I found a few things as an American. I learned to be stronger with my “no” responses and I learned that people and host are much friendlier than I experience in the USA. My travel buddies also learned their own (lessons) too. One learned patience and one learned how to be more social. We all learned about the beauty in difference and new cultures. One other thing as an American that was obvious to me in India is that “money doesn’t buy happiness”. 😁🙏🏻 great video!
@Manish Narang I do understand that. Money can help when it comes to food, water, electricity, and so on. But I also saw lots of smiling faces of people who have far less than us “Americans” and many Americans who have it all are still very sad. That is all I meant. That family, friends, love, and nature bring the absolute happiness. In my opinion. Much aloha!
@Manish Narang for sure it is easier for women in American and other western countries. I love all cultures and differences. Not one better that the other, just different for each person, group, age, personalities. I welcome you to the USA and hope you enjoy your time. We loved our trip to India! 🙏🏻❤️😁
On my late father's side, I'm Keralan, , but I'm a mixed race too. The thing that is funny is that you only get punjab restaurants here. . And bloody expensive too ! I would love to visit. India. ! My best to all of you
Buddy there are 8 States in India you can travel for free of cost on food, accomodation and local help, except transportation charges. States are Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur , Nagaland and Tripura. Just follow and search online the motorcycle riders from each state and enjoy hospitality at their homes. These states has a very big heart of motorcycle culture brotherhood. These tribals states are so generous to humanity.
Thank you very much for coming to India. Every country has some evil.. Hope you enjoyed our Indian culture, food, different languages, different people, and the diversity of India.. Spread positivity about india ,. Thankyou.❤
Thanks Ram! I am still new and looking forward to making many more videos helping people travel in India. If you know anyone who would like the videos please share 😊
Most foreigners confine to either north or south India but few visit NE india. NE india is far better in natural scenic beauty, diverse culture, not over crowded etc. comparing to mainland India.
You came with something special within you like a filter and accumulated the nuggets that some of us are unable to acquire. For your mum and aunt to be on the same wavelength, as you suggest, it might be genetic; I do not know. It sounds and feels like you have connected with something that is timeless and spiritual for your soul. Thank you for the lovely video. Ben Jenks, I name thee Socrates.
You are in a country which you cannot fathom in three lifetimes. I have cycled in India extensively. Last year Me/wife took up cycling on TransAmerica Route 76 (middle tier). Very good experience to have. But I still and will cherish cycling in Himalayan Foothills. Happy to hear good opinion about my country from you.
Different personalities visiting India feel different about Indian. It can surprise you, it can shock you, but definitely doesn't let you go without an emotion. It can make you feel you have finally found your home, or run back home. I think you fit easily (though you think you have had some troubles) because you have a spiritual quality about you. Nonjudgemental, accepting, being in the moment...
I really appreciate what you are doing, and how you are showing India. I am traveling to India next month for the 1st time and your videos have really inspired me, and also validated my reasons for going. Thank you
Pity that you wear glasses all along. But you did a great job there. One thing you didn't mention is the food. . They have this tendance to over feed you and god knows it's very delicious. Eating with the banana leaves is just wonderful. The squatting not really
As an Indian, I would like to tell you that I don't think Indians are more spiritually enlightened. Having said that, I pursued spirituality, not that I renounced my family but could not find any answers and to tell you truth I think there are no exact answers that anyone tries to find about life and after death. I have a stereotype about Americans, I think they are very competitive, is that true? Is everyone in America ambitious?
Excellent video and well thought out comments/observations! As an Indian kid, you automatically (?) learn that physical comfort/happiness (earning money to run your life, getting food, taking care of immediate family etc.) and "anandam" in life (inner peace & pure joy) are two different aspects of our being! One needs both of these in his/her life. Just my 2 cents:-)
Just one thing I would like to clear sir. "Guest is God" is not a marketing slogan, but it's what we believe. In india we treat everything with respect and spirituality, whether it's our land, plants, tree, animals, human being and even our guests. It's been there from centuries
As an Indian, travelling changed me to understand (scratch?) my country better!🙏🏼 (this emoji used to be a high five for a miniscule people from the western world but Indians with 1.3 billion population changed the meaning of the sign to 'namaskar'/'Pranam'/'forgive me' et al.😀
Cows are respected because it gives us milk like how our mothers give us milk when we are babies. That's why it is sacred. Which other animal can give us so much milk and look what we make out of it. That's why many hindus don't kill it to eat it. Krishna had a very close relationship with the cow that's why we respect the cow. When someone dies in your house and if a cow is near it will cry.
benjamin kindly concentrate upon the,architecture nd sculptor,of oldest monuments nd temples to display the true rich cultural heritage of india which were the time ahead.
Ben, where is that long trail you have been walking throughout this video? I heard you saying in coupe of other videos that you used to live in Austin, TX. But in this video you said you are from some colder part of the USA ?? Michigan? I wanted to ask you how you compare the heat in Thiruvannamalai with Austim Summers? I visited Austin in August one year and in the night around 9pm it was 90degrees and the grounds outside were radiating heat, reminded me of South Indian Summers.
