10 Unbelievable things that happen in India, that if someone told me, I wouldn’t believe it!

Quando ouvimos histórias de pessoas que visitaram a Índia, ouvimos imensas peripécias que não lembram a ninguém, por vezes achamos exagerado e até desvalorizamos. Mas efetivamente, quando chegas à Índia tens de colocar de lado o conceito que tens da sociedade ocidental e aos poucos ires-te abrindo a toda uma forma de estar diferente… ora vê…

When we listen to stories from people who visited India, we hear a lot of things that seem nonsense, sometimes we find it exaggerated and even devalue it. But actually, when you arrive in India you have to put aside the concept that you have of western society and step by step open yourself to a different mode of being, check this out…

1. Cows everywhere

Que as vacas são sagradas na Índia, não é novidade para ninguém! São consideradas os veículos dos deuses e daí serem respeitadas, podendo vaguear à vontade pelas ruas das cidades. Mas poderem circular até nas autoestradas, pastar no separador central e até em parques infantis, já não esperava! Algumas encontram-se pintadas e com colares. Algumas pessoas aproveitam as fezes das vacas e apanham-nas com a mão. Sim, sem luvas, nem nada! Aproveitam para fazer, por exemplo, esculturas ou para fazer sabão.

Cows are sacred in India, and that’s no news for anyone! They’re regarded as the vehicle of gods and therefore they are respected, being able to wander through the streets of the cities. But to walk on the highways, graze on the central separator and even at children´s playgrounds, that I wouldn’t expect! Some cows are painted and have necklaces. Some people utilize the cow feces with their hands. Yes, no gloves or anything! They use to make, for example, sculptures or to make soap.

Cow wandering in Jaipur city (photo by Littlelle)

Good parking (photo by Littlelle)

A cow grazing on the highway central separator (photo by Littlelle)

Highly decorated cows (photo by Littlelle)

Something made of cow's fences (photo by Mário Santos, edited by Littlelle)

2. Every kind of animals 

Para além das vacas, outros animais circulam na via pública: cabras, porcos, camelos, cães, galinhas, burros, macacos...

Besides cows, other animals walk on the streets: goats, pigs, camels, dogs, chickens, donkeys, monkeys...

Monkey life in Ranakpur (photo by Littlelle)

Pigs eating in the trash in Fatehpur Sikri (photo by Littlelle) 

Goats grazing in the streets of Jaipur (photo by Littlelle)

Goats wandering in the streets (photo by Littlelle)

What about a Camel ride? (photo by Mário Santos, edited by Littlelle) 

Camel (photo by Mário Santos, edited by Littlelle)

Little donkey (photo by Littlelle) 

3. Two wheeled family vehicle

As motas circulam por todo o lado, sendo um dos principais veículos para andar no meio da loucura que é o trânsito! Para alguns é um veículo familiar, vi motas com 5 pessoas em cima! E sem capacete, claro!

The motorcycles circulate everywhere, being one of the main vehicles to walk in the middle of the madness that is the traffic! For some it is a family vehicle, I saw motorbikes with 5 people on top of it! And no helmet, of course!

3 in 1 (photo by Mário Santos, edited by Littlelle)

4 in 1 (photo by Mário Santos, edited by Littlelle)

5 in 1 (photo by Littlelle)

5 in 1 (photo by Mário Santos, edited by Littlelle)

4. How to carry things?

Para além de transporte familiar, as motas podem também servir de transporte de mercadorias, entre outras coisas, para transportar bilhas de leite ou botijas de gás, sim, várias! Se não tiverem motas, as bicicletas ou outros pequenos veículos de 4 rodas puxados por uma pessoa, podem ser uma alternativa também para carregar de tudo um pouco: caixotes, canos, fruta, tapetes, fardos de palha.

Besides being a familiar vehicle, motorcycles can also serve as a freight transport, among other things, to carry milk bottles or gas cylinders, yes, several! If they don’t have motorcycles, bicycles or other small 4-wheeled vehicles pulled by a person can be an alternative to carry a bit of everything: bins, pipes, fruit, rugs, bales of straw.

A motorcycle carrying milk bottles (photo by Littlelle)

A motorcycle carrying bales of straw (photo by Mário Santos, edited by Littlelle)

Everything you can imagine (photo by Mário Santos, edited by Littlelle)

A bicycle carrying a gas cynlinder (photo by Mário Santos, edited by Littlelle)

A rickshaw carrying something big in Jaipur (photo by Littlelle)

A bicycle full of rugs (photo by Littlelle)

Things and more things (photo by Littlelle)

An auto rickshaw completely full in the streets of Jaipur (photo by Littlelle)

Carry pipes over the head in the middle of the road (photo by Littlelle)

Everything is possible (photo by Littlelle)

In the middle of the traffic in Mumbai (photo by Littlelle)

Every kind of transportation is good! (photo by Littlelle)

When you think that you have seen everything (photo by Littlelle)

5. Chaotic traffic

Com todas estes animais e diferentes meios de transporte, o trânsito nas cidades só poderia ter uma descrição: é o caos! Ouve-se constantemente buzinadelas a toda a hora, ou melhor, a todo o segundo, e não… não estou a exagerar! Para além da poluição atmosférica, a poluição sonora é imensa.

