All valid points. The amount of diversity in all aspects is unimaginable. India is 2nd only to Italy in terms of number of UNESCO World Heritage sites. Reason is lack of funding. I have spent years traveling in India. It's definitely a grind but it's also immensely rewarding. It is not your Thailand, SE Asia type of destination. It is very unique and not easy for many Western travelers to digest.
Agree with you Gabriel, I've been 10 or 11 times now to India and have traveled top to bottom, side to side, and I'm still amazed from learning about new places to visit that I hadn't heard of before and just the incredible diversity of the country.
Gabriel is already a great tourist ambassador for India. His vlogs have helped me to ease into India without feeling it was a too intense when in places like Delhi. India is such an amazing country. The people are so kind and helpful the food is amazing. 🇮🇳💜🕉🙏🏻
My first Indian train trip was from Delhi to Goa. We just jumped into the deep end with a 46 hour second class sleeper journey!! It was amazing. We met many nice people locals and travellers alike. After a long trip like that anything under 12 hours seems short. India is great for giving you different perspectives on life that need to be experienced to be understood imho. Happy Travels everyone!
That was the good old Goa express ii guess, it departs from the Nizamuddin statiion in New Delhi. Quite an experience travelling in the 3 tier sleeper and meeting interesting people and enjoying the chai and samosas along the way.
No AC and 3 Tier wow you have experienced India ... you can live anywhere in the world with no Compliants...come back to India and experience Incredible India ..
@Kenneth Rodrigues welcome back to India again and this time travel in the new vande bharat trains... and complete the Spiritual Tour of India ... spirituality is what INDIA is ...
Gabe, you have reached Master level of the great game - India! Please log in again next time to experience the hidden advanced levels that you can open now!
Nice videos. You should visit Shravanabelagola also. Another mind boggling place. In general South India escaped from brutal mogul invasion and that's the reason some of the historical places are still intact. You can find beautiful temples all over Tamilnadu and Andhra pradesh also.
What a great life you are living. Travelling, vlogging and giving all of us an insight into the far corners of the world. You feel a deep spiritual connection with India as is obvious from your vlogs and you probably know more about India than most Indians. Enjoy your travels.
@@jam-ss2jc ??? "You're" is a contraction of "you are". It's an abbreviated version of "you are". It's the lazy way of saying "you are". Although both are correct usage in modern day English---"you are" is actually the more correct, historical way of saying it. Then we got lazy and created contractions.
Hello from the UK. Your videos are very helpful. You like to have days out at interesting places and that is the type of traveller I want to be. I’m waiting for my house to sell then I’m spending two months in Bali to break myself in before spending some serious time in India. Thanks again.
I actually suggested you Chitradurga a few days ago on one of your other videos. Glad you ended up making there on your way back. I think you were also lucky that it was not too sunny, otherwise the boulders become very hot and it wears you out quickly. There's still more to the area but I think you covered important parts (except the cave for which you turned around because there were too many people). Hope you enjoyed it, and safe travels!
My guess is the problem with regard to sourcing the ingredients. Believe me, many of the dishes you find in south India, are very difficult to find in North India since the ingredients may not be there, are may be tasting a bit different, making it impossible to get the right flavor! Another reason can be the restaurant owner's apprehension about acceptability of the dish for the local population. So they go with tried and tested dishes
Authentic Indian food is very different from districts to districts. You will never find it from any restaurants. You can only experience it by visiting to a locals house.
When you gave that guide the hotel receptionist answer for your occupation, it reminded me of a story from my traveling days. Many of the hotel/hostels that I stayed at asked for your profession and I just made it into a game and put down whatever I thought of, going down through the alphabet. Once I met a Swiss guy on the boat from Medan, Sumatra to Penang, Malaysia and we decided to share a hotel room once we got to Penang. After we checked into the hotel, we went to a restaurant and while we waited for our food, he said to me, "So, you're a dancer." I was extremely puzzled at first but then it dawned on me that he saw me register at the hotel and I happened to be on "d" that day and wrote dancer. I explained this to him and we had a good laugh about it.
