Cultural Tourism in India

Lost In Transit

Hi Folks,
My first post on the website, I have been a avid reader and a big fan of India Mike for several months now.

I'd like to hear from anyone here who knows whats the current status with cultural tousim in India, its big deal in Europe and US now, but are we doing enough? Are their any destinations where I can head to to learn classical dance/ music and other such similar interests in India?

Also, what about special interests tourism? Photography..painitings..book clubs..etc.?

Lost In Transit

Thanks for your reply Priji, clearly understand the massive opportunity that our culture offers in the arena of tourism. But then, if I, as a traveler want to learn kathak say for instance in India and have 3 to 4 weeks..where do I go? How do I connect or find the places and the teachers who can offer me that kind of hospitality and service?

Lost In Transit

Was hoping someone here would know a little bit more about this topic then I do and comment on this thread. I am very keen on knowing about the current status of cultural tourism in India and hopefully do something about it at some stage..the voice of the people who love this country so much could really help..

Nick-H

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Nick-H

Just taking that as a very good example, I would think that 3-4 weeks of kathak lessons would result in almost no achievement at all, and the same is true of most branches of classical music or dance.

That is, of course, for the complete beginner: for those who are already studying in their own countries, then their teacher is already a point of contact and may well be happy to make introductions.

Lost In Transit

Hey Nick,
Thanks a lot, valuable input!

Now, lets say a hospitality destination offers 2-4 weeks introductory katahk lessons to a traveler. Like no one becomes a yogi after spending 2 weeks at a spa, basic interest can be aroused in a person about the dance form during this short duration. He/she can then choose to pursue the art or leave it, either way, he does feel more connected to India and experiences a enriching holiday.

What do you think?

MangoKulfi

Speaking of just Kathak and other classical dances and not cultural experience in general, it would serve you better to see some performances instead of learning for a few weeks. Reason being, the initial introductory phase of any classical dance is not like the end product. The final dances look so beautiful but at first all you learn are the basic steps. Unless you already have a burning desire to learn Kathak, watching a few performances would be more pleasurable and beneficial to decide if you really want to learn it.

You can also try to attend various workshops of the art form. That's very interesting and insightful too.

Sorry, I don't mean to discourage you but no classical dance can be fathomed in a few weeks.

I just thought of something....you might enquire into learning Bollywood dances. This has become a rage everywhere and are simpler to learn. 3-4 weeks are ample enough to get a feel of it and feel like you've done something Indian.

Darmabum

I lived in Varanasi last year from February through August. That was my second six month trip to Varanasi (and my fifth overall trip to India, almost three years in country). On the first of those trips to Varanasi I met an amazing bansuri (Indian bamboo flute) teacher and studied with him for four months. I returned to Varanasi last year because I love the city, my teachers presence being one of the main reasons. I studied with him again for four months.

As a number of posters have suggested, kathak dance, or any other Indian performance art, takes time; to do them properly, a lifetime. The whole Indian concept of music is so different that it takes time to wrap your head around the concepts, let alone the actual playing.

Those things being said, while I am not a polished bansuri player by any means I found that much of the joy of my time with my teacher was actually becoming his friend. We used to hang out after lessons, before, I went over to his house numerous times and he cooked for me while his wife and children watched. Art aside, the getting to know an Indian at those levels was worth the ticket.

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Lost In Transit

Thanks guys!

Mangokulfi, you mention 'workshops'. What do these workshops do? Do people actually learn the artform in these? where are they held?

Darmabum, fascinating to read about your experiences with the flute and your teacher. it must have been so fulfilling!

Are their any residential programs or lactions where one can work on learning music or dance or even Indian crafts?

MangoKulfi

Workshops are intense lessons which can be for beginners or advanced students. They explain the basics of the artform and key elements that make up the art form. Sometimes a particular aspect of the art (like facial expressions in the case of dance) is emphasized and demonstrated.