With all these animals and different kind of means of transport, the traffic in the cities could only have one description: it’s the chaos! We are always hearing a constant beeping, or rather every second, and no, I am not exaggerating! Besides the air pollution, the noise pollution is immense.

Traffic in Agra (photo by Littlelle)

6. Highway - Where there is no rule

Para além disso, a desordem estende-se às autoestradas. Que tal como por cá são vias com portagem pagas e um separador central, mas onde a regra não impera. Para além de vacas, existem pessoas a caminhar na autoestrada, motas e bicicletas. Existem passadeiras a cruzar as autoestradas e é possível fazer inversão de marcha, circulando os veículos em contra mão!

Besides all that, the disorder extends to the highways. Indian highways are much alike ours, they are paid roads with a central separator, but where there are no rules. Besides cows, there are people walking on the highway, motorcycles and bicycles. There are crosswalks crossing the highways and it is possible to drive in reverse gear, so the vehicles circulate on the opposite way.

On the Highway (photo by Littlelle)

7. Overcrowed transportations

Os transportes públicos andam a abarrotar pelas costuras! Os comboios circulam de portas abertas com pessoas até às portas e os autocarros levam pessoas nos tejadilhos. Até mesmo quando circulam nas autoestradas!

The public transportation is too crowded! Trains run with open doors full of people and buses carry people on their roofs. Even when they drive on the highways!

A van (photo by Littlelle)

A bus with people on his roof (photo by Littlelle)

A bus totally over crowded (photo by Littlelle)

How many people do you can see? This is on the highway! (photo by Mariana Valente, edited by Littlelle)

Train in Mumbai (photo by Littlelle)

8. Daily life in the streets

As ruas das cidades são a casa de todos! As pequenas coisas do quotidiano doméstico são feitas ao ar livre, em plena via pública. Ora, é possível observar pessoas a: lavar a roupa no chão, estender a roupa em vedações ou muros na cidade, lavar os dentes, fazer a barba, vender leite em sacos de plásticos... Para além disso há quem faça também as suas necessidades na rua à vista de qualquer um que passa.

Cities’ streets are everybody’s home! The small domestic daily tasks are done outdoors, in the middle of the public thoroughfare. So, you can see people washing their clothes on the floor, spreading their clothes on fences or walls of the city, brushing their teeth, shave and selling milk in plastic bags... Besides some people use the street as their toilet in the sight of anyone who passes by.

Having shower (photo by Littlelle)

Washing clothes (photo by Mário Santos, edited by Littlelle)

Ironing clothes (photo by Mário Santos, edited by Littlelle)

Shaving (photo by Littlelle)

Watching the time goes by (photo by Littlelle)

Washing the dishes (photo by Littlelle)

Public WC in Jaipur (photo by Littlelle)

And... (photo by Littlelle)

9. A naked guy walking down the street, pretty normal!

Um homem a andar completamente nu na cidade (em Agra) apenas com um leque de penas na mão. Percebi mais tarde que deveria pertencer a um grupo religioso extremista da religião Jainista, uma das religiões mais antigas da Índia, que seguem totalmente uma doutrina de não-violência. Não consomem nada de origem animal nem tubérculos. Interessante!

A man walking totally naked on the street (in Agra) only with a feather fan on his hand. I realized later that he should belong to an extremist religious group of the Jain religion, one of India's oldest religions, wholly following a doctrine of non-violence. They consume neither animal origin products nor tubers. Interesting!

10. Open air laundry

Em Mumbai existe uma lavandaria a céu aberto, a maior do mundo, com quase 100 anos de existência, que ocupa um espaço de 1 km! Dhobi Ghat Laundry, como é conhecida, é gerida por uma comunidade local que se dedica a lavar as roupas dos hotéis e hospitais.

In Mumbai, there’s an open air laundry, the biggest of the world, almost 100 years old, with an area of nearly 1 km! Dhobu Ghat Laundry, as is known, is managed by a local community that dedicates itself to wash the hotels and hospital clothing.

O que nos é primeiramente estranho e até mesmo chocante, passado uns dias entranha-se e este modo indiano de viver preenche a viagem à Índia, que tem uma cultura riquíssima para explorar!

What is firstly strange and even shocking to us, after a couple of days you get used to it and this Indian way of life will fill your trip to India, which has a very rich culture to explore!