Matha - mother Pitha - father Guru - teacher deivam - god Guest is not god. Everyone is god, everything is god. This way Indian's are ruled by British.
There are people like us who just like the videos and don't prefer to comment unnecessarily but we do love your videos. Even a person can behave differently at different times and there are grey areas too... Then this country filled with 1300 millions .. It's like a difficult puzzle the more you make an opinion the more you will end up falling other side.. But once you zoomout your lenses it's simple "common people who are adapting to live in the society and following Maslow's theory". Majority of people are here who are so innocent that they can be manipulated easily by a person who have either money or power... The simple formula of a common man in India is just to experience a situation and act accordingly ( depends on the knowledge and moto of his own). U will keep getting new info everyday and will update yourself accordingly.. I'm too updating my knowledge and learning everyday.. and trying to be the more of a Rational Being everyday.. About religion it will take time.... As far as my knowledge is concerned ... Religion original concept is in to show a path towards being a more like a Good, Generous, Aware and Responsible person.. There are good saints who are not very famous ...there are bad too who are famous mixing religion with politics and blind beliefs too... And the original concept of Religion might be the best for the time when it came into existence...Now when the way of living has changed vastly as compared to that time..there might be some positive changes..(updates ..like the new laws).. Whether God exists or not that's not important but it gives u a faith when there's no one around , when the circumstances are harsh ( like diseases/ some kind of accident and other happenings). Be safe , be kind to others keep it up ( you r doing great) aviwave0007( Insta id)
If you want to visit India you want to know basic thing's of negotiation example. Ask the product price of he called 500 you just cut half of that according to condition 250. He never agrred with you then just let walk through theirs if he called you back you should understand you are on right place or nice negotiater.👍
A nice video that covers many key points. In a civilizational country such as India, many, and perhaps most, aspects persist in various later adaptations (hospitality, hygiene, etc.). The resulting diversity means that people are concurrently living lives with norms and standards from different eras, even centuries, that shape their worldviews (e.g., commerce, spirituality, caste). For instance, India has been an export hub (spices, textiles, sugar, etc.) and one of the richest places in the world for much of the last 2 millennia, which manifests in her numerous proud and profound traditions (as, say, in Namaste) and conversely, in all the dynamism and chaos. Therefore, if you are a foreign tourist seeking mostly comfort and glamor (nothing wrong with that as such), you may want to be prepared for the actual wealth of experiences that India has to offer, the outer inconveniences notwithstanding. India is among the few places that would let - or even push - you to discover yourself.
Please wear a Mask and a helmet while traveling on scooter Thanks I have enjoyed all your vedios , write a book on India some time later We Hindus believe we are born divine live divine and die divine, so we live without guilt
Not only chef even in normal houses the family lady will make you eat more and more.....even in my culture there's a tradition whoever comes first time in our house should be served two times (like second time as a ritual a tablespoon small portion can be served if the guest is full ) on their first meal ........sometimes it's like the host thinks may be the guest is shy or reluctant to ask for more food so they serve intentionally so the guest goes with a full stomach .....your videos are indeed good...keep it up ...
U r in the land of tamil ,,one of the oldest language in the world ,,plz visit keeladi excavation site near madurai its 5000yrs old one of the oldest civilisation in the world
Like you compared the rent of the house you should compare the average earning of an Indian and an American. And you comapred an urban house rent with a city house rent. Hope you understand it's not that cheaper for an Indian with Indian earning.
hi benjamin , i know you are not a money expert guru . i intend to become a world traveller with my brother in 7 years time , we will bring £200,000 between us .and my pension of £800 per month for life , we intend to settle in india as our main hub during this indefinite travelling time , my question is basically do you think this will be enough travel indefinitely without having to work for at least 10 years in asia, or is it advisable to work over in india ?
Well, that is difficult without pulling out a calculator but... you can live in India nicely but not luxuriously for $800 a month. I have a 2bd and spend 500 or 600 with a tight budget now. There are places close by India to travel to inexpensively but you would be eating into your savings. Depends on where you go how much. Could try to build an online business you can do as you travel. $1000 more a month might be helpful
@@bjenks Thank you for the reply, Ever since watching your videos , along with other travellers like gabriel traveler on youtube. We decided that's what we want to do for an indefinite length of time. Once i finish my 22 year service in the british army and my brother finishes his 12 year service in 7 years time we will leave and start up a new life travelling around asia.The online business idea is a good one , we will look into that , do you know of any foreigners teaching english over in india (TEFL). Will you ever go back to the states any time in the future or have your travelling experiences changed you in a way that you will stay put for the time being ?
@@joeh4791 sounds like an epic adventure! Teaching English online is one of the most accessible ways to make money in other countries, as long as you're okay with being tied to where the work is. That is how my gf traveled for 10 years and 80 some countries
@@bjenks Well after 22 years in the service , it will be my time to live a real life you know.Yip it will be such a great adventure , wow your GF sure as shit is well travelled , puts you to shame lol. Its the only thing on my mind right now is just getting out there and experiencing and becoming part of india.Thanks for the advice and tips mate, You and your GF keep up the videos, they are great to watch( you are only 2nd to gabriel traveler in all my youtube subscriptions) and i have 78 channels i watch ciao from scotland bro.
