An Essay by Shree Nirmal Jee on Journal of Non Resident Indian (www.jnri.net )

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Impressions of my Visit to India in June 2006

by Nirmal

In June 2006, I visited many cities in India for four weeks. In this essay I will give you my impressions of this visit.

Visit to Muzaffarpur (Bihar)

Below is a photo of street in Saraiya-ganj, which is a business district of this ancient city.

Muzaffarpur is one of the most backward cities in India, which is hardly surprising considering that Bihar is perhaps the most backward states in India. It is matter of great shame that while other cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi are progresing rapidly, the cities of Bihar are decaying. All the educated people of Bihar are abandoning their state because they have little hope that their state will improve.

In Muzaffarpur, when I stepped out of my hotel into the street, I could feel the stench of bad smell caused by the sewer system which is not covered. The first thing the municipal corporation of Muzaffarpur should do is to cover the sewer system.

Visit to Radha Swami Temple in Agra

The Radha Swami sect is trying to build a temple in Agra, where they have headquarters, that will surpass the Taj Manhal in beauty and art work. But it is is very slow and this temple has been under construction for the last hundred years- this is what I was told.

This sect is like the Sikh religion and believe in the Guru. But unlike the Sikh and most sects of the Hindu religious, they do not believe in 'kirtans'.

Visit to Taj Mahal at Agra

Below is a photo of the Taj Mahal at Agra.

The Taj Mahal is a glowing testimony to the artistic and creative talents of the great Indian people. It is the people who built the Taj and not the emperor, who is said to have brutally cut off the hands of the great technicians who designed and built the Taj.

Below is a photo of the artwork in Taj Mahal at Agra.

The Taj Mahal is famous because of the high quality art work in the structure. Such art work can now be also found in modern Hindu temples built in various cities around the world by the BAPS Swami Narayan Temple organization.

Visit to Agra Fort

Below is a photo of the Agra Fort at Agra, which is worth visiting.

Visit to Mumbai

Below is a photo of Gateway of India in South Mumbai near Nariman Point.

The Gateway of India was built by the British colonialists as a symbol of their subjugation of the Indian people. From here you take the boat to the Elephanta Island to see the caves that have statues of Hindu Gods and Goddesses.

Below is a photo of the buildings in South Mumbai, near Nariman Point. This photo was taken from the balcony of an apartment on 16th floor in Nariman Point.

This photo shows that Mumbai is a great modern city full of wealth.

Below is a photo of the Hanging Garden in south Mumbai near Nariman Point. This garden has a shoe shaped building on which kids climb to the top.

Visit to Elephanta Caves near Mumbai

Below is a photo of a statue of Hindu Goddess in the caves on Elephanta Island near south Mumbai. We took a boat from Gateway of India. It takes just about an hour to reach the Elephanta Island by boat. While going, I enjoyed the boat ride but while coming back, I was dozing off on the boat.

Visit to Akshardham Temple in Delhi

This temple was completed around 2004 by the Swaminarayan religious organization that is strong in Gujarat. It is a sprawling temple and is built over large tracts of land. There are great number of buildings full of art work.

This temple is worth visiting by all tourists who visit Delhi. Photography inside this temple is prohibited. Perhaps they do not want others to create a copy of their temple.

In my opinion this huge temple is a great waste of money. The only benefit is that it attracts tourists who learn about the Hindu religion.

But if only half the money spent would have been used for benefiting the poor like building a school to provide free education to the poor kids, or for providing free lunch on Sundays to the poor, it would have been much better.

The essense of religion is renunciation and asceticism and compassion for the poor. By building mammoth temples you only tell the world that you care more for material things.

Visit to malls in Delhi

Below is a photo of a shopping mall in Vaishali, Ghaziabad, UP, near East Delhi.

In Delhi and other cities like Mumbai, and Bangalore, shopping malls are coming up. These malls are air conditioned and have escalators. These malls are used by the rich and are a great place to feel that India too is becoming modernized like the cities in the West.

India is becoming a country of Haves and Have-Nots. The Haves go to shopping malls while the Have-Nots own rickshaws and transport other people. But banning the rickshaws is not the solution to the problem.

I found the manual rickshaws to be of great help in moving around from one place to another in Muzaffarpur and in Delhi.

In South Mumbai, they have banned rickshaws, both manual and auto, from the streets. This keeps the streets uncluttered and gives you a false feeling that you are in London, England



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