Facing page- Chennai Medley Image credit: Author
WHY TRAVEL? Look at any random personal profile today, and you are likely to spot an entry about food and travel in the ‘Interests’ section. Most of us are convinced that we are intrepid travellers. That begs the question, Why? Why would anyone want to travel? For most of us, it is a chance to get away from work and a monotonous routine. A good number of us travel because our neighbour just returned from an exotic holiday and can’t stop talking about it. And then, there is the 98.4% who travel because it is time to update their Facebook profile picture. A small, but surprisingly, swiftly growing segment of travellers seem to travel with the belief that it opens their minds to new experiences. The strangeness of people! They go around poking their noses into everything ‘local’. And what really seems to pique their interest is a chance to experience from close quarters, the way people live their lives - so differently in different parts of the world. Come to think of it, the notion is not completely absurd. In the right light it even makes some sense. After all, we’re told that every country and every region is different. And that is so true of every part of India. Ever wondered what makes it different? Could it be the varied landscapes or the beautiful architecture? Or is it the crowded markets and chaotic roads? Or, like most cases, is it all of these? India, like every other country is unique because of its people. It holds this exquisite uniqueness through its beliefs, values, customs, stereotypes and ways of life. It is these intangibles that make every place distinctly different from another. And far a visitor, you can’t blame me for yearning to experience this! But where exactly do you go looking for these intangibles? You will find them in stories; stories that have passed down generations, and stories that exist behind seemingly mundane and ordinary sights. Storytrails, (www.storytrails.in) is an organisation which attempts to showcase the local way of life through stories. A simple and profound idea? Yes it is. But wait! There is more!
June 2016 | CITY OBSERVER
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