Be a Local When You Travel!

Be a local when you travel! That is the mantra for both of my daughters. It has its own challenges but given neither my husband nor I can do meticulous planning of our itinerary when we travel, it works out perfectly for us. They have a clear

principle to be local when they go out of the country. They must explore local art and handicrafts, watch local folk dances, eat local food, especially street food and feel the vibe of the place. Travel makes one modest. It is a good investment that helps to broaden our perspective of others, to find answers to our curiosity, and to discover ourselves. All in all, travel makes us richer with knowledge. So I totally agree with my daughters on the beautiful thought, ‘Be a local when you travel’.

We all agree staying in a five-star hotel is not going to add much to our travel experience. That is only good when the purpose of your travel is to relax and rejuvenate your burnt-out body and mind from its hectic lifestyle. Here we carefully choose a serene destination that will serve that purpose. But when one travels to a country with rich history and a multitude of cultures, languages, food, etc, one must enjoy its aura to the fullest. So we only decide on what our expectations for a specific trip are and the rest is to go with the flow.

Folk art and crafts:

During our recent India trip, we got to explore the local fun stuff in Udaipur, Rajasthan. The local theatre showcasing ghoomar, other Rajasthani folk dance forms, and puppet shows with a live band was very relaxing to unwind to for an afternoon.

We visited Shilpagram, a small rural district near Fateh Sagar Lake surrounded by the beautiful picturesque Aravali hills.

The make-believe crafts village with small mud

huts, eateries,

shops for handicrafts, pottery making, Rajasthani textiles, and open-air theatres depicts more about the artisans and indigenous tribal folk’s lifestyle of the region. We bought a few earthen pots and goodies as mementos.

In Odisha, we paid a visit one afternoon to the State Museum and another day to the Tribal museum. Both institutions cover a wide range of Odisha’s culture, heritage, and lifestyle and connect to Odisha’s glorious past.

The State Museum galleries exhibit a wide range of artifacts covering carvings, historical coins, jewelry, various styles of painting,

different styles of textile, musical instruments, palm leaf manuscripts, various tribal handicrafts, mailing systems of the past, and many other significant exhibits to connect us to our roots. On the

other hand, the Tribal Museum gave us a good sense of tribal living and their lifestyle. The huts and small houses are built in the courtyard of the museum which replicates the tribal habitat.

An interesting fact is that we think backless tops are a more modern style but there was an exhibit that shows local people’s clothing styles from young ages which I think is more advanced for the time. We got to experience all this exposure at the Bhubaneswar Dot Fest on the day before we left Odisha.

A massive ground was set for a fair with stalls to purchase everything we saw in the museums. Food courts were crowded with people savoring different delicacies. Three different open-air stages were set for performing, one for tribal and modern dance forms and the others for singers and instrumentalists. With the pouring crowd, it felt covid was already news from history. Festive lighting, music, and crowd added to the ambiance and the air was simply filled with a bright mood.

Flea Market:

Other attractions included our visit to local markets such as the marketplace within CityPalace in Udaipur, Annapurna market in Berhampur and Market Building and Indradhanu Market in Bhubaneswar.

These areas are concentrated with rows and rows of small stores selling a whole range of products from low-end to high-end income groups. The first two of the above are more popular for hanging out with friends and family as they also offer fast food options. The latter has more shops with daily needs and groceries.

We could also spend a few minutes walking along the Puri seashore browsing many items made with seashells. A good place to buy small mementos.

Fast food:

And lastly, how can you not eat fast food when you are traveling? Trying local food is essential to one’s experience as part of exploring India. In Udaipur we didn't get much chance as most of our time was spent tasting food at the wedding we attended but in Bhubaneswar, we didn't spare anything. We tried chicken egg rolls in Galaxy food court, Pahala rasagolas on the street, dahi vada and aloo dum in Cuttack, kebabs, etc. I realized given the length of our stay, we ventured out only a few times to eat on the streets mainly because all the weddings that we attended during our stay had offered a wide range of street foods including golgappas on their menu which stole the opportunity to actually be out on the roads to savor. Nevertheless, we relished what we tried.

Overall, shopping and eating in these energetic places help interact and explore the local flavor while museums offered the artistic fervor of Indian culture, history, and heritage that paints the image of India’s glorious past.

Manorama Choudhury

Dec 2022- Jan 2023