Greeting from Russia. I am a cell biologist from Russia, but was born in Mumbai, India. I miss India so much that I wish I could just jump over to India and never leave.
@@PatrickParker if you visit karnataka in india don't forget to visit shivagange temple in Nelamngala only place in the world where ghee turns to butter , 2ndly gavigangadareshwar temple in bangalore theres a cave which connects to kashi and sunlight falls directly on lord shiva every year on makara sankranti day when sun changes his direction from tropic of cancer to capricon before that sunlight falls directly on lord shiva, nexr belur channakeshava temple unimaginable temple, hampi, kaiwara place so on..its in youtube all truths in videos done by others
Both. You need brain to understand Vedas And Upanishads. Wherever Bharat said "Nahi gyanena Sadrysham". There is no bigger asset than knowledge. It's Bharat which showed way to Moksha. Abd one needs brain to understand this.
That is Maharashtra dear, now imagine India has 28 states and 8 union territories. India is a multiverse. Food and culture are diverse across Indian subcontinent.
Never thought I would hear an American pronounce "Ichalkaranji", 😆 I live in Pune, and Ichalkaranji is a place no tourist ever visits. Glad you had a good experience, Patrick! I loved the way you narrated your experiences.
Trust me, it took me quite a few tries!! I ended up having to take a car from Ichalkaranji to Mumbai for my return flight and got to see a bit of Pune from the road. I'd love to visit there some day! Thank you very much for your nice compliment :)
@@anandtheertha5150who said this man? Ichalkaranji is called as Manchester of Maharashtra, it's a textile hub...mostly people speak Marathi, also you can find kannada, gujrati, marwadi speaking people, at the same time all these people also speak Marathi in a day to day life
In Hinduism, the "Swastika" refers to a sign that depicts the ten cardinal directions and is used as a sort of password to call on the protection of the guardian deities in all Ten directions. North, South, East, West, Northeast, Southeast, Northwest, Southwest, Zenith, and Nadir are the English translations of these ten directions.
First time I am hearing a foreign person interpreting an Indian culture as precisely as possible. I really appreciate the input from your friend, he really guided u in a right path. Hindu / Sanatana Dharma is a way of life and its not a religion in a broader sense. I welcome you to visit India once again ❤️❤️❤️
@@PatrickParker you have "lived" India so well with no T&C😊 i would suggest you to visit South India Nagercoil, Thanjavur and Thodupuzha in Kerala and villages near Bhubaneshwar in Odisha...
7:36 who said they are low caste untouchables😏. They are just working in there field. Did you personally asked them that they are untouchables? I mean really a person working in field is untouchable now 😏.
You don't allow them to share same space. It is there in India. It is back bone of India. Caste system. Are you from foreign to India? But your name looks one from the Hindu mythology,?
The more I cook Indian food and watch videos and vlogs from India, the more I fall in love with the land, the people, and the food. I absolutely intend to visit India when I retire (so I can take as much time to explore as much as possible)! I believe it will be a very spiritual experience for me and it will satisfy my soul. I dream of it every day. Last November, I actually got my nose pierced! Not because it’s trendy (I am in my 50s!), but because I believe it looks so beautiful on Indian women. I want to look and feel beautiful like them! I am so happy to hear about your experience! Also, I long to have an authentic Indian Thali on a banana leaf in Kerala!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Hi Catherine! Thanks for watching and for your nice message! Send me a DM on here when you head over to India and I can do my best to help you find a 'banana leaf' experience :).
As a Indian I would say this is the best video by western person about India. From American point of view working in farm with lots of sweat means unhappy man/family but here in India its normal and people actually love to do this kind of hardwork while living with their family throughout the life.
Also stop calling people untouchables out of no where. Just because someone is working in fields in scorching heat doesn't mean he is a untouchable. Most of the people nowadays don't even care what other person is as long as they can get the work done at lowest price possible. We ain't living in 19th century.
This man is Genuine otherwise their Loathe of India starts with the facilities offered by our Aircraft carriers.What explains lacs of western tourist coming to Varanasi Haridwar and adopting Hinduism with no complaints.
Wonderful content. It takes a very positive mind to interpret all experiences in a positive manner and learn to grow from them. Just like you, your Indian friend also sounds very mature and wise in the ways he prepared you and took you step by step deep into the culture. You definitely learnt all the right lessons from India.
