Gypsies Are From India

Historians generally argue that Gypsies originate on the Indian subcontinent. It appears that Northwest India is indubitably the universal Gypsy homeland. While there are dozens of verifiably legitimate Gypsy groups around the world who speak Romani or other Gypsy languages and continue to live the Gypsy dream, there is no type of united Gypsy consciousness about their origins. While there are currently more Gypsies in India than in any other country, it is not frequently acknowledged that all of these authentic Gypsy groups actually descend from the same original Gypsy stock that lived around what is now Rajasthan, Punjab, and northern Pakistan sometime around a millennium ago. Yet, recent genetic evidence showing the prevalence of yDNA haplogroup M among Gypsies confirms their common origins in South Asia.

Number of Gypsies in the Diaspora

Overall, it is thought that there are around 12-15 million Gypsies in the world. It is believed that Indian has the largest number of Roma people, with around 2.2 million. Romania and Turkey have rather sizable Gypsy populations, both somewhere around 1.5 million, although these figures are estimates. The numbers are basically all guesses, since many Gypsies do not self-identify as such for fear of persecution by authorities. Official stats on Gypsy populations are generally not reliable. The U.S. apparently has about 1 million Gypsies, with Spain, Egypt, and Brazil both at around 750,000. While most people believe that Gypsies are limited to the Euro-sphere, Gypsies can be found in Palestine, Iran, Iraq, and even Kazakhstan. Gypsies have many different regional categories, the most numerous being Kalderash, Sinti, Gitano, Romnichal, and Romani. In much of the Middle East, they are known as Domari. They are known as Nawar and Ghajar in Arabic, Tzo'ani in Hebrew, and in India - Banjara, Wanjara, Lambadi, Lambani - as well as many other names.

Reasons for Departure from India

There are several hypotheses for why the Roma people left South Asia around a thousand years ago, traveling through Iran to the Middle East, and then the Mediterranean Basin and the Balkans. One theory posits that they were commissioned to fight against invading Muslim armies and never returned to their homeland. Another theory holds that they were low-caste Hindu musicians hired by royal courts. Yet others posit that they were taken captive and transported westward. Perhaps it is most likely the the ancestors of today's Roma people departed for many of these reasons - at different times. Ian Hancock, today's premier scholar in the nascent field of Romani Studies, suggests that the Dom may have even left India about four centuries prior to the Roma. It seems most likely that the westward migrations occurred with a few different groups who spoke similar Indo-Aryan dialects and who ultimately mixed ethnically, religiously, and culturally to a limited degree with other local populations but who preserved many basic elements of the Roma nation.

Occupations & Hustles

Most European Roma groups are known for particular skills, such as bear-training, fortune-telling, coppersmithery, music, and a few more unsavory roles. Perhaps Gypsy music has been the most permanent influence of Gypsy culture on other non-Roma societies. Flamenco owes most of its magic to Gitano traditions. Liszt and Brahms incorporated Gypsy themes into their compositions. Django Reinhardt left a lasting mark on the world of jazz. Today's most notable Gypsy musicians include Goran Bregovic (Serbia), Boban Markovic (Serbia), Fanfare Ciocarlia (Romania), Taraf de Haidouks (Romania), and Beirut (non-Gypsy Americans who play Gypsy music). The Gypsy brass band plays on, without a motherland to call home...

Europe's Other Other & Antiziganism

In most European societies, Gypsies seem to be considered still the most socially and economically backward group, and they fall prey to labor discrimination, residential segregation (both urban Gypsy ghettos and rural Gypsy camps), and general miseducation. Porajmos is the Romani term used to describe the Holocaust, during which about a quarter of a million Gypsies were killed. Europe generally has not been the most tolerant place for Gypsies, one of Europe's largest ethnic minority groups. Borat's choice of a Romani village in Romania to simulate his mythical nation of Kazakhstan is reflective of the plight of many predominantly Roma towns in Europe. While there is some humor in their marginalization and ignorance, there is not much development going on in the Gypsy populations of Europe. Perhaps this is indicative of a reluctance to join the mainstream and could thus be considered a positive thing. While certain pursuits bring the Gypsies considerable infamy the world around, there is undeniable charm in their nomadic, mystical, and largely unWestern existence. Perhaps we should be thankful that the Gypsy diaspora has generally not assimilated into surrounding cultures.

