Pranams,
As far as I am aware of in my visits to India is that most Indians want to go and live in America or other countries. I do not think there is a dislike for their own country but life on many accounts is very tough for a large proportion of people, but being an Indian for almost every Indian I have met is usually one of great pride.
My first visit was in 1993 and was there more often than not until 1998, and again visited for 6 weeks 10 years ago and have recently come back, and within that short amount of time things have changed, in terms of being more modernized one could say there is improvement, although power cuts is just as usual as it ever was
The main thing that has changed is the thing that most westerners go there for and that is the Holy Places, which are fast becoming more like commercial tourist destinations. I remember living in Vrndavana and waking up early hours to chant Japa in the calm surroundings and being greeted by the ambiance of parrots flying around and peacocks in the background. Now that has been replaced by noisy cars and at weekends late wedding parties, ashrams are being replace by guest houses and sacred ground is being sold for real estate. And dont get me started about Puri, a place that I love is now ( apart from a few places ) is a complete eye sore of Hotels and non veg restaurants.
When I was in the Himalayas the common verdict is that the devastation that happened was a type of reaction for all the commercial businesses taking over, the disrespect of dumping litter and generally spiritual tourists having no real respect for what these places represent. Many saw it as a clean out. These are not my views and opinions its the opinions of the local people, many of who lost relatives and lively hood. After the devastation less people now go due to fear, and after the earthquakes in Nepal many who did dare to go cancelled their trip, and it was much more peaceful with less crowds and the atmosphere was much more sanctified.
South India is still preserved much better than many places in the North and if I ever thought to live in India it would be more south, although I fell totally in love with Vyas Ghat just south of Devprayag, it was possible the most serene but empowered area of India I have been to in while and a perfect place for study and practice and worship of Ganga Ma.
The culture, heritage and history of India is second to non, and one could spend thousands of lifetimes there and still learn new things all time. But to live there full time for westerners is a hard task, I always feel that compared to the west India is another planet, a totally different dimension to anything that exists in other countries, so there is a big culture shock that one has to deal with before understanding how Sanatana Dharma fits into everyday life. Ashrams also is not easy option all the time, many pure Advaita Ashrams do not like to host westerners, they have their good reasons and then you have many offshoots where you get versions and self installed gurus that add to the diversity and open spirit of India but one may not get the most genuine teachings. I was recently in Laxmanjhula and Rishikesha and I spoke to one couple I met who were overwhelmed to the point of confusion of where to go to practice yoga and learn parts of the culture as everywhere that was advertising yoga and the like was the most genuine and pure teaching, it's become a business there.
The best advice is to keep learning from the aspects of Sanatana Dharm that inspires you, if you lack association pray and seek the right association, it will come in time and from there wait till the time arises naturally to go to India, but go there with a plan and a purpose and under some form of guidance or you could get totally spun out.
Many westerners that I know that go there have a cute saying, happy to arrive in India and happy to leave, I think this should be the motto of most westerners as visits are better than living there and could provide much more productive in the long term spiritually. Unless however one has a natural inclination for being a Sadhu, which is not the romantic notion that it can appear from appearances. But saying all this I also know some westerners that live a very happy life, but on a percent level of all the ones that go there this would be 0.001%.
India is a great country, but the greatness lies within the culture and spirituality and that can be replicated where ever one is, this does not rely on any geographical location, but the Holy Dhams can certainly empower ones practice and realizations.
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