Seriously wonderful content? Being a Dalit I’m feel insulted when he calls sugarcane farm labours lower caste and untouchable? Don’t you people hear properly or simply gush coz a white man with full of ignorance blabber nonsense? My grandma who is a farmer and worked all her life like his would throw a chapel at him. When did low caste and oh my god untouchable live in tents?
Indians specially Hindus are so kind hearted pppl they will invite u into their house and their hearts the most kind hearted ppl u willl ever meet and the hospitality is on the next level they willl never let u pay for food when u in india
After travelling many countries, I found, india is the only country which tells how to live the life. Its in their culture. Its in their religion. Their culture teaches them how to show gratitude to anyone. Like worship to Sun, Air, water, cow, teacher, mother, father and many mores. Because they believe, these are the sources from which they are getting benefits and as a return of gratitude they worship them. Most beautiful thing is there are some festivals to show gratitude. Truly a culture rich country which believes in One Earth...One family.
Yes Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam! That is one of three principles we are discussing in our video tomorrow! My silent partner taught me the phrase and principle :). Let me know what you think of that video we'll be releasing tomorrow! It will say Jai Hind on the thumbnail lol
Hi Patrick. Your video was so refreshing to watch. I have been across the world. I stayed, worked or travelled to more than 43 countries but I never felt as much in peace with myself as in India. Yes, our lives may not be ideal but we have immense gratitude for what we have and that makes us far more happy than what many foreigners are in. So happy to see that you got it right.
As some one from a village and been to multiple countries, i can say your friend did a great job to take you through real indian experience in short period. It would have been very difficult to get that experience from some one from an indian city or town.
7:36 Living in India from 28 years...been to pune,mumbai,goa, jaipur,delhi,bhopal,dehradun,lucknow....and seen ppl doing such work but never heard someone calling them ' untouchables ' ...they are not even always from low caste....brahmins and other so called high caste Ppl also work in farms.
And they live in tents because after a day or two when work there is finished they will be moving to some other farm at some other place. Back home most of them have their own farms and houses.
Being a Dalit I’m highly offended. I was being to like this video but then I realise what ignorant Americans think we Dalits are? We live in tents and being oppressed? Such victimisation narrative should be busted. I don’t need this olf of an idiot call me victim living in tent then pity me, when perhaps I earn more than him, living in a loving joint-family and enjoying life to its fullest!
My Brahmin family tills the land in the hills of Kokan. Atlast I am a Untouchable Brahmin now so happy Thanks for that Patrick. I could have never achieved that status
Hare Krishna ❤🙏🏻 Difference between Swastika and Nazi symbol:- 1. Swastika is sacred in Hinduism symbolizing sun, prosperity, good fortune 2. Hakenkreuz is Nazi symbol, also known as Hooked Cross. It has no relation with Hindusim/Sanatan Dharma
Great narration I ever heard from a foreigner about India. So truthful, unbiased with an entirely different perspective right from his heart. Patrick is a wonderful person.
Oh my God, As a modern Indian, I really learned a lot from you about India than I have my entire life in India. Thank you for sharing your perspective. It just opened my eyes and really got me out of the narrow mindset I had. Very intense and powerful presentation. Your one whole year of preparation for this video has really paid off. Thank you Thank you Thank you 🙏
Just a bit correction the people living in tents were not untouchables they were most likely travelling labourers that come from different states which stay for some time and move on there is this practice in india but it is getting sublte and slowly dying. If these people were local then they will have a part of the village for themselves which is quite indistinguishable Since india is so poor first weak will be exploited dosent matter the cast or sex and i havent seen untouchablity being practiced i have seen cast discrimination for lower caste and tribalism in all casts though And you pay market rate to people nobody works for free or you can't force them they can easily find gov labour work so if you see people doing manual work then they're 98% chances they are being payed market price.
@@catcat63527 Bring a Dalit I’m offended. The Dalit are victims and untouchables and live in tents needs to to counted. He did it purposely. If you have no clue what you are talking about then do not mention with freaking “air quotes” We Indian should not tolerate virtue signalling and let such idiotic ignorant western malign our country!
