The Cradle of Culture

Namaste from my motherland. If Kenya is referred to as the cradle of humanity, then I think its only fair to refer to India as the cradle of culture. I arrived in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) early Saturday morning. It has been 6 years since my last visit to India, and in between I have visited about 10 other countries. There is something definitely special about India. It is my ancestory, my heritage, my culture. It is the feeling and sensation that this is where my identity was born (for the record, I was born in Canada). It has always been both my privilege and my challenge (in a good way) to be born in Canada and come from a culture that is so rich, so colourful, so sensual. Blending the 2 together is not always the easiest and many times you can find yourself at odds when the society you live in and your roots give you two different messages.

If I could put a label to what the scent in the air is, I would say it is the scent of time. The Indus civilization is one of the oldest civilations in world, and India is the birthplace of two of the world’s major religions – Hinduism and Buddhism. Coming to India this time from Kenya, versus coming from Canada brought a very different feeling. I realize I am a first generation Canadian, born and bred in the Great White North, but as my plane touched down in India, I actually felt a sense of coming home. Whether it was because I look like everyone else here, or I understand the language even though its not English, or just the fact that after almost 4 months, I get to see family, something about being here that just feels natural right now. It was extra special to finally touch down in Mumbai which is the birthplace of my dad. Granted he only spent a few years of his life in Mumbai before moving up north, it is always nice to visit the birthcity. Actually, as I write this, I am in Delhi, the capital city of India. I arrived in Mumbai Saturday and flew directly up to Delhi later that day to spend Diwali with family. I will be returning to Mumbai on Friday and then spending the 2nd half of my trip in city affectionately known as ‘bollywood’.

Today, we went to dilihart. An outdoor market where artisians and craftspeople from all over the country come to display their crafts. Today’s theme was South India and Sri Lanka so I got a taste of South Indian culture. I had a great time exploring the hundreds of stalls to see what these creative and truly talented people have to offer. Conversing with them in hindi – even though its not my first language – brought me a strange sense of familiarity. As Diwali is upcoming, we spent the rest of the day going to various markets to gather the necessary items to celebrate the upcoming Festival of Lights. This will be the first time I get to experience Diwali in India and it is truly something special. Diwali – arguably the most celebrated festival in the hindu calendar is always a fun time. I have to confess, that I’m not the most well-versed when it comes to my Indian culture, in my defense though, it is an incredibly massive religion/culture, but Diwali is something I feel I do know and I love to celebrate.

Coming to india is a bit of a surreal experience. While I may know the superficial, surface level things about my culture, when I come here, I realize just how little I know, and just how much I wish I could/did know. I have to confess something else, when I first applied for this fellowship, my heart was in Asia. It was my hope that my placement would be in India and that I could use this opportunity to not only give something back to India, but to also spend an extended amount of time to learn about my culture. But, everything happens for a reason and let there be no doubt that I am extremely grateful and glad for the opportunity to be in Kenya, I wouldn’t trade it for the world and it has been a truly enriching experience.

But back to India. The flower markets, the mitai shops, the chaat stands, the bhajans and guzzles coming out from various places, the sabzi vendor yelling out his inventory throughout the day unnnnnnnnnnnday! (eggs), piiiiiiiage! (onions), and packed shops with people getting their last minute things for Diwali, it’s a sensual overload, and I’m loving every minute of it. Ironic to say, but in all this, as I call it, organized chaos, my mind is at peace, it’s mental and physical break where I feel like my spirit is already being renewed.

So, I guess I didn’t really get into why I think India is the Cradle of Culture, well….i could go into it, but this would get really long. Suffice to say, it just is, and if you don’t believe me, come here and see it for yourself. Right now, I may by even father away from Canada then when I was in Kenya, I may still be a foreign land where I don’t quite understand everything, or completely know my way around. But for the next week and a bit, I am home.