South Asian country in which eternal summer reigns. A country of great sun, exoticism, India has always been and remains a country of contrasts, where terrifying poverty is bordered by luxury that is amazing to any imagination. Glittering clothes woven from gold threads, sparkling with bright lights, placers of precious and semiprecious stones, heavy earrings and beads, entangling the necks of wealthy Indian women in dense rows. And all this is very close to the stunning poverty of the Indian quarters, which plunges every European into a cultural shock ...
A country where many go in search of meanings and in order to know themselves. The Russians in India are by no means an exception to this rule that has been established for years and centuries. From this article you can learn about how to best arrange your life in this mysterious country.
Russian diaspora in India
According to official statistics, there are very few of our compatriots in India. But according to unofficial data, the number of Russians in India is more than two million people. In general, immigrants from Russia prefer to live in large Indian cities, in particular in Delhi. But it's not always the case. The favorite place of both Russian-speaking immigrants and just tourists are the resorts of the Indian state of Goa. The Russian diaspora in India is represented mainly by entrepreneurs who decided to connect their business with this country, or women who came to India to create a family, or students and tourists. We will talk about the features of Russian employment in this country a little later.
Higher Education Benefits
It should be noted that the level of education in Indian universities is in many respects not inferior in quality to the famous educational institutions of America and China. At the same time, most of the country's indigenous population remains poorly educated. Studying at Indian universities is of great value to foreigners, as it opens the way for obtaining a residence permit, and in the future, obtaining a permanent residence in the country, which in itself is not at all simple.
So, if you decide to truly gain a foothold in the country, the best way would be to create a joint family with local citizens, or to enter one of the Indian universities. In total, there are more than five hundred educational institutions in India; some of them are widely known. Education in Indian universities is based on the key principles of the British educational system. Immigrants from Russia, among other things, have the opportunity to also receive free education under a special program developed in India to attract foreign specialists.
Employment
Given the large population and low standard of living, finding work in India is not easy, not only for foreigners. Almost the only way of official employment is provided to immigrants by foreign companies operating in the country. Work in India is generally concentrated in large cities such as Delhi, Mumbai or Bangalore. The most important condition for finding a job is a good knowledge of English and preferably Hindi. In general, as a country with a rapidly developing economy, India is very interested in attracting professionals in various fields, especially in the field of IT technologies. The standard of living of Russians in India is directly related to the demand for their profession, and this circumstance must be taken into account if you want to connect your life with a southern country.
From the history of Russian-Indian relations
It is known that Russia and India have long been linked by friendly and partnerships. The trade routes connecting the southern country with Russia and Europe have long been developing. Russian merchants and travelers in India were engaged in the development of new lands, establishing trade relations, studying local life and cultural traditions. At the turn of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the active development of Indian lands by Russian travelers began. This was primarily due to the development of great interest in Indian culture, philosophy and religion, which swept across Europe.
Continuous interest in great Indian culture
Many researchers, despite all the hardships and hardships they had to endure, remained in India for many years, some forever. The philosophical and religious treatises of the Indian sages were translated from Sanskrit. Returning each time from a hot country, every traveler brought with him a piece of ancient Indian culture. And today, especially in recent years, there has been a surge in the interest of Russian people in the culture and spiritual component of the life of the country. Friendly relations based on mutual interest are maintained between Russia and India. Indian goods exhibited at numerous fairs are in great demand. Russian tourists in India actively participate in Ayurvedic programs and tours, go to remote corners of the world for yoga retreats.
The search for the spiritual path
At all times, seekers of the spiritual path from all over the world went to India. What so invariably attracts Russian people to this ancient country? What is the secret of her attraction? Perhaps it does not lie in the usual visit to palaces and temples - the usual component of tourist routes. In order to understand the attractiveness of India, you probably need to be there, on the ocean, where, listening to the noise of the incoming waves, immerse yourself in a long contemplation, abandon the bustle of the big world and feel the unknown vibrations of this exotic country. Or, traveling through ancient temples, join the rich spiritual heritage. One way or another, when visiting India, new horizons open up, life is filled with new deep meanings.
House-Museum of N. K. Roerich
The presence of Russian people in India has always been an organic part of local life. One of the first known immigrants were, of course, the members of the family of N.K. Roerich who settled here in the late twenties of the last century. India has long attracted the artist, and, having lived here for almost a quarter of a century, it was here that he was fully realized as a great master, it was here that his canvases gained all the depth and brilliance of colors, their own unique style and originality.
In the small Indian town of Nagar in the Tibetan Kullu Valley, there is a place that invariably attracts hundreds of tourists from every corner of the globe year after year. On the slope of a high mountain, surrounded by rich tropical vegetation, is the House Museum of N. K. Roerich and his family. From the site of the cozy balcony of a two-story house built at the end of the 19th century, a magnificent view of the whole valley and the sparkling snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas opens. This is the place where the artist lived the most creatively saturated part of his life and where he spent his last hours.
The museum is a whole complex consisting of workshops, exhibition halls, memorials of family members. A separate place belongs to the Urusvati Institute of Himalayan Studies, created by the wife of Nikolai Roerich - Elena.
Exotic Goa
Russians in India seek to visit one of the most beautiful places in the world - southern Goa. Wealthy tourists from Russia and other countries prefer a vacation in this Indian state to many other sea resorts. Exotic nature, beautiful snow-white beaches, peace and solitude - all this distinguishes Goa from other Indian states. In addition to sea vacations, tourists can go on exciting trips to beautiful waterfalls, visit nature reserves, medieval buildings of the Portuguese colonization era, visit plantations where world-famous spices are grown.