"What travelling means to me?" An essay

"Go travelling with us!"
Her travels daily be
By routes of ecstasy
To Evening's Sea—
-by Emily Dickinson

After a period of monotonous & routine chores, when the mind craves to unwind, to explore the unexplored, to get to know new people belonging to different cultures, then what better option one can get than to travel and unravel one’s own country.
A country with bountiful of lush green fields, lilting rivers, towering mountains and people with such diverse culture that can outnumber the whole civilization put together. A country cordoned by three oceans and the largest mountain range, encompassing one of the world’s largest deserts in its heart. Yes, this is our country, our incredible INDIA...
Touring India acquaints me with its vast Cultural Heritage in terms of forts, palaces & myriads of temple, which are masonry marvels because of their structural ambience. The Taj Mahal & the Golden Temple are considered even the World Heritages. Also, the monasteries & Buddhist circuit with the rural touch are simply mesmerizing in effect. Not only the mansions and edifices, the palm-fringed beaches of Goa & Kerala are capable enough to rejuvenate anyone’s spirit & heart. Or one can transcend into another world simply by meditating on the Vivekanand Rock or in the cool and ancient Buddhist caves tunneled out of solid rocks on the craggy hillsides.
However, the spiritual India cannot be felt thoroughly until one is ready to immerse oneself into the Holy waters of the Ganges, visit at least a few of the innumerable temples and accompany a group of millions of Pilgrims kindled with the devotion & respect for their deities. Temples located at the highest of points are not able to deter the devout to reach there even in the most extreme & hazardous conditions. Amarnath, Aiyppa & Vaishnodevi, among the few temples I have visited, are considered the seats of the highest devotion.
Not only the spirituality, but the simplicity of its people across the country, what makes India so fascinating. I cannot stop marveling at the fact that here, even the natural climactic changes like the profusion of orange flowers, the shade of the banyan tree are celebrated not only to enjoy life but also to pay obeisance to the deity for their blessings and love. Festivals like Onam, Vasant Panchami & Lohri represent the dawn of New Year for harvesting. Also, the villages that one comes across while traveling by train or bus, with vast green fields, mud houses, cattle & simply clad people, give one the picture of rural but real & simple India.
However, India is not only about the Sacred temples & Holy cow. Even in the midst of all the spirituality & festivities, the vibrancy of modern & restless India cannot go unnoticed. The western & central India has all the luxury one can dream of. The numerous skyscrapers, the most luxurious hotels & innumerable shopping malls, they all give us the feel of the new and changing face India.
But, be it any part of India, it exudes the same warmth and tenderness a kid receives ensconced in its mother’s lap. It rejuvenates the tired mind & the battered soul and once again you are ready to face the new challenges, to scale the newer heights in life…And this is what tourism means to me, to get enriched by the knowledge of my own country, my own people and lead a satisfied life from dawn to dusk!!