Benjamin thank you for your videos, it's great. I would request you correct the Indian flag as it's upside-down, in this video at -11:00 mins is this clip Please correct it as it's a pride for any country. Thank you
You make 'thinking' videos... loved by educated people (? No offence meant to my fellow citizens as their choices are independent of mine and respect their choices) ...please make some popular videos. Btw, I love your posts and you make the best videos as far as I am concerned.
The current Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modiji, was born in a very very poor family. The worked very hard doing social work for the Rashtriya Swewak Sangh (National service organization) and then he was seconded to the Bharatiya Janta Party (Indian People's Party). He worked very hard all his life and used his God given intellect and studied the world and was elected 3 or 4 times as Chief Minister of a very large State of Gujarat and elected and reelected as Prime Minister of India. He is also known to be a disciplined and strict no nonsense administrator and very honest. So it can happen to a chaiwala it can happen to anyone.
Benjamin Jenks I am originally from Bombay, India but now I am an American citizen but I do still love and care for the country of my birth and of my parents.
You seem to be mentioning “poverty” in India atleast once in every video, might as well explain where is poverty coming from. I can give you some pointers if you want.
@@bjenks Hope this helps... ===== Pre-independence era: 1. china & india always had 30% of global population for more than three millennia, because of innovations in farming millennia ago. 2. Temples used to be centres of banking, knowledge & religion during pre-islamic rule in india(includes current day pakistan & bangladesh). 3. Prior to islam, even greeks & romans tried to conquer india but largely failed. 4. economic highway pre-islamic era in india was in the shape of “7”, starts in kerala(spice trade), goes thru tamil nadu, reached current day kolkata, turns left follows ganga, passes thru varanasi , and near current day delhi and then splits to iran and afghanistan and onwards to central asia & europe. 5. during the islamic invasions, obviously richest places in the area would be attacked i.e temples. early invaders used to kill destroy loot and go back. native people used to rebuild as much as they can. but obviously there is a limit to disruption, a financial system can take. degradation of india’s financial system starts here. keep in mind even though there are many kingdoms at the time, they used to function as an union from a economic standpoint without common currency. goods, precious metals & precious stones were the currency. 6. when islamists started staying back, death knell to all temples in north india starts. no temple were spared, knowledge keepers & warriors converted or killed. women captured, sold to harems in markets as far as iraq & afghanistan. even ancient universities were not spared, burnt to ground along with the knowledge. this is one of the reasons, all vedas and ancient scriptures are memorised. 7. devastation was such that first medium size hindu temple built in north india was in 1936, i.e after almost 1000 years. khajuraho was spared because it got lost in the jungles, as was re-discovered in 19th century. 8. South india was spared because islamists were never able to conquer the land, hence the gigantic temples still stand today. Post-Independence era: 1. First indian union budget was about 200 crore for a population of 37 crore(370 million, more than current US population), that is less than a dollar per person per month of govt public expenditure. 2. India chose socialism, which was basically an aversion to capitalism. in 1970’s income tax rates were as high as 97%. 3. as part of socialistic practices influenced by USSR, there were limits on how much a factory can produce. for example : a car factory can produce only about 15000 cars per year. this period is called “license raj”, where govt set the limits on production. 4. when i was a kid in 80’s, if you apply for a telephone connection, waitlist used to be about 2-4 years. same with other goods as well. 5. Reservations( what you call as affirmative action) started in 1950 itself. 6. in education system, socialist system ensured the education is cheap with price controls set by govt, result being education institutions never had money to upgrade & fund research. 7. These kinds of measures led to india going bankrupt in 1990, and was forced to take the path of economic liberalisation. 8. This basically meant, there was never enough money to go around as wealth creators were viewed as people’s enemies. 9. what bernie sanders wants to do in USA, have already been implemented in india for 70 years. Post economic liberalisation: 1. in 1991 india was compelled to take the path of semi-capitalism. 2. whatever modernity you are seeing now, has happened theoretically since 1991 and practically since year 1998 aided by Y2K problem. it takes time for change to reach grass root level. 3. in india it takes about 15 years to create next set of 300 million middle income group citizens. 4. since 1991 india is famous for skipping stages of economic evolution, india skipped telephone revolution went straight to mobile revolution, skipped industrial revolution went straight to services as wealth creators, skipped wired broadband went straight to mobile internet, skipped brick and mortar banks went straight to digital banking etc etc. 5. Given where india has started in 1947(same age as hillary clinton), being 5th largest economy now while retaining it’s democracy while defending against two nuclear armed neighbours while solving legacy issues created by british is no mean feat in my view. 6. usually countries go thru economic evolution, social & cultural evolution , technology evolution etc in phases one after the other, even US had them in phases. phases like your post-great depression, flower power era, digital evolution post 2000 etc in USA. in india all of them are happening at the same time while trying to keep the forward momentum going, so distribution of focus will be accordingly.
@@shashanksuman you completely missed the British and European invasion. GENOCIDEs and destruction of Indian economy from 28% of the world to 2% in 1947. Britain became modern and prosperous and developed Britain by sucking all the wealth and blood of Indians.