@@indianamerican6362 They are not gypsies. Gypsy actually is a derogatory term like negro. And they were generally misidentified. Europeans believed them to be of Egyptian descent hence the name gypsy. Romani ppl don’t live in India. Ppl who have migrated out of India in last 1000 yrs during Islamic rule are called Romani or Roma ppl. They are the actual untouchables of white westerner countries. Most racially discriminated even now. Nazis didn’t only kill Jews but few million Romanis too. Actually they were treated as subhuman in European countries until ww2 and after that they are treated as second class citizens.
Why u feel so..we don't need buddy..it's the foreigners who robbed India for over 1000 years...they should tell the injustice that has been done to India when they go back
7:36 Untouchability has been banned in India from its independence 75 years back, you can never identify anyone caste in crowd or any other places because people no longer care about these things and mix together freely, what you saw people living in tents would be migrant workers(of every caste), workers from some poor states in india travel to other states during harvesting season, they live in tents near fields for 3-4 months and then travel back to their home. Even I as a native Indian cannot distinguish who is so called upper caste or lower caste by just looking at someone, then how come you declared that all migrants workers were from lower caste or even untouchable, It is understandable from politicians point of view when he/she wants to link events to caste to appease vote bank, but definitely not expected from you, no offence just wanted to clarify your thought process about this complex issue. otherwise video is perfect, loved it. 12:39 that rainbow flag is the flag of JAIN religion, how come your indian friend is not aware of it 😂.
Did u know Nazi symbol is Christian? Well it is engraved on a church in Germany. For more info search documentary by AKTK who showed how swastika replaced hackencruz
Me and my family lived in ichalkaranji for 30 years. Great city, food, atmosphere, climate and friends. I will never forget the city " ichalkaranji". Thank you for showing panchganga river and Bharat hair salon in your video. Miss my city...
My dear bro Patrick 🥰🙌. Why you could actually find peace, positivity, gratitude and all the good emotions during your India visit was simply because you yourself are a genuine human being, who is totally bereft of the "white man's ego" and is not judgemental, complaining cry-baby as some foreigners are. You are in perfect harmony and inner peace with your own being and your surroundings. God bless you my dear and wish you all the very best for all your future travels.
As an American living in India I can honestly say that I did not personally know anything about India before I came here!!! Now living here in India with my wife and 4 kids I realize how little I thought about broadening my perspective on other countries and cultures! We have been living here in India for a little while and we are learning new things every single day! We love it here in Bharat!!!
7:35 What is low caste untouchable !!! Do you still call black citizens as slaves !! I was never chained in my neck and sold in streets .. stop selling your narratives ...
@@PatrickParker The best part was your realization that one need to keep an open mind and open heart. Only then we can absorb the world around us to the fullest. Also that humans are very happy in their 'smallest' existence. Who are we to judge? If we don't understand their reasons for being happy, then we are missing on a lot of love available in human existence. Also remember that the words 'Swastika' and 'Arya' are purely Indian 'Sanskrit' words which were carried out by Europeans and subsequently vilified. You will be surprised at how many (extremely) ancient rock carvings of Swastika exist in central and eastern Europe. It also used to exist in Church architecture. Sorry, made the narrative rather long.
True. And to add to Shruti, the moment the lady finishes the artwork it belongs to the Universe and hence no one is worried if it is washed away or blown by the winds. There is no 'this is mine' feeling left...
@@PatrickParker If the mandala made using dry powdered rice flour it's rangoli And if it's made using wet paint like paste of rice flour (& red Aalta is use to give some hint of color in certain parts of design/art) is called Alpanaa. We specially draw both rangoli and Alpanaa at front of all door steps and inside open room or centre hall in homes during Deepawali festival.
India is so blessed that the people are simply happy with whatever they have. Because they find in their own human body the most valuable gift of God. Unlike people of other countries, the find the rest less important
Patrick, welcome to the new world!! I hope you would visit hidden gems like Khidrapur temple (if you missed) and Narsoba wadi. Both these places have tons of spiritual vibes and are indicators of ancient culture.
Not sure why Americans feel bad for poor people in other countries, they certainly don't feel bad for the poor and homeless people in US and always call them problem and nuisances and just want them out of their sight.
