All countries of the world have their own social customs, eating habits and India is no exception. With over 1.25 billion people and a plethora of languages, art forms, food and cultural aspects, India can be a mind-boggling experience for people visiting from other countries. While many of them find India too colourful, too hot, too diverse, they also find it fascinating, unusual and a living entity. In the recently concluded International Bioacoustics Congress attended by over 200 participants, the visitors shared their experience of visiting India with The Pioneer.
“It was a cultural shock for me but realising its benefits, I adopted the Indian habit of eating on the floor, sitting cross legged, eating without the use of fork and knife. The people are warm and cordial here and I did not feel myself as an alien. Spending six days in an atmosphere full of love and affection, the fatigue of research based presentations was over,” said Christina Masco, a delegate from Chicago, United States.
Fascinated by the Indian style of relaxation, Christina said, “I often have body pain when I am in stress. Here I found people are much relaxed since they do Yoga and other meditation techniques, which I shall also try when I go back to my country.”
If five odd people were seen dining in the conference hall with bone china plates in their hands and sitting on the marbled floor on the opening day of the conference, the
last day saw 90 per cent of the delegates sitting in big circles on the carpeted floor in the dining area of the conference hall and enjoying their food sitting cross legged. They were least bothered about the cutlery and could eat noodles with a simple spoon. leaving their chairs, they preferred to sit on the floor after the session for their lunch.
The adage “eating food with your hands feeds not only the body but also the mind and the spirit” seemed to have hit most of the participants from Russia and Canary Islands. “The floor looked fresh, so I didn’t mind sitting with my plate and chatting with delegates who have come from different parts of the world, said Vladimir Ivantskii from Russia. “I was taken aback by this quintessential Indian custom of eating Rajma Chawal with hands but when an Indian delegate from CSIR told me that it comprised of various hand mudras which were beneficial for health, I also tried for a happier stomach, ” shared Sharina van Boheemen from the Czech Republic.
Similar were the observations of people from Hungary, United Kingdom, Brazil and other countries.
The cultural evening held during the conference left the delegates more interested in Indian traditions. “Earlier many delegates were hesitant to wear striking colours but some of them bought colourful dhoti salwars from the shopping mall to be worn at the evening celebrated by the students of Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya,” said the convenor of the conference Dinesh Bhatt.