Think about it why Columbus wanted search for shortest sea route to India though he accidentally landed in Americas. Yes America was accidentally discovered for searching shortest route to India.
@@bjenks there is interesting history behind this kind of food. Before 12th century Indian native food was almost no spicy. Only two- there spices used to mixed for aroma. Onion and garlic were completely prohibited. Infact dishes were also limited. That time purpose of food was to be healthy . That's why Raw fruits and vegetables were also part of diet. After 12 century islamic invasions started They brought with them maida ( thin wheat floor) . With this thin wheat floor , some sweets and fast food (for eg samosa) came into existence. After 15 th century Europeans also came to India they brought green chillies and potato which They found in Americas. Till that time most of These Indian spices were not used in food but as medicines in ayurveda . Europeans used to import lot of these spices from India. Finally when British came and to present themselves elite they ordered the local chefs to cook food by mixing all these spices . Then these splices started to become part of European cooking . That time European food became the most spicy in the world. That time Indian restaurants also started opening in India for elites and they experimented chillies and those spices in local Indian food. That's how Indian food started to become spicy and many news dishes were also invented. Personally I want to switch to pre 12th century cooking style because that was more healthy and natural.
I appreciate the positivity in ur video, but plz nxt time first know about the Indian flag before putting in ur videos. We Indians our sensitive about our Tricolor(national flag of India). Thanku😊😇
Please don't bargain with the vegetable vendors ... they are very poor ... its OK to pay a couple of bucks extra ... It will only add up to your good karma :-)
Bro don't haggle or negotiate with street vendors such as fruit or vegetable sellers. They are very poor. A dollar saved for you might go to the deposit of his daughter's college fund.
I found a few things as an American. I learned to be stronger with my “no” responses and I learned that people and host are much friendlier than I experience in the USA. My travel buddies also learned their own (lessons) too. One learned patience and one learned how to be more social. We all learned about the beauty in difference and new cultures. One other thing as an American that was obvious to me in India is that “money doesn’t buy happiness”. 😁🙏🏻 great video!
Thanks for sharing Mara :)
@Manish Narang I do understand that. Money can help when it comes to food, water, electricity, and so on. But I also saw lots of smiling faces of people who have far less than us “Americans” and many Americans who have it all are still very sad. That is all I meant. That family, friends, love, and nature bring the absolute happiness. In my opinion. Much aloha!
@Manish Narang for sure it is easier for women in American and other western countries. I love all cultures and differences. Not one better that the other, just different for each person, group, age, personalities. I welcome you to the USA and hope you enjoy your time. We loved our trip to India! 🙏🏻❤️😁
On my late father's side, I'm Keralan, , but I'm a mixed race too. The thing that is funny is that you only get punjab restaurants here. . And bloody expensive too ! I would love to visit. India. ! My best to all of you
I am Indian but I am learning more about my country from yours vlog
Happy to hear thanks, where are you from?
M from northeast India😊😊
Start traveling kancha India is vast...
Me too🙏
Buddy there are 8 States in India you can travel for free of cost on food, accomodation and local help, except transportation charges.
States are Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur , Nagaland and Tripura. Just follow and search online the motorcycle riders from each state and enjoy hospitality at their homes. These states has a very big heart of motorcycle culture brotherhood. These tribals states are so generous to humanity.
I'll look into that!
These are the very states that trash ppl because they are non christians, only welcome christians. whats humanity in that?
I’ve always wanted to go to India but I’m nervous for the long flight from Canada! Maybe one day!
The flight is long and I can see how that would be a big hurdle. Where in Canada are you from?
You are very balaced in your view on india. You are lucky to live in Thiru Annamalai. Visit the ramanashran and know abot Rana maharishi.
Haha! I am going to McGill, Montreal. Probably can accompany you while returning to India every summer.
Yours welcome.India calling you.because we belive that whole world is a family.
Well India has largest variety of vegetarian food
I too am vegetarian
I am 6'5 inch tall and strong
Never ate any gram of non veg food ever
Yeah there is a lot of good veg food!
Yes, definitely India change the thinking of people. I completely agree with you.
:)
Thanks to Giulia for helping me discover this channel
Welcome Vishwas :)
Here from Only One Giulia! Great work, Ben!
Welcome Rashmi
Thank you very much for coming to India. Every country has some evil.. Hope you enjoyed our Indian culture, food, different languages, different people, and the diversity of India.. Spread positivity about india ,. Thankyou.❤
I agree and wish you the best as well, what part of India are you in?
@@bjenks northern part, from uttarpradesh ..🍷❤
Why this video is not viral ?? this guy understood us sooo fucking good . Appreciate it 🙏
Thanks please share if you wish 🤙🙏
You look more indian than most of us
Haha :)
Why this guy is not getting likes for such nice info and his experience... ?? Common guyz subscribe and encourage this guy for his pure effort...
Thanks Ram! I am still new and looking forward to making many more videos helping people travel in India. If you know anyone who would like the videos please share 😊
You're awesome... 💪🙃
You can write a book on India.....
👍✌🤙
Most foreigners confine to either north or south India but few visit NE india. NE india is far better in natural scenic beauty, diverse culture, not over crowded etc. comparing to mainland India.