I wish people who live in Indian cities go through what you have. People in Indian cities can sound very tone deaf about the power of their own villages and towns, while they're the backbone of our country. There's really 2 India's. Thank you for portraying your experience so beautifully, you've understood what our country has to offer and the value system of people rooted in Bharat live with, your friend has done an amazing job taking you through this, the gratitude not guilt really struck a chord.
Overwhelmed to see that you had a great time visiting India and specifically Ichalkaranji. It was really inspiring that you gained values even from the smallest actions of kindness or hospitality. you narrated your experience really well. Happy to see that you tried to understand the Indian culture. Also I am soo happy that you visited my hometown ichalkaranji. Rarely any foreign tourist visits here, it's like 'Once in a blue moon'. Liked the picture of you at the Datta temple 6:21.😊 You are always welcome to visit India again.
I am from Ichalkaranji and watching this. I am so glad that you came to our city and had a great experience. I was wondering that where I can watch someone from another country talks about their experience in my city by watching the vlogs of foreigners in India, and I find your video. If you come again to Ichalkaranji I would really like to meet you and invite you to my home as a guest. As our coulter says "The Entire World Is My Family. "🙏
Hi Omkar! Thanks so much for your very nice note! Can you send me a message: contact@patrickaaronparker.com I am going back to India in December and perhaps we could indeed find a way to meet!
You are spreading valuable insights from your Indian experience and is indeed the correct way to view things. I hope your message travels far and wide to help others. Norway sure is about as far culturally as you can get from India. Hopefully, you're showing them how to smile more and loosen up a bit. Cheers!
Thank you so much for your wonderful comment! Yes, it's very interesting to live in Norway as an American, but also have close Indian friends here. It's like three cultures in one. I'm very blessed in that way.
I studied near Ichalkaranji.. great to know you enjoyed your time in India.. having an open mind makes you grow and you cirtainly did..! Hope you visit again ✌️
That was a wonderful description of your experience in India. Glad you had an amazing time in India. Though I didn't understand why you called some people untouchables, since many decades we have very strict laws against practice of untouchability. Not all poor people are untouchables. A foreigner listening to you would misinterpret the situation. These are exactly the kind of misinformations spread in the West about India.
I don’t need to save anyone is a very precious statement ❤️thanks for that Patrick ..it’s even more confronting when western cultures realise how immaterial it is to own even the most material expensive possessions in life …regardless of how much money you have it actually has no co-relationship or real conversion into eternal happiness currency ….grateful to have loving families and values ❤️
Very articulate. Well spoken. India can be an experience that overwhelms a westerner. Yes we have immense challanges ,yet the people are happy with what they have. Even as a well to do city dweller , sometimes i am shocked and overwhelmed at my experiences in mid india. while large part of india is still deeply rooted in its culture and traditions, the winds of change in modern india are unsettling. Even now i miss the india of my childhood.
Hi Vikash, thanks for watching and for your thoughtful comment! I also feel the same the winds of change when I visit my hometown in the USA, which was small and rural when I was a child and is now rapidly developing. Sad for me, but I guess it's good economically for them..."the only constant in life is change..."
I love your way of telling the lessons you learned there. I thought your giraffe story was going to be similar to mine of having a cow come into a restaurant. India happens so fast that you do need to come from the heart to see it's beauty and there 's so much of it!! One of my favorite things that gave me tremendous joy was the way they feed animals and birds and people. As well as build around trees. Magical reverence
@@PatrickParker I was with a bunch of my friends in Rishikesh eating lunch and a cow walked in the front door, which was propped open. Of course we had all taken our shoes off as is the custom there. The cow just hung out for the whole time, walking here and there. They are considered sacred. The only people that were concerned about it were the foreigners
As a kid living in Bangalore India, when I went to the local bus stand in the morning, there would always be a bus to “Ichalakaranji”. It was a funny name for a kid. I always wondered what that place looked like. I never met anyone in my life who’s been to ichalakaranji.. till today! I’m 33 😊
Hi everyone! The stories in this video come from my first book "Becoming Who You Truly Are" which was released yesterday! If you'd like to read other stories about my time in India (and other stories from my life) you can pick up your copy of the book at this link: www.amazon.com/Becoming-Who-You-Truly-Are-ebook/dp/B0BRLD3WDQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1NPNO9LKHKQF7&%3Bkeywords=patrick+parker+becoming&%3Bqid=1673014722&%3Bsprefix=patrick+parker+becoming%252Caps%252C148&%3Bsr=8-1&_encoding=UTF8&tag=patrickpark05-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=d61df4bd9f060422b28f512404b9fde3&camp=1789&creative=9325
wow.. what an positive vibe video. .. you are such an beautiful soul. Lots of Love for what you are !!! Plz keep vlogging more videos. Your video made my day and made me smile and optimistic. 😍☮🤍
Oh thank you so much! I really appreciate your nice compliments and I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Yes I will definitely keep creating videos: we release a new one every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. CET which is 9 p.m. IST :)
The key to mindful travel is to be observant, not judgmental. Seems you did that very well on this trip.....well done! Come back again..... there's lots to see in awesome India!