24:12 this is the beauty of Sanatana dharma, even many cruel people attacked our country. But still Hinduism is flourishing.. Its not religion , its way of living life...
Well said..If you study the history accurately and without any bias then you will find Kings of all cast and religions and regions attacked each other to extend their territories and in process caused destruction of their empire. Thats how the proverbial cookie used to crumble on those days. Hope that we learn from this and as a united humanity protect the heritage of whats left like here in Chitradurga and elsewhere and keep these sites clean and free from modern plastic waste. And lets pray that mindless war of Russia Ukraine comes to end without any destruction.
@@watISee this is just not about kings here its more about religion...Muslims invaded broke most of temples , converted and we still have problems. Then the British looted our temples and artifacts. There is no hindu king who attacked and looted and converted other religion people or destroyed ...Hinduism is still there wr it all started...
@@tarun_6864 There are many examples in history about Hindu Kings destroying temples, mosques and other things when they defeated other kings...I will just share one example here...Thats why I said look at the history without bias and not depend on whatsApp university... Example : In the early tenth century, the Rashtrakuta monarch Indra III not only destroyed the temple of Kalapriya (at Kalpa near the Yamuna River), patronised by the Rashtrakutas' deadly enemies, the Pratiharas, but also took special delight in recording the fact. Also more recent times, Maratha empire was always odds with Hindu Kings of south especially Karnataka and they used to destroy temples of each other many times. Sadly there is concerted efforts to malign only Muslim Kings of the past but killing and pillaging and destroying was the rule of the law of all the kings of the past when they conquered new territories.
@@watISee just understand geography and religion I don't need a big university to understand like you....simple things are easy ....as I told earlier hindus are there wr it originated I hope you understand this with the timeline....use some practicality rather than being bookish
What an amazing video Gabe! We, your Indian viewers really appreciate the content that you put out and the overall respect that you show towards our culture. Hope that you come back again real soon and explore more places off the beaten path. Lots of love from all Indians. Keep on rolling!
I am forever grateful to you sir for your beautiful thoughts regarding my country Bharat🙏 you are a True gem🥰 Please visit again soon we will be patiently waiting for you🙏🙏🙏
Gabriel, Hidden Gems in Karnataka is the western ghats( Amazon of India), less travelled by foreigners as you have to travel deep into forest through ghat sections( curved roads). Western ghats which covers largely Karnataka, Kerala and some portions of Maharashtra contribute to 70% of world spices. Also home to Coffee capital of India (Chikamagalur)& Coorg. Western Ghats is also home to some of the beautiful temples, mountains, tropical rain forest having highest density of King Cobra ( Agumbe wild life reserve).
Next level mystical location and amazing India cheer-leading ! Kudos. Still its little unfortunate that these magnificent relics of the past suffer from some or other form of plastic littering. As Indians or fellow humans we should protect at-least these sites from plastic bottles and plastic wrappers lying randomly on floor causing soreness to eye and soul and dampening the beauty of the place itself.
it is the oldest culture. there's an archaeological site what's more than 9,000 years old and there's evidence that the culture then is very much like Indian culture today. Indian culture is very likely 50,000 years or 100,000 years old, maybe more, but certainly much older than any other extant culture on the planet today.
It is the innate nature of humans to explore. India is providing you that great opportunity, Gabriel! You have an explorer mindset and that is why you love India! There is goodness in you, so you see you the good side of India! Thank you!
Very Subtle but still awesome show of Unity by Gabriel..Having 'Muslim' Taj Mahal as Thumbnail in a video about 'Hindu' heritage site. Still its about one India with all its beautiful diversity gelled together.
Hi Gabriel, I usually watch the RU-vidrs with suspicion who visit the holy cities of Hinduism because they show these cities in bad light with cunning people. I came across your Varanasi vlog and I must say you are by far the most respectful and knowledgeable non-Indian RU-vidrs. You were appreciating the nuances of arts, the rituals, the people, the food which was very pleasing to see. I then watched your Kalinjar Fort video which was extremely beautiful and informative, I myself got to know so much about it through your video. Although I have great interest in arts and architecture but I never took Kalinjar Fort seriously, you showed some of the most amazing artworks there! Hope more and more RU-vidrs are like you who don't make gross generalisation of us and appreciate the subtleties of the culture. Thanks.
