India Overload: Final thoughts

After a twelve hour overnight bus ride from Dharamsala we arrive in Delhi in the early morning hours. Already the heat of the day is rising, promising another hot day on the Ganga plain. We are at the end of our trip and we are hot, tired and generally overloaded with our experience of India. Overload is the operative word here as everything seems to trend towards overload. It is sensory overload of the highest magnitude. The sights, sounds, smells and tastes of India assault ones every waking hour. As previously touched upon, these impressions run the full gamut from some of the most incredibly beautiful experiences I have had to some of the most disgusting.

Beyond sensory overload, India is stretched to capacity with its 1.2 billion inhabitants who, at times, seem to occupy every square inch of the country. The land seems on the verge of exceeding its carrying capacity as well as exceeding the capacity of its infrastructure. The following pictures give a sense of this tendency towards overload.




Many times I have absolutely hated India but our last day in Delhi made me fall in love all over again. We spent our last 30 hours with a perfectly wonderful couple we had met at the wedding in Kolkata, Jasbir and Amrit. They graciously invited us to come stay with them in their home. They are intelligent, absorbing and most hospitable. We were fed until we could not eat anymore.

A "snack" at Jasbir and Amrit's

They took time out of their busy schedules to show us some of their favorite sights in Delhi.

Deb, Richard and Amrit at Qutb Minar

We had many interesting discussions on politics, religion, and problems of the world. They were more familiar and conversant about America than most Americans. Knowing that people like this exist in a country with as many problems as India gives me hope that India will somehow rise above its problems of the past and tackle the problems of its future with intelligence, compassion and common sense.

Amrit, Richard and Jasbir at Jasbir's temple project

Jasbir and Amrit embody the most important part of India; its heart. India is a vibrant place that, like it or not, is fully alive. At the center of this life is the heart of its people. Our very best experiences in India was experiencing this heart.

Jasbir, Amrit, Richard and Deb out on the town