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July 17, 2009
Plan for at least a month in India
Different groups of Jews arrived through history as distinct bodies with unique customs.
EVA COHEN
If a trip to Europe seems a bit cliché to you, perhaps India may be more your calling. There are always amazing flight deals into a number of Indian cities from Vancouver so this summer may be the time to jump on that plane and do something unique.
There's a lot to do in India, but the transportation from city to city is really slow, so if you have the time – perhaps as a retirement trip or post graduation – at least a month is recommended to truly experience the country. If you only have a week to spare, you can still get a good taste of culture by going to key destinations.
Gourmands will be in for a treat in India for among the country's blessings is sumptuous cuisine priced so cheaply you'll feast for a dollar a day – or less!
The whole world was saddened to hear of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai at the end of last year. However, although the Jewish community still mourns the loss of Rabbi Gavriel Noach and Rebbetzin Rivkah Holtzberg and the other victims at the Chabad House in Mumbai (along with all the victims around the city from that tragic day), Jewish travellers do not need to worry about security when visiting, as the attack was unusual and security has been stepped up everywhere since then. Further, the majority religion in India is Hinduism and Indians have no tolerance for Muslim religious radicalism.
The Jewish population in India is very diverse. Different groups of Jews arrived through history as distinct bodies with unique customs. Some arrived during the time of the Kingdom of Judah, while others are believed to be descendants of Israel's Lost Tribes. About 9,000 Jews live in the northeastern Indian states of Mizoram and Manipur – they started practising halachic Judaism in the 1970s, claiming to be descendants of the tribe of Menasheh. Since then, Israel has recognized them as a Lost Tribe and most have gone to Israel to undergo Orthodox conversion. In Israel today, there are some 75,000 Indian Jews.
Of the current total Jewish population in India, about half live in Manipur and Mizoram and a quarter live in the city of Mumbai. While in all other places around the world Jews have historically encountered repeated anti-Semitism, those from India have a different experience. Hindus have coexisted peacefully with the Jewish population. When anti-Semitism has surfaced in India, it originated from the Portuguese during the Spanish Inquisition and from Muslims when, in 1524, they invaded and razed the Jewish quarter in Kodungallur (Cranganore) on the Malabar Coast.
The Jews of Mumbai are Mizrahi and predominantly Baghdadi. However, these Jews are not exclusively from Iraq but also Iran, Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen. They immigrated to India about 250 years ago and formed their community on the coast in Mumbai. Economically, the Baghdadi Jews have done very well for themselves and have become philanthropists of public works and structures in the city.
Today, there are about 4,500 to 5,000 Jews in Mumbai. The city has eight synagogues, a Jewish community centre and the Organization for Educational Resources and Technological Training (ORT) also has a branch. If you want a place to go for Shabbat, one of these organizations will be able to help you. The Chabad House in Mumbai has not announced its new family, but there are active Chabad Houses in Anjuna Village in Goa, Bangalore and Manali.
Goa is a beautiful destination with beaches of white sand. A suggested route is to fly into Mumbai and then make a stop in Goa on the way to Bangalore. Mumbai is situated about halfway down the country and Goa is slightly south. Bangalore is further inland and south of Goa. Bangalore is an enjoyable city of seven million people. In Bangalore, there is the summer palace for the Wodeyars dynasty, which was built in the late 1880s, and there is Mysore, about 140 kilometres away (four and a half hours to reach), the political capital of the Wodeyar dynasty for centuries. The entire country is full of palaces open to visitors.
Trains take a very long time as they wind from place to place and while the trip is shorter by road, a lack of multi-lane, intercity highways and traffic congestion make travel by car and bus also seem interminable. The best thing is to take the transportation in stride and enjoy the scenery. You will quickly discover that the most common mode of transportation within cities are the three-wheeled rickshaw autos that give you a strong flavor of the country, and an equally strong whiff of gasoline. Traffic is noisy, the cars don't drive in any sort of orderly fashion and you may even find yourself in shock. But it just adds to the experience. Enjoy India!
Eva Cohen is a Canadian freelance writer who is currently based in England.
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