in Three and a half months eight different countries (most of them Islamic), I have found: India is different. Chaotic, loud, colorful, smelly, dirty, lively, diverse. It surprised me but how the country has confronted me in the first two weeks with a completely new experience, although not new to India, so really for me.
Beyond the border with Pakistan is the first geographically logical stop on the overland route, the holy city of the Sikhs, Amritsar. This religion, of which little is spoken with us, was the 15th Century by Guru Nanak founded, who wanted to combine the best elements from the two main religions of India, Hinduism and Islam. At the same time he objected to certain practices, such as the Hindu caste system and preached the equality of men and women. 
The famous Golden Temple of Sikhs in Amritsar is a magical place, especially in the morning and evening mood.
people of all beliefs and religions (including atheism) are in the temple complex and the inner sanctum welcome. The service to others is accepted on this site very seriously. As a foreigner, I could spend the night with other backpackers only for a donation in the dormitory. Moreover, the food in the huge communal kitchen of the temple is free and at all hours of unpaid volunteer (I served myself for two hours hundreds of people poured tea). 
If you want to know India, you must select the transport of people and go at least once with the Indian Railways. A few, I think, interesting facts about the Indian Railways, which I found on Wikipedia:
The Indian Railways are more than 1.6 million employees (this is almost Hamburg) one of the largest employers in the world. The rail network is 64,015 kilometers, the fourth largest in the world (which is more than one and a half times the circumference of the equator). The Indian Railways have 5 billion passengers per year (world population: 6.9 billion people). Accordingly, every Indian on average about four times per year train ride.
my first ride in an Indian train for three years, confirmed to me in physical form all these facts. As the train from Delhi to Mathura is announcing all of a sudden jump or previously lethargic on the platform squatting, sleeping and eating people and run after the train still rolling up. The inputs of the third class are already blocked before the train comes to a halt. For passengers on the train is not to think about exiting, they have to squeeze through the masses, the first attempt to invade the compartments and a of the few seats to get hold of. Some use the open windows (no glass) for entry and exit. The noise level is enormous, it is pushed, kicked, nagging and scolding. I never thought that I would miss the perceived by me else as bourgeois and petty-bourgeois German discipline and order that way. As a passenger, with the largest number of clear bags and backpacks (my luggage has felt doubled during this trip), I waive participation in this fight and take up the position of the amused observer.
with my third class ticket, I'm heading into the second class in which the situation a little more relaxed is. Here, too, to a seat not to think (which are designed for three people benches already occupied by seven people), but at least I can breathe between my bags in the reception area on the wind. In the Indian trains, the doors are open while driving. If you take good notes (the trains go faster than rare German Regionalbimmelbahnen), you can keep your head out of the train. At each station, mobile sales flow from the platform onto the train and shout with penetrating robotic voices either "cold drinks", "tea", "snacks" or to praise their toys, jewelry or newspapers. During the journey, usually provide any musical beggar with fiddles or drums for entertainment. Some of them are not bad and here I'll give you a ticket out of hand. The many other beggars, it is questionable to me what happened with the money eventually. Too many cases are there in India organized Mafiabettelei family and alcoholic fathers. After two and a half hours I'm in Mathura, the birthplace of the Hindu god Krishna, to. India is bursting at the seams and will replace in the foreseeable future as China's most populous country in the world. And yet - and that's the fascinating thing about this country: India works, it follows its own rules and breaks, despite the diversity of its languages, Cultures, religions, beliefs, political beliefs (and what a nice categories, there is still everything) does not deal in its many parts. The "world's largest democracy", which is a factually correct, but somewhat hollow book to hide behind so many aspects and contradictions (in my time in India I'll probably be able to write books about it).
Dealing with these issues and contradictions I find very exciting, both practical (it is sufficient to face in a medium-sized Indian city on a cross) and theoretically. Mathura and Vrindavan
, birth and childhood home of Krishna are holy Cities for the Hindus. But at the same Mathura has a large Muslim community, next to the birth of Krishna temple is a large mosque of the Mughal period. India has 140 million Muslims - more than any country in the Middle East. After Indonesia and Pakistan, India is third among the states with the largest Muslim population.
Especially me covered but in Mathura and Vrindavan, the dirt and the many animals. All of the following cliché, it is mainly cows, but also pigs and dogs, the feel on top in the marshy waste dumps by the roadside. 
I also bring a half hour so that, at a watching the monkeys at the temple hill mutual delousing. I have almost forgotten what a great offer for acting wild monkeys! last few days I was in Bhopal, famous for the terrible gas disaster of 1984, which has thousands of people directly and in the years after that cost the life. The Internet is sufficient information about the various consequences of the worst industrial Disasters of all time. The factory is still standing and still is the water and the soil in the immediate vicinity of the site contaminated.
The slum nestle directly to the walls of the former industrial complex, murals show there: "25 years of struggle (at) justice and dignity "and" 25 years of treason ". It can turn around one of the stomach at the thought that the responsibility of chief executive, who then chaired the U.S. firm Union Carbide, now spends a carefree retired life in the States. India's call for the extradition of Anderson, the U.S. is not fulfilled.
I can not enter the factory and are informed by reading a newspaper Guardian in the plastic chair to the required special permit. Later, my host rightly warns me before are still significant health risk.
Rumreisen The first has its end. Tomorrow I'll arrive in Varanasi and me to settle there. Even under the stars, exactly where I am and how my tasks are in the shape of terre des hommes-supported projects in the region. On verra ... My next entry I will probably write a fresh volunteers.
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