Introduction to Eastern India
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We love India. It is a huge and diverse country with eighteen official languages, a
civilization going back at least 5,000 years, an area of 1.2 million square miles (about one
third the area of the USA) a population of about 1.2 billion (four times that of the USA).
The country is densely populated with more than 800 inhabitants per square mile, compared
to about 75 in the United States. India extends from the snow-covered Himalayas to the
tropical beaches of Kerala, and from the deserts of Rajasthan
Religion is important part of life in India. About 80% of Indians are Hindus or belong to
sects similar to Hinduism. Throughout India we see magnificent temples, impressive
pilgrimage sites and have witnessed amazing Hindu ceremonies.
About 14% (150 million) of Indians are Moslems, making India the country with the
greatest number of Moslems in the world, except for Indonesia. In northern India we saw
many mosques, palaces, memorials, and forts built by the Moslem invaders centuries ago.
Buddhism got its start in India about 2,500 years ago and spread to become the principal
religion in much of southern and eastern Asia. The great majority of Indians reverted to
the Hindu religion many years ago but India today still has many Buddhist religious centers
and historical sites attracting pilgrims from throughout the world.
Traveling in India we are very aware of the important part which religion plays in the life
of nearly all Indians.
Foreign visitors who speak English benefit greatly by the fact that most educated Indians
speak the language, and that in the cities and towns most people with whom the visitor comes
in contact have at least a smattering knowledge of English. India was under British control
for several centuries until Indian independence in 1947.
India has a good infrastructure for tourism. Cities, towns, and resort areas generally
offer hotels and guest-houses with a wide range of luxury and at all price levels. Because
few Indians have cars, taxis are abundant, bus transportation is extensive, and the rail
system (built by the British) provides excellent long-distance transportation. Except for
super-luxury facilities, nearly everything is available at low cost.
Not all visitors like India. The most common complaints we hear from foreign visitors is
being frequently bothered by persistent sellers of goods and services, and the lack of firm
prices. Some visitors like the attention they receive and enjoy negotiating a reduced price.
Some Indian sellers try to take advantage of what they believe might be uninformed and
gullible foreigners. Indians generally work hard to make a sale and try to maximize their
profit; we believe this is caused mainly by the very competitive situation brought about by
great poverty and over-population.
Another common complaint is poor sanitation and no maintenance. India has a long way to go
to meet European and American standards.
We headed into Eastern India because we had not yet seen much of that part of the country.
Our principal aims on this trip were to again visit the leading Hindu religious center of
Varanasi (formerly Benares) and the Buddhist historical sites in nearby Sarnath, and to
explore the leading Buddhist historic sites in Bodh-Gaya. We also hopped The story and
pictures of that trip are on the following pages.
There also are some visitors who also object to frequently finding themselves in the midst of
crowds, especially in Indian cities.
This is our fifth visit to India, which we consider one of the most interesting countries to
visit. For us, India's many attractions far outweigh its occasional inconveniences and
discomforts.