I want to go
@@bjenks now strict entry due to coronavirus.
You are the Only foring RUclips vloger understand the basic values of Indian culture
😊
Im so glad I discovered your channel!
Welcome Shrey :)
You came with something special within you like a filter and accumulated the nuggets that some of us are unable to acquire. For your mum and aunt to be on the same wavelength, as you suggest, it might be genetic; I do not know.
It sounds and feels like you have connected with something that is timeless and spiritual for your soul. Thank you for the lovely video.
Ben Jenks, I name thee Socrates.
I have been lucky Gi and thanks for your kind comment. What about you, what part of India are you from?
Content is so true and struggle is true as well. I agree to your Points.
Thanks Vissist
You are in love with India I can see in your eyes
😊😊
You are in a country which you cannot fathom in three lifetimes. I have cycled in India extensively. Last year Me/wife took up cycling on TransAmerica Route 76 (middle tier). Very good experience to have. But I still and will cherish cycling in Himalayan Foothills. Happy to hear good opinion about my country from you.
That's super cool! I would like to cycle in the himalayas
Different personalities visiting India feel different about Indian. It can surprise you, it can shock you, but definitely doesn't let you go without an emotion. It can make you feel you have finally found your home, or run back home. I think you fit easily (though you think you have had some troubles) because you have a spiritual quality about you. Nonjudgemental, accepting, being in the moment...
U r a good person.... Wish u more success 🙂
🙏😊
Hinduism is not a religion.
Sanatan dharm is a way of life.
Okay thank you
@Brijulal Kithu its not Hinduism its Sanatan Dharma
First-time an American talking about more about his parents
Jssttt loved him 💜....stay blessed.
Tamil nadu has lots of oldest temples ,likeBrihadeeshwara temple,meenakshi temple ,etc.. But you can't visit them now ,may be after some days
Thanks for sharing those temple names!
@@bjenks There are many beautiful temples in trichy, have many sculptures.
One should not negotiate prices with street vendors. They are very poor and may need the money
You will not negotiate the prices in 5 star hotels
Thanks for your thoughts
I really appreciate what you are doing, and how you are showing India. I am traveling to India next month for the 1st time and your videos have really inspired me, and also validated my reasons for going. Thank you
Great experience bro, i think you are more Indian now🙏❤
😊
Loved your vlog...keep doing this good work.
Thanks Arvind, welcome!
Pity that you wear glasses all along. But you did a great job there. One thing you didn't mention is the food. . They have this tendance to over feed you and god knows it's very delicious. Eating with the banana leaves is just wonderful. The squatting not really
As an Indian, I would like to tell you that I don't think Indians are more spiritually enlightened. Having said that, I pursued spirituality, not that I renounced my family but could not find any answers and to tell you truth I think there are no exact answers that anyone tries to find about life and after death. I have a stereotype about Americans, I think they are very competitive, is that true? Is everyone in America ambitious?
Thanks for sharing that perspective, CB! I think some Americans are ambitious and there is pressure to be that way. But not everyone is
Excellent video and well thought out comments/observations! As an Indian kid, you automatically (?) learn that physical comfort/happiness (earning money to run your life, getting food, taking care of immediate family etc.) and "anandam" in life (inner peace & pure joy) are two different aspects of our being! One needs both of these in his/her life.
Just my 2 cents:-)
Thanks Anjan! Where are you from?
Hey bud love your videos kind of addicted to watch great work best of luck
Thanks 👍
Just one thing I would like to clear sir. "Guest is God" is not a marketing slogan, but it's what we believe. In india we treat everything with respect and spirituality, whether it's our land, plants, tree, animals, human being and even our guests. It's been there from centuries
Wonderful work Benjamin👌
Thanks Luna
You are genuine guy👍🙏
:)
Quite accurate and unbiased. A little more deeper understanding required.
Who knows, one day we will be doing a vlog here so we will see :)
:)
Your details are awesome! Worth a blog as you already have it! Cheers
Thanks Sagar, yeah I have a blog at ChaiNomad.com with more details :)
Taking care each other in our community helped humanity survive. We lost that to modernity. We lost
Hey I lived in Michigan for more than 2 years. And I can feel ya when you mentioned about how hot it is. I moved to US from south india as well.
Oh cool
As an Indian, travelling changed me to understand (scratch?) my country better!🙏🏼 (this emoji used to be a high five for a miniscule people from the western world but Indians with 1.3 billion population changed the meaning of the sign to 'namaskar'/'Pranam'/'forgive me' et al.😀
Good to hear from you, Anjan 🙏😊
You are settling in buddy👍
Yes I am!
Cows are respected because it gives us milk like how our mothers give us milk when we are babies. That's why it is sacred. Which other animal can give us so much milk and look what we make out of it. That's why many hindus don't kill it to eat it. Krishna had a very close relationship with the cow that's why we respect the cow. When someone dies in your house and if a cow is near it will cry.
Yeahs, cows are great and super cute too
benjamin kindly concentrate upon the,architecture nd sculptor,of oldest monuments nd temples to display the true rich cultural heritage of india which were the time ahead.
