Indian Republic: Diversity By Terrain But United By Heart

Gayatri Kshirsagar

Pune, January 26, 2021: In the last few months of the lockdown, we have realized the importance of connecting with Nature, friends, families, and, most notably, with ourselves.

My husband Prathamesh and I are travel geeks. We are fortunate that we could travel to various places across India. Travelling to different cities, states, exploring Nature, interacting with people, enjoying local culture and cuisine, sharing the bond of humanity, and experiencing the spirit of Indian culture has been a delightful experience for us.

While travelling around places, We found that every village after 50-60 km speaks a different language, dialect and follows various rituals, customs, and beliefs. The diverse terrains with mountains, beaches, rivers, lakes, desserts awed us with their natural splendour. India is truly a paradise of a variety of terrain, and we all are connected with Nature through warmth, love, and our bonds with the people.

In this article, I would like to highlight three states’ travelling experience having different terrains, cultures, and the true Indian spirit at heart.

In 2019, we completed a bike trip to Spiti valley, which is also called a valley of glaciers. It was an eight-day long bike trip, travelling to the most challenging terrains in Himachal Pradesh. As it was a bike trip, one could anticipate difficulties during the journey, but we were very fortunate to meet people who helped us during the trip. People in Himachal Pradesh are very kind-hearted. They welcome you with great hospitality that was one of the reasons to opt for the home-stay throughout our journey.

In the same year, we travelled to Hampi (Karnataka), dotted with numerous ruined temple complexes from the Vijayanagara Empire. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many people worldwide come here to learn about India’s extraordinary ancient architecture. We met people from other Indian states, Europe, and other Asian countries. We also had dinner together while discussing our languages, traditions, and culture.

I am born and raised in Maharashtra, but I re-discover Maharashtra every time I visit a new place in the state. One can experience Maharashtra’s rich, diverse and vibrant culture throughout the trip. One would fall in love with the terrains, beautiful mountain ranges, silver and white beaches stretched throughout the Western coast, the mighty forts, old monuments, and temples.

Maharashtra’s Konkan belt is the best place to experience the
serenity, peace, and beauty of Nature. One can visit various untouched and unexplored beaches in the Konkan. Its God gifted land between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea at the western coastline of India and recognized as the paradise of Maharashtra. The Konkan region has a strong cultural identity with diverse flora and fauna. Moreover, it is blessed with the picturesque stretch of the coast. Konkani cuisine always cherishes the taste buds with seafood dishes, fresh fruits such as mango and starfruit. Konkan is the perfect getaway for the intrepid traveller to enjoy watersports, diving, and nature activities.

I have mentioned only three states; however, I have also travelled to other states in India. During the journey, I found that although we speak different languages, follow different cultures, customs, and traditions, but we are still united as Indians. We all live a spirit of Tricolour in our hearts and souls, and we should always embrace such diversity and unity.

(Gayatri Kshirsagar has been working in the fields of Science, Communication, and Public Engagement for many years. She loves travelling and exploring new places and likes photography. Check her clicks on Instagram @sophophilic_gayatri)