“This is indeed India, the land of dreams and romance, of fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty, of splendor and rags, of palaces and hovels, of tigers and elephants, the cobra and the jungle, the country of a hundred tongues, of many religions and many gods, cradle of the human race, birthplace of human speech, mother of history, grandmother of legend, great-grandmother of tradition, whose yesterdays bear date with the moldering antiquities of the rest of the nations — the one sole country under the sun that is endowed with an imperishable interest for the inner self consciousness, for lettered and ignorant, wise and fool, rich and poor, the one land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of all the rest of the globe combined. Even now, after the lapse of a year, the delirium of those days in Bombay has not left me, and I hope never will.”
Mark Twain, from Following the Equator (1897), Ch. XXXVIII
Thanks to my friend and follow blogger Dhruv Sachdev for sharing this quote.
Mark Twain surely could get to the heart of the matter. Wish I had written that description, but am thankful I have shared in his experiences!
Namaste. . . .. T I I . . . . .Anne
TalesAlongTheWay 
Pingback: Mark Twain’s India | Home Far Away From Home
Thanks for the reblog. This is a powerful story that needs to be told and remembered. Namaste. . .. .Anne
LikeLike
hope the delirium never leaves you too, Anne!
LikeLike
What a lovely comment! No way, Jose!
That delirium is in my heart forever. Well, I think delirium is in the brain,but you know what I mean!
LikeLike
How lovely this is. Anne, it’s a delight to read your blog. It just ends up making one smile, feel happy as an Indian and then think, think and think! Where you vanished, my dear friend?
LikeLike
I am away from home for the weekend for my son’s birthday. I will post later in the day. Bless you for this lovely comment! Nameste
LikeLike
Wonderful Mark Twain quote Annet ( I was just listening Ravi Shankar ) & oh I love the India’s ” delirium”!
LikeLike
I loved it, too! Namaste. . .Anne
LikeLike