings of other kites.
- Navratri, the women’s festival, which lasts nine nights and honors the many forms of the Mother Goddess with dances, songs and ritual fasts.
And often, outside temples, especially Sikh temples, there are free Langar: meals cooked and served by volunteers, open to anyone, regardless of caste, religion or background. A beautiful testimony to inclusion and solidarity.
Getting involved
India is not a country to observe, it is a country to experience, to feel, to embrace. Dispassionate advice: get involved. Don’t be afraid to sit on the floor next to people who eat with their hands, to accept an invitation to a ceremony, to try to understand a language you don’t know. Talk, dance, ask, smile.
Because India challenges you. It challenges you. But if you stay open, it repays you with a rare humanity, an infectious energy and a kaleidoscope of emotions that you will carry with you forever.
And if you want to keep dreaming, check out our itineraries in India!