@@PatrickParker come to Kolkata, the cultural capital of India and home to all the Nobel Prize winners of India...As you mentioned Rabindranath Tagore , he has the greatest influence on our culture.. Visiting Shantinekatan can be life changing for you.. Do visit Mayapur Iskcon temple (Biggest temple in the world), college street book market (Biggest 2nd hard book market in the world) and specially auditoriums Expert advice-Do not visit in the summers
@@PatrickParker Try Ladhakh & Uttrakhand, the Himalayan states in upper North & it's definitely a very spiritual state which is also called Devbhumi in india aka God's land.
I wrote my India experience in my memoir Love of Life - A Miraculous Story! Will be out soon. Sokhom Prins, author, the influencer, the world activist. I have my heart lost in India, Navi Mumbai.
Iam from Bharat (India). The things you explained are our normal life. But the way you explained is very nice. India or Hindu way of life cannot be understood by reading books but by experience only.
As a senior citizen , I found this narration one of the finest I have ever heard. That Patrick and his Indian friend are highly evolved human beings is evident. The host is a completely rooted man who is totally confortable in his skin and environment of nativity. The guests as all Indians, are entrenched natives, perfectly wedded to their millennial culture. And incredibly warm yet loquacious folks. And Patrik is decidedly a tremendous human being who has such deep empathy and capacity to get to the bottom of the Ibdian soul despite such terrifick differences in culture. Sum it up , when human beings decide to take the plunge to embrace each other, the dive to the deep is quick and abiding. Patrick btw the term for a guest in India is Athithi one who turns up unannounced and without appointment. That person is equated to God. AS as an elder , I extend to you, Patrick, the best wishes for a highly accomplished and fulfilled life. God bless you.
Most tourist make mistakes of touring Cities. India is not know for city but culture, heritage sites, nature. There are desert, there are Himalayas, tropical forests, national parks, wildlife etc etc. India starting recovering from colonization in late 1990s our cities are young under cobstruction places. Many of my western friend came to delhi or mumbai and created a very wrong judgment about India as there are slums in cities. My advice is always to look out of cities to see India.
When My Friend Renee came to India, She had a complete system shock. After a whole month, When she returned to New York, She told me she had a appriciation for life in America. She loved her time here and she became unofficial 8 member of my family. we all miss her
7:35 no man there is no untochability now in india, but yeah casteism is still their and no one works for 1 rupee for a day, low wage varies from 400 to 800 rs per day depends on type of work and state.
I live in Pune and I know this place called Ichalkeranji because of some foundry machinery our company procured from there.. Never had I given a thought about this so normal place..Fascinating to know that it was so novel and life changing experience for you.. that is typically the life in typical India in all our small towns and cities that are untouched by western modern culture.. specially you should visit agricultural families in konkan with their cows their plantation like coconut, mango etc. That's like heaven on earth..
Thanks! I went to an ashram an hour outside Goa that sounds a bit like Konkan. There were buffaloes, cashew trees, jackfruit trees, etc. Amazing! Check out my Dangal reaction video that we are releasing tomorrow evening!
I'm very happy that you saw the real India. I hope you'd visit India again. Also, I would like to thank you for your kind and generous words. Of course there are some bad people in India who are not up to the mark to adopt the good things but most of us are good to be honest. Since we were born and brought up in this culture we learned that no matter how high position or status we hold, we must have to stay grounded and humble. There's nothing good to achieve by becoming a bad person but surely there're many good things which we can achieve in life by becoming a good person. Stay happy, healthy and blessed. It's all that matters. ❤️ from 🇮🇳🙏🏼
What did he see that low caste and untouchable “with air quotes” living in tents? Wonderful. I call it lying and maligning my country’s imagine. Being a Dalit I’m offended by such virtue signalling!