I agree with what you said about Gabriel's presentation of India. As an American, I have great respect for the culture and people of India. The history, and overall richness of India's vast culture make it a fascinating country. Gabriel's videos have made me understand India better than anything else has. No generalizations here. I want to see the authentic India....and that is what Gabriel has shown us. His love of the country is obvious---and we end up loving it too.
@@dragonfly9209 Thanks. I appreciate that people are able to understand the nuances of India. I know many problems exist in India but that is universally true for other countries as well, there's no utopia in the world. India is such a rich civilization with profound philosophy, arts and religion that anybody who looks at it without bias end up loving it. One of the last surviving ancient civilization, a true heritage for whole of the humanity to cherish, preserve and nurture.
@@tushargoyal554 You said it very well...and that's exactly how I feel too. I've read many books about India over the years as well, everything from it's history, to it's religions, and well-known persons, i.e. Gandhi, etc. Many books...and have come to know something about this ancient civilization which is a source of richness for the entire world. Those who have little or no experience of India---have no idea of how much they have missed out on. Even with it's flaws and problems, (and yes, every country has those too) It's a treasure like no other. There's just no place like it.
@@tushargoyal554 Well I don't really do any other social media. I don't have Instagram, messenger, Tik tok or those others we hear about--mainly because I am a private person., an introvert by nature. I just use you tube. However--it is very nice to meet you---and I guess I certainly am an Indophile, like yourself :)
Agree with this list of reasons to visit Ma India. Except for the improving WiFi, I’d rather travel without phones and the internet completely to be honest. Did you not mention the weather? I know it varies from bitter cold in the Himalayas in winter to horrendously hot and humid around the monsoon, but overall the warm climate is a big plus and it’s relatively easy to move around to catch the better climate. My favourite country in the world to travel, no doubt!
The wonderful ambiance of this place can help visualize centuries of history. Loved this! Thanks for sharing. Just to embellish your point on diversity, I had never heard of this place even though I have traveled to Karnataka many times (Bengaluru, Mysore, Mangalore, Udupi, Kukke, Belur, Halebid). Chitradurga is now on my list, on a circuit from BLR to Hampi, Aihole, Badami & Gokarna.
Hi Gabriel, please change the thumbnail to reflect your perective of India. I understand most foreigners who know India would think Taj Mahal. But you show the places which are lesser known. Maybe a sculpture from Hampi from this trip. I am sure you get the idea.
Having been to China twice (and never to India) some of the descriptions/reasons you give for visiting compare to China in terms of food (many more options than most Westerners are aware), culture (including different language dialects) diversity, landscapes, etc. in different parts of the country.
What an amazing location for this video! I've only been to India on one short visit, but I would describe it as a sensory feast. I hope to go back and see more.
We expect you to visit India back soon especially northeast tawang in arunachal pradesh and many more places. India has many many more places to explore.
I have driven so many times across from Mumbai to Blore but never stopped in chitradirga but never stopped at this beautiful place...my next travel is on April 02 and will definitely stay over night
Gabe, how do you not seem to get sick, as in food/waterborne illness, while traveling in places like Bangladesh and India? Are you practically immune after all these years of gnarly traveling?
I wonder that too? I have a sensitive system---and would get wiped out by almost any foreign travel. I think there is medicine you can take as a preventative, before and during the trip?
Wonderful vlog. While you are in Karnataka, try to visit Belur-Halebidu for some of the finest examples of sculptural art in the subcontinent. As far as steadfast cultural continuity is concerned, it is amazing to note that at the end of several centuries of oppressive European colonization and sustained missionary activity, including a brutal inquisition by the Portuguese in Goa, the Christian population in India was only around 2.3% when the British left in 1947. (The incredibility of this fact could be better understood when compared with South America and Africa.) Interestingly, the group never fell below this percentage in the subsequent decades - again, a mark of cultural preservation in India.
