If you’ve been to India before, many things will seem familiar: the cacophony of sounds, smells, and colors, for example. Also familiar is the need to take care with food and water.
But some things may be surprising, such as the increased security at big hotels. One goes through scanners much like our TSA scanners and all bags go through as well, every time one enters the hotel. Cars and trucks go through a security check as well. This was instituted in part because of the 1993 Mumbai (then Bombay) bombings. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_Bombay_bombings
Something that has changed, but perhaps not as much as one might hope, is the caste system. Despite 1950s legislation to eliminate the caste system and the inequality it engendered, 3000 years of a caste based world view is hard to shake off. Our tour leader, an otherwise nice guy, introduced himself as a Brahmin (the top level of the old system). That would be roughly equivalent to an American male proudly introducing himself as one of the one percent. However, there has been progress, thanks to quotas, some lower and middle caste individuals have succeeded in getting college degrees, although progress is still most difficult for the Dalits (once called the untouchables).
Furthermore, caste discrimination has impacted Indians who moved to Silicon valley to work in the tech industry. If an employee’s Indian boss discovered that an employee had been Dalit, discrimination was likely. Seattle legislated against caste discrimination.
I’ll admit that after the long flights, and busy days, we were grateful for the comfort of our luxurious hotel. My days as a backpacking traveler are sadly long gone.
Travels with Owen 