Mistry 1

Jai Mistry
Mrs. Leaver
AP Human 1
15 March 2016
Unit 1
Vast amounts of geographic information and social behaviors can be found in
field experiences. Traveling to regions of foreign cultures can develop ones
understanding of cultures unique to their own. Tourism exists as a route to understand and
appreciate different cultures for those interested in doing so. Field experiences are best
for gathering geographic information and furthering an understanding of the worlds
diversity as it puts you into straight contact with aspects of diversity.
Last winter break, my family and I traveled to India. During our short two-week
stay, we visited the Taj Mahal for a day. We flew to Delhi, but we hired a driver to take us
to Agra, the city where the Taj Mahal is. Our driver spoke Hindi with a few words of
English mixed into his speech, which is a direct result of globalization of Western culture
and demands integrating into Indian society. The heavy presence of tourism caused our
driver to speak English, language most foreign visitors spoke. During the duration of the
ride from Delhi to Agra, we passed the Indian parliament building. Built and designed by
British people during colonial India, the parliament building still stands and is used by
the Indian government for joint meetings. The western presence in India is quite
substantial, and even though many Indian nationalists attribute failures to British rule,
British/Western culture is a key component of India and is highly valued. Unlike previous

Mistry 2
invaders, British people did not assimilate into the Indian culture, instead modifying it
and changing it as a whole.
Once my family and I reached to the Taj Mahal, the beauty of the Taj Mahal
struck me. Built by a love-stricken Mughal ruler during Mughal rule, the brilliant work of
architecture stands today and is a major tourist attraction of the world. While walking
through the structure, the amazing detail and proportional size of several parts captivated
us. By taking time to visit the Taj Mahal, I understood the culture of India better. I used to
believe India was obsessed with the West and had almost no self-respect for its own
culture (This is what I got from Bollywood), but the extreme prioritization of a historic
piece of Indian architecture changed my opinion. Everyone who entered the Taj was
required to put shoe covers on the bottom of their shoes to maintain cleanliness. Also, the
fact that many people native to India were visiting the Taj supports my claim that Indians
still prioritize their own culture. Even with the introduction of so many new intrusive
Western ideas, preservation of classic Indian values remained.
While the West heavily influences India, Indians still pride their original culture.
Visiting the Taj Mahal ultimately taught me about the Western influence in India, from
parliament buildings to language, but also about the admiration of original culture, from
the Taj Mahal. If I had not visited the Taj, or India, I would have a poor understanding on
the modern culture of India. The straight contact of an Indian environment, from which I
learned a lot from, helped me understand the worlds diversity by revealing how the
cultures of the past and present can coexist without diminishing the significance of one.