Ben, where is that long trail you have been walking throughout this video?
I heard you saying in coupe of other videos that you used to live in Austin, TX. But in this video you said you are from some colder part of the USA ?? Michigan?
I wanted to ask you how you compare the heat in Thiruvannamalai with Austim Summers? I visited Austin in August one year and in the night around 9pm it was 90degrees and the grounds outside were radiating heat, reminded me of South Indian Summers.
That was deep!!
Matha - mother
Pitha - father
Guru - teacher
deivam - god
Guest is not god. Everyone is god, everything is god. This way Indian's are ruled by British.
Good info, G ✌
He's talking about " Athidhi devo bhava " Mr. Gangatharan. He's right!
There are people like us who just like the videos and don't prefer to comment unnecessarily but we do love your videos.
Even a person can behave differently at different times and there are grey areas too... Then this country filled with 1300 millions .. It's like a difficult puzzle the more you make an opinion the more you will end up falling other side.. But once you zoomout your lenses it's simple "common people who are adapting to live in the society and following Maslow's theory".
Majority of people are here who are so innocent that they can be manipulated easily by a person who have either money or power...
The simple formula of a common man in India is just to experience a situation and act accordingly ( depends on the knowledge and moto of his own).
U will keep getting new info everyday and will update yourself accordingly..
I'm too updating my knowledge and learning everyday.. and trying to be the more of a Rational Being everyday..
About religion it will take time.... As far as my knowledge is concerned ... Religion original concept is in to show a path towards being a more like a Good, Generous, Aware and Responsible person.. There are good saints who are not very famous ...there are bad too who are famous mixing religion with politics and blind beliefs too... And the original concept of Religion might be the best for the time when it came into existence...Now when the way of living has changed vastly as compared to that time..there might be some positive changes..(updates ..like the new laws)..
Whether God exists or not that's not important but it gives u a faith when there's no one around , when the circumstances are harsh ( like diseases/ some kind of accident and other happenings).
Be safe , be kind to others keep it up ( you r doing great)
aviwave0007( Insta id)
I appreciate your thoughtful comment and glad to have you with us!
If you want to visit India you want to know basic thing's of negotiation example.
Ask the product price of he called 500 you just cut half of that according to condition 250. He never agrred with you then just let walk through theirs if he called you back you should understand you are on right place or nice negotiater.👍
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Always feel happy to see your video.
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Watching your videos in 1st January 2021 . Happy New Year.
Love your vlog ❤️❤️ stay safe buddy
Thanks! You too!
Enlightenment ... on the way
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A nice video that covers many key points. In a civilizational country such as India, many, and perhaps most, aspects persist in various later adaptations (hospitality, hygiene, etc.). The resulting diversity means that people are concurrently living lives with norms and standards from different eras, even centuries, that shape their worldviews (e.g., commerce, spirituality, caste). For instance, India has been an export hub (spices, textiles, sugar, etc.) and one of the richest places in the world for much of the last 2 millennia, which manifests in her numerous proud and profound traditions (as, say, in Namaste) and conversely, in all the dynamism and chaos.
Therefore, if you are a foreign tourist seeking mostly comfort and glamor (nothing wrong with that as such), you may want to be prepared for the actual wealth of experiences that India has to offer, the outer inconveniences notwithstanding. India is among the few places that would let - or even push - you to discover yourself.
Please wear a Mask and a helmet while traveling on scooter
Thanks I have enjoyed all your vedios , write a book on India some time later
We Hindus believe we are born divine live divine and die divine, so we live without guilt
Thank you Jegadeesan
You people are so egoistic, that's what I don't like about India.
Good, I enjoyed your thoughts.
Thank you arpit
Jenks, considering the appreciation you have for this scintillating country, try your best to become an Indian citizen.
Haha I do love India but citizenship is tough in India! I don't think it's an option for me, but we'll see
I really liked your videos!!!
Thanks!
dude this time in india its really hot!!! June is usually the hottest month in india!!
Ugh, super hot here but I like it
Not only chef even in normal houses the family lady will make you eat more and more.....even in my culture there's a tradition whoever comes first time in our house should be served two times (like second time as a ritual a tablespoon small portion can be served if the guest is full ) on their first meal ........sometimes it's like the host thinks may be the guest is shy or reluctant to ask for more food so they serve intentionally so the guest goes with a full stomach .....your videos are indeed good...keep it up ...
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U r in the land of tamil ,,one of the oldest language in the world ,,plz visit keeladi excavation site near madurai its 5000yrs old one of the oldest civilisation in the world
Great bro, how much kilometres you were walked
@0:35 that is the religious tout from Bald and Bankrupt's video on Varanasi.
Haha Love the initial Statment
Like you compared the rent of the house you should compare the average earning of an Indian and an American. And you comapred an urban house rent with a city house rent.
Hope you understand it's not that cheaper for an Indian with Indian earning.
@4:40 Indian flag... you need to correct it..
Apologies, done
If someone ask money , its better to buy some food and give it to them.
Okay thanks Sugan. Where in India are you from?
@@bjenks i am in pondicherry
Do you miss Michigan or now you are okay with living here?