You can't learn the art because each workshop usually doesn't last for more than 2-3 days. But you get more of an idea of the art than learning a few basic steps within your time constraints.

You need to find out if and where they are held depending on the places you're visiting. Some are held year round, some are held as specific times.

Here's the link to a site I found while Googling. Dunno where it's based but it gives you an idea.

http://www.alapadma.com/main/bn_workshop_base.html

Hmm...looks like she teaches a few movements too. Not bad. Maybe you can find something like this in the places you're visiting.

machadinha

I don't really understand the premise of this thread. Inasmuch as it seems to suggest current tourism is not culturally oriented per se, I have my strong doubts about this. I think a lot of this has been going on for ages, or if not, people have found or created their own particular "cultural" slants as a way in.

Any Indian tourism site worth its salt (but many of which I may not like, that is not the issue) will feature some further pointers in the field. It's hardly an undiscovered field I think, although it might well do with some further boosting, which I'm sure is happening as we speak.

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Nick-H

I find it a little strange in the same way: the thing that people get, when traveling to a country so different to their own, is another culture.

I guess the OP is focusing on arts, as a part of that culture here.

It's not so different, at a practical level, to Western music: how much piano would you expect to learn in a week or three, starting from scratch?

You will tend to find performances in some of the more expensive hotels. Resorts in Kerala are pretty good at putting these things on, and you may get short demonstration sessions too. Kochi has at least one (perhaps several) cultural institution where you may even be able to talk to someone who speaks English. I have a feeling that there is a cultural institute or two in Kerela that offers relatively short-term residential tuition.

But I think you will not find Workshops for foreigners in many places. Why? They'd have to wait too long between foreigners coming in the door! Most India tourism seems to be based on the one-day-here-two-days-there touring model, especially for those who come to spend just two to four weeks in the country.

Interestingly, the site that Mangokulfi found is that of a foreigner teaching in a foreign land. Indian tuition in dance and music is just not set up like that, it is based on a long, never-ending even, relationship between student and guru. It is also based on a very traditional I say; you learn and do style of teaching and requires considerable amounts of learning by rote. Kindergarten, 1950s style, anybody?

You can find opportunities to immerse yourself, and the Chennai music season (spoken of in other threads) offers South Indian clasical music all through the day, until it is coming out of your eyes, let alone going in your ears. There are many lecture demonstrations too, but they tend to be aimed at an already-educated audience, and they also may well be in Tamil.

machadinha

Exactly. And laying off any overdone sarcasm for the moment, I often feel the same way about certain "spiritual" seekers: What chance would you give the average Indian visitor to wash up at some church or monastery in Europe & gain any meaningful insights let alone living experience (not to mention any relevant person in those fields taking an interest at all on that basis alone) as to Catholicism or Protestantism, or one of either's myriad subsects?

Oh well. At a more practical level, and referring back to the question of "cultural" tourism (and I agree, how would tourism not be cultural, depending on your own input no doubt): If a taste of the arts there or at least as a spectator is what you're after, I am again sure there are ample opportunities for this, ranging from the tacky or mainstream to the more "authentic" if you will. It may not be thrown into your lap, but it's there alright, and of course tourist authorities have long discovered this as a particular niche.

Nick-H

I agree completely!

But, hey!

No harm in trying...


(although, if we wanted to get heavy, I guess that's debatable: let's not )

MangoKulfi

That's why I suggested Bollywood dances to the OP. They are very (and I mean very) loosely based on various classical dance forms and classes have sprung up all over the world - US, UK, Germany, Austria to name a few and India too. Though in India I have a feeling they would be mainly found in Mumbai and surrounding areas. These seem to be very popular and turning out to be a curse for the pure classicalists who teach outside India. Most students want to learn these more than the pure styles and most schools have started adding a BW class to their repertoire. What a pity!

But it might serve the OP's purpose. Though personally I feel India bombards you with enough color and culture to leave a lasting impression.