India: (Part I) BOMBAY/MUMBAI
As I had mentioned in one of my previous posts, Jason and I were really lucky to spend the first week of 2014 in India with great friends! Some friends of ours from Columbia Business School were gracious enough to host 8 of us in India. Harsh & Rach are from Bombay so we started our trip (with the 10 of us) in Bombay/Mumbai (the most populous city in India, with a population of about 20.5 million) and ended up traveling through the Northern part of India. Our trip was: Bombay, Pushkar, Jaipur and Ranthambore. It was an absolutely spectacular trip! I was excited to go to India but didn’t fully know what to expect. We really loved India! The culture, the people, the food, the history…it’s all incredible! India was a lot of take in. Its beauty and culture exceeded all my expectations. But, there was definitely the fact, which you could not deny, that India is very much a developing country. Seeing some of the struggles was very difficult but I think it’s a reminder of the opportunities that exist both within India to continue to grow, and outside, for people in other countries to be able to understand and help. On top of the fact that we got to travel with an incredible group of friends, we also had the most wonderful trip put together by “India Someday” (Travel Agency)! If you are interested in seeing all the beauty in India and getting exposure to a variety of experiences, please reach out to India Someday and let them help you plan a fantastic Indian adventure! Also, please take a few minutes to check out the awesome Dream 11 app (our friend, Harsh’s company), the World’s No.1 Fantasy Cricket Game with over 200,000 Indian users (click here, or check out their Facebook page)!!
I’ll be posting 4 separate posts on India based on the four cities we visited as there is so much beauty to share! First…BOMBAY
<Left> The beautiful items being sold by the street vendors. Check out this beautiful selection of fun Indian sandals. The selection was beautiful and the shoes were so cheap. <Right> A showing of the prevalence of motor bikes in India. The traffic in Bombay, for the record, is some of the most chaotic driving I have ever witnessed traveling.
We ate almost entirely vegetarian while we were in India. Indian vegetarian food was absolutely delicious! There are so many flavors and options! It really opened up my eyes to true “vegetarian” food.
The sun hitting the water along Bombay’s coast.
A glimpse into the color and vibrance of the street vendors.
Looking out to Bombay from the entrance of Haji Ali Dargah
The Haji Ali Dargah
<Above> The beautiful flowers that you offer as sacred gifts at the Hindu temples. We had the beautiful opportunity of visiting gorgeous temples. We learned a lot about India’s religious influences. Four of the world’s religions originated in India- Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism & Sikhism. My favorite god in Hinduism is Ganesh. He is worshipped all over India. Ganesha is the remover of obstacles, and god of beginnings.
<Below> Our very own Ganesh, now watching over us in NYC. Love the beauty of what he stands for.
Bombay
Several things really moved me in India. One of these things was this incredible Buddha statue at our friend’s parents house. They generously invited us to stay with them while we were in Bombay. Our friend Harsh’s mom is an amazingly talented artist and lover of beautiful art. This beautiful statue was situated in a tranquil, garden area of their deck. I fell in love! The beauty and tranquility of the Buddha made me speechless. It’s white jade, and this photo doesn’t even do it justice because it is so very stunning in person. I stood in front of it, admiring it, several times a day.
A delicious and colorful breakfast!
Bombay views
I was obsessed with all the colorful, vibrant and intricate garments in India! The bright colors are such a presence in the culture! I love that!
Bombay you’re Beautiful
Next Post: Pushkar…..
Sparkle In Your Step 
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