Yeah you're right - India is the oldest continuous living Civilization. It predates Egyptian civilization by 2k years! The Indus Valley Civilization seals are carbon dated back to 8k years...
Hi Gabriel, looking at your Chitradurga visit, I would suggest Daulatabad or Deogiri fort near Ellora. That fort is uphill trek/walk of 2 hours. Also, Ellora caves deserve a detailed visit by you. May be Ajanta too, for your next tour of India.
If Im an American planning a backpacking trip to India with bare necessities and pilgrimage in mind, how much should I save for Dec-Mar? I'm not sure if I'm doing North or South yet, thanks
Around $50 a day is a good budget. That's $1,500 per month. So if you're going for four months you'll need $6,000. You can spend less than that or more, depending on how you travel.
There are many stone age carvings around Chitradurga. At 5:20 in this video, on the bottom stone, you see a stag carved on the stone. It is of stone age as well. But very few know that. There are many things which were discovered in the last 25 years. There are many more things still to be discovered.
@gabrieltaveler the Chitradurga fort has great history, was known to be impregnable by invader Haider Ali. Please read about the heroic acts of Madakari Nayaka. Thanks for bringing this to us. Next time in Karnataka, please visit Nuggehalli Lakshmi narasimha temple, Javagal temple, Somanathapura temple, Yana stone, Murudeshwara, Dharmasthala,Udupi and South Canara region.
India is more than the taj Mahal. Hope you d use another monument, having visited the temples of southern India. Real India n taj Mahal are miles apart.
Hinduism is not a religion…. But a dharma….guided philosophy from the Vedas, Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, etc…and it is probably prehistorical…… some Indians don’t realize what a rich culture they have…..‼️🇺🇸 Edith: you forgot Swami Vivekanand, of the Vedanta Society with the mother center in Los Angeles, Swami Chinmayanda of the Chinmaya Mission, in Pierce California……
This was a great video, thank you for showing so many incredible places from India, I am from Kolkata, would love to meet you someday when you come to Kolkata again
Hi i was looking to find answer why i stoped to travel accros the world and i stoped in Inda for 3 times and certaintly not the last time .Answer is Mother India .
Suggestion: How about listing all the reasons and where we fans can find each in the video, in case those persons who are pressed for time and can't stay for almost the hour, want to skip ahead to our favourite subjects?
excellent video, Gabe! I have been gonig to India since I was 18, in 2017. I watched your India videos back then, and after more than 18 months spent in India between my various trips, I still watch them! Loved all the points, and appreciate you mentioning the Beatles. Always found it so fascinating how the Beatles kind of kick-started this whole thing of people from the west doing a spiritual trip to India. Going back to India in a week, will be in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu this time. First time this far south, so very excited! Hopefully it won't be too hot... Take care Gabe and hope to run into you in India some day!
That's not true Dana. It's safe for women. Only a few areas are there in some parts of North India where you may need to be careful. Though I can understand the image portrayed by western media is that of a country that is dangerous for women. Please do visit and see for yourself. You can start with the south.
yes, UNESCO has listed old 46 civilizations world has seen and concluded that 45 of them disappeared. only one civilization is a continuous Civilization from the time immemorial that is the Indian civilization.
Hinduism is a later on concept entitled to the Indians by the Muslim kings. We know 'Hinduism' as Sanātana Dharma. Here Sanātana means something that has always been there (obviously because we believe in the creation of the universe through Brahmā). Dharma means something which is right to do (right behaviours and right social order, right way of living etc.) So the concept of religion was never a part of Sanātana Dharma. Our way of living and practices were named as a religion by the outsiders. For us it was and still is the reality NOT something which you should TRUST/BELIEVE UPON. Sarvaṃ Khalvidaṃ Brahma, Tattwamasi, Ahaṃ Brahmāsmi etc are the philosophies that we think are true.