@@r.b.8018 Yes...I think they still have stereotypes like this....In our fields all cast and racial people work...there is no discrimination like this... salaries also distributed same, no issues about untouchability cause sometimes we (farmers)also eat with them in fields and share our food...So westerners need to understand that these people who are working in fields and living in tent are not untouchables but actually they are poor and they work for money... These people talk without knowing the real Deal...feel sry fr there ignorance...!!
Really good video... I love it...we need more people like you who can bring out and show the world the good things, little small things which exist in india, no matter those things belong to what religion, people really need to know and change their outlook towards India.... It is much more than butter chicken, chilli, biriyani. How rural people in India live in harmony with nature and animals and the festivals observed during new crop harvesting.
A great articulation of experiences and your interpretation of them. Agree positivity or negativity generates from within, so when we have choice why choose negativity....rather opt positivity and make life a wonderful experience. Best wishes.
I am an Indian from a remote Indian background. I found your video patronising even though you claimed that you had an open mind.......very American take.
soo tue actually , u can only experience india only by heart but not the brain . 😍😍❤❤ and thanks too your friend he just describe u our culture in a very sophisticated way , our religion is not just a religion but just a sense of living . and thanks to u to understand it as a art of living but not a every day burden .
It seems you are not aware about hardships of American Farmers and how low income they make. USA govt. Don't support American farmers with financial incentives.
Beautiful experience. Puffed with emotions and how small things that are being taken for granted has a great impact for our guests. In Tamil(south), we have a famous saying "Yaadhum Oorey Yavarum Kayleer". Which means we are all one family and connected. These boundaries are human made but Earth that we have borrowed does not differentiate anyone, small, big, white, black, Asian, dwarf, tall.... I love the way when you say Gratitude. That's one of the best gifts for Humanity from Indian belief system what we call Way of life or Sanatana Dharma. Blessings.....
7:30 in todays times, there is no low cast untouchables people, you are the victim of propaganda against Hindus by Christians in USA. I don't blame you for that. It seems You are just unaware and misinformed about so called Casts and untouchables etc terms. I suggest you please get updated. Narration and editing of the video was good.
Ichalkaranji is on one of the main railway routes. I think I stopped there on my way to Thiruvananthapuram from Delhi. If you are into long railway trips, India is made for you.
Very interesting to know Ichalkaranji has its own railway station, connected to Delhi & it being a main railway route. I thought Hathkangde was the nearest station & to get to a train to Delhi, you'd have to go to Sangli/Miraj. What train did you take to travel?
@@hussainalmubarak5347 I took the New Kerala Express which covers (I think) Shimla to Thiruvananthapuram. I took a first-class cabin and the trip was for two days from Delhi. The train itself covered Delhi, UP, MP, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra, TN then Kerala. Food was excellent and regular; they keep you well-filled! I usually stick to veg on train journeys. The sights were excellent. MP has these block-like rock formations stacked up one of top of the other which are some of the oldest such formations in the world, dating back to the days (if you are into geology) when the Indian continent was part of Gondwanaland and before splitting off. Andhra coast (Nellore district) is probably the flattest in the world - flat-earthers would point to that as proof of their theory! I look to covering the western coast by train as well. The New Konkan Express is the one for that.
Patrick, about Rangoli...traditionally powdered rice is used for rongolis. So, by drawing those beautiful rongolis, the people also feed the ants, birds & other creatures... a way of social service!
Very accurate description of daily routine by a foreigner. Glad you could experience goodness in our country that also changed your life/thoughts and feelings for the best
I'm glad that you have had such a positive experience,. You're very lucky to have friends who unconditioned you before experiencing this trip, and helped you refrain from judgement! Safe travels bud! Come back soon!
Patrick let me clear you that Indian farm labour or construction labour is not untouchable, they live in tents and other temporary habitats because they come from other states , cities or villages and they live on the working site only, its their way of life, they are the main work force of India get sufficient remuneration for their livelihood. There are stringent laws in India on untouchability. They actually have their houses in their native place.