I miss my family and friends. I miss home some, but I like living here
Why u not bring ur mom and dad and ur family to India
Always love your content
Thanks Suhas
StaySafe♥️
Thanks you too h
At 4:50 the Indian flag was upside down and it was blurred. Good one👍
My mistake
Iam tired of asking this, when will you come to kerala🤔
hi benjamin , i know you are not a money expert guru . i intend to become a world traveller with my brother in 7 years time , we will bring £200,000 between us .and my pension of £800 per month for life , we intend to settle in india as our main hub during this indefinite travelling time , my question is basically do you think this will be enough travel indefinitely without having to work for at least 10 years in asia, or is it advisable to work over in india ?
Well, that is difficult without pulling out a calculator but... you can live in India nicely but not luxuriously for $800 a month. I have a 2bd and spend 500 or 600 with a tight budget now. There are places close by India to travel to inexpensively but you would be eating into your savings. Depends on where you go how much. Could try to build an online business you can do as you travel. $1000 more a month might be helpful
@@bjenks Thank you for the reply, Ever since watching your videos , along with other travellers like gabriel traveler on youtube. We decided that's what we want to do for an indefinite length of time. Once i finish my 22 year service in the british army and my brother finishes his 12 year service in 7 years time we will leave and start up a new life travelling around asia.The online business idea is a good one , we will look into that , do you know of any foreigners teaching english over in india (TEFL). Will you ever go back to the states any time in the future or have your travelling experiences changed you in a way that you will stay put for the time being ?
@@joeh4791 sounds like an epic adventure! Teaching English online is one of the most accessible ways to make money in other countries, as long as you're okay with being tied to where the work is. That is how my gf traveled for 10 years and 80 some countries
I will go back sometime I think, but I'd like to spend most of my time in India for years
@@bjenks Well after 22 years in the service , it will be my time to live a real life you know.Yip it will be such a great adventure , wow your GF sure as shit is well travelled , puts you to shame lol. Its the only thing on my mind right now is just getting out there and experiencing and becoming part of india.Thanks for the advice and tips mate, You and your GF keep up the videos, they are great to watch( you are only 2nd to gabriel traveler in all my youtube subscriptions) and i have 78 channels i watch ciao from scotland bro.
Hinduism is like waking up from sleep into reality.😇
Beautiful place
Thank you
Kashi Vishwanath Temple Vigite mam
Har Har Mahadev 🚩
Benjamin thank you for your videos, it's great.
I would request you correct the Indian flag as it's upside-down, in this video at -11:00 mins is this clip
Please correct it as it's a pride for any country.
Thank you
Apologies, I will edit thanks for letting me know
You make 'thinking' videos... loved by educated people (? No offence meant to my fellow citizens as their choices are independent of mine and respect their choices) ...please make some popular videos. Btw, I love your posts and you make the best videos as far as I am concerned.
Thanks Anjan! I will try. Do you have any video requests?
The current Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modiji, was born in a very very poor family. The worked very hard doing social work for the Rashtriya Swewak Sangh (National service organization) and then he was seconded to the Bharatiya Janta Party (Indian People's Party). He worked very hard all his life and used his God given intellect and studied the world and was elected 3 or 4 times as Chief Minister of a very large State of Gujarat and elected and reelected as Prime Minister of India. He is also known to be a disciplined and strict no nonsense administrator and very honest. So it can happen to a chaiwala it can happen to anyone.
Thanks friend for his story! Where are you from?
Benjamin Jenks
I am originally from Bombay, India but now I am an American citizen but I do still love and care for the country of my birth and of my parents.
Nice videos bro
Thanks AR
9:50 Indraneel is a masculine name... He is a man 😆.
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Nice video 👌
Thank you Amit
Nice video
Thanks
Please visit North East India.
I would like to, so much nature
You seem to be mentioning “poverty” in India atleast once in every video, might as well explain where is poverty coming from. I can give you some pointers if you want.
That's a good idea, and if you have some pointers that would be helpful, thanks
@@bjenks
Hope this helps...
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Pre-independence era:
1. china & india always had 30% of global population for more than three millennia, because of innovations in farming millennia ago.
2. Temples used to be centres of banking, knowledge & religion during pre-islamic rule in india(includes current day pakistan & bangladesh).
3. Prior to islam, even greeks & romans tried to conquer india but largely failed.
4. economic highway pre-islamic era in india was in the shape of “7”, starts in kerala(spice trade), goes thru tamil nadu, reached current day kolkata, turns left follows ganga, passes thru varanasi , and near current day delhi and then splits to iran and afghanistan and onwards to central asia & europe.
5. during the islamic invasions, obviously richest places in the area would be attacked i.e temples. early invaders used to kill destroy loot and go back. native people used to rebuild as much as they can. but obviously there is a limit to disruption, a financial system can take. degradation of india’s financial system starts here. keep in mind even though there are many kingdoms at the time, they used to function as an union from a economic standpoint without common currency. goods, precious metals & precious stones were the currency.
6. when islamists started staying back, death knell to all temples in north india starts. no temple were spared, knowledge keepers & warriors converted or killed. women captured, sold to harems in markets as far as iraq & afghanistan. even ancient universities were not spared, burnt to ground along with the knowledge. this is one of the reasons, all vedas and ancient scriptures are memorised.
7. devastation was such that first medium size hindu temple built in north india was in 1936, i.e after almost 1000 years. khajuraho was spared because it got lost in the jungles, as was re-discovered in 19th century.
8. South india was spared because islamists were never able to conquer the land, hence the gigantic temples still stand today.
Post-Independence era:
1. First indian union budget was about 200 crore for a population of 37 crore(370 million, more than current US population), that is less than a dollar per person per month of govt public expenditure.
2. India chose socialism, which was basically an aversion to capitalism. in 1970’s income tax rates were as high as 97%.
3. as part of socialistic practices influenced by USSR, there were limits on how much a factory can produce. for example : a car factory can produce only about 15000 cars per year. this period is called “license raj”, where govt set the limits on production.
4. when i was a kid in 80’s, if you apply for a telephone connection, waitlist used to be about 2-4 years. same with other goods as well.
5. Reservations( what you call as affirmative action) started in 1950 itself.
6. in education system, socialist system ensured the education is cheap with price controls set by govt, result being education institutions never had money to upgrade & fund research.
7. These kinds of measures led to india going bankrupt in 1990, and was forced to take the path of economic liberalisation.
8. This basically meant, there was never enough money to go around as wealth creators were viewed as people’s enemies.
9. what bernie sanders wants to do in USA, have already been implemented in india for 70 years.
Post economic liberalisation:
1. in 1991 india was compelled to take the path of semi-capitalism.
2. whatever modernity you are seeing now, has happened theoretically since 1991 and practically since year 1998 aided by Y2K problem. it takes time for change to reach grass root level.
3. in india it takes about 15 years to create next set of 300 million middle income group citizens.
4. since 1991 india is famous for skipping stages of economic evolution, india skipped telephone revolution went straight to mobile revolution, skipped industrial revolution went straight to services as wealth creators, skipped wired broadband went straight to mobile internet, skipped brick and mortar banks went straight to digital banking etc etc.
5. Given where india has started in 1947(same age as hillary clinton), being 5th largest economy now while retaining it’s democracy while defending against two nuclear armed neighbours while solving legacy issues created by british is no mean feat in my view.
6. usually countries go thru economic evolution, social & cultural evolution , technology evolution etc in phases one after the other, even US had them in phases. phases like your post-great depression, flower power era, digital evolution post 2000 etc in USA. in india all of them are happening at the same time while trying to keep the forward momentum going, so distribution of focus will be accordingly.
Thanks so much for sharing this info with us!
@@shashanksuman you completely missed the British and European invasion.
GENOCIDEs and destruction of Indian economy from 28% of the world to 2% in 1947.
Britain became modern and prosperous and developed Britain by sucking all the wealth and blood of Indians.
Think about it why Columbus wanted search for shortest sea route to India though he accidentally landed in Americas.
Yes America was accidentally discovered for searching shortest route to India.
Bro Americans have lots of money but they only eat breads, 😆😆😆😆but Indians eats lots of best good... On the planet.. Am I right,
The food in India is delicious :) What is your favorite dish?
@@bjenkskerala porotta with chilly chicken. 😋
@@bjenks there is interesting history behind this kind of food. Before 12th century Indian native food was almost no spicy. Only two- there spices used to mixed for aroma. Onion and garlic were completely prohibited. Infact dishes were also limited. That time purpose of food was to be healthy . That's why Raw fruits and vegetables were also part of diet.
After 12 century islamic invasions started They brought with them maida ( thin wheat floor) . With this thin wheat floor , some sweets and fast food (for eg samosa) came into existence.
After 15 th century Europeans also came to India they brought green chillies and potato which They found in Americas. Till that time most of These Indian spices were not used in food but as medicines in ayurveda . Europeans used to import lot of these spices from India.
Finally when British came and to present themselves elite they ordered the local chefs to cook food by mixing all these spices . Then these splices started to become part of European cooking . That time European food became the most spicy in the world.
That time Indian restaurants also started opening in India for elites and they experimented chillies and those spices in local Indian food. That's how Indian food started to become spicy and many news dishes were also invented.
Personally I want to switch to pre 12th century cooking style because that was more healthy and natural.
No one can beat us in terms of foods
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I appreciate the positivity in ur video, but plz nxt time first know about the Indian flag before putting in ur videos. We Indians our sensitive about our Tricolor(national flag of India). Thanku😊😇
My mistake sorry
valo...
Did you try learning Tamil since you are staying there for long. Atleast understand n speak about this language
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If you wanna give beggers something give them food...☺️ Not money
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Please don't bargain with the vegetable vendors ... they are very poor ... its OK to pay a couple of bucks extra ... It will only add up to your good karma :-)
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White people talk nice on these videos. In their living rooms, churches and bars it’s a different story.
Bro don't haggle or negotiate with street vendors such as fruit or vegetable sellers. They are very poor. A dollar saved for you might go to the deposit of his daughter's college fund.
0:34 I beg you, I beseech you.....please stop using this track for depicting India. please...🙏
Definitely, you seem to have absorbed some wisdom of India.
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