Rajasthani Repatriation

There are a host of reasons why the establishment of a Gypsy nation in the Roma homeland would be a just, desirable, and fruitful event. First, the most numerous Gypsy population on earth today is already in India. The Banjara/Lambani people are spread throughout Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and other states. They were previously known to provide crucial trade links via their caravans in northern India, prior to the arrival of the British. They retain many cultural similarities with groups still living in the Rajasthani homeland from where they originally migrated. The creation of the sovereign state of Romanistan and the reclamation of their ancestral Hinduism would be an unlikely historical outcome, but it is something worth imagining.

Holy Bombs & Heffers

Just a few short days ago, some fellows associated with a terror org called Indian Mujahedeen struck 8 different locales in the city of Jaipur, located in the northwestern state of Rajasthan. This so-called Pink City was the unfortunate victim of an ongoing and rather obscure campaign to create a more religiously polarized subcontinent. Dozens of people, representing at least three faiths, died in the blasts. These pictures are a tribute to the Jaipur that I visited, months before these attacks transpired.
To what end? What nihilistic purpose did these cycle bombs serve? Whose ego was stroked by these acts of destruction and rage? Whose mental flames were stoked by carnage and grief and ire? Responsibility is diffused. Law enforcement cannot quite grapple with the consequences and the necessary preventative measures. And another tier-two Indian city will fall prey to the same story in just a few months.
Holi in Rajasthan is a holiday for all. Or at least almost all. Color squirting galore renders the place a veritable bath of orgiastic hues, distributed alternatively by sadistic, egalitarian, and fraternal means. The act of dousing a stranger in sharp tones is cathartic to the max. Holidays that involve any means of connection with absolute strangers in a visceral, sincere, and vibrant experience are the best. Every day is a Holi day!
These Jaipur bombers must have missed out on Holi. Or, maybe they have had too many bad Holi experiences. Perhaps, as many allege, they are from elsewhere and never had the good fortune to engage in the glorious Rajasthani Holi festivities. Nihilism need not be channeled into creating combustible devices that wreak havoc on body parts and other contiguous matter. Use Holi for moderately outrageous but ultimately harmless color wars, stop the senseless terrorizing, and Jai Jaipur!

Travel Tips for Voyages to India

This entry is excerpted from an email I crafted to my auspicious first visitors from my motherland to my new home in Mumbai. Perhaps it's some useful advice for anyone visiting.

So as you get ready for your first trip to India, your first trip to Asia, and your first trip to the real 3rd world, here are a few ideas and suggestions! As for poverty, hustle/bustle, and street chaos, though I can't speak for the places that I've not yet visited, I can elaborate on the nature of Mumbai and on my general impressions of travel within India.

Loads of People!

This country is teeming with bodies. You may very well be taken aback by the sheer number of human beings walking, talking, and sharing the same public spaces as you. Along with this volume of people, it is crucial to appreciate the way Indian society is organized and how the people must act in order to get along day in, day out. If 1.1 billion Americans were pushed into a country 1/3 the size of the U.S., they wouldn't last more than a few days. Indians are not only surviving, but they thrive in many ways. The vibrancy of the masses is something worth trying to comprehend, even though there is the latent fear of being caught up in the chaos of the crowds from time to time. While there are unfortunate mob incidents infrequently, Indian mobs are also often known for chasing down criminals and enforcing positive street justice. But, generally, learn to love the smells and the noises, the salwar-kameez and the turbans. Some of the ethnic garb, especially in Rajasthan, is bound to be absolutely enthralling. If the masses are difficult to appreciate, it is at least possible to be captivated by their colorful vestments and dynamic interations...Regardless, you will surely appreciate the private space of your lodgings even more upon emerging from the public domain in which you are swimming in a sea of sarees.

Simple Gestures Mean Much

With this juxtaposition of calm private space in which we are privileged to enjoy the luxury of many square meters exclusively cordoned off for our own activities and relaxation comes the issue of perspective. We have, and most Indians have not. There are small things that you can do here and there that will mean a lot to the strangers you meet. You cannot save India from its grueling poverty. You cannot uplift hundreds of millions. But, you can strive to make individual connections, if you are so inclined, by picking a few small items to bring that would make someone's day. Also, Indian people can often be so appreciative of a seemingly unimportant smile, wave, or nod, but these reactions to your presence will in turn evoke your warmest sentiments, allowing you to appreciate how they've made you feel welcome. Sometimes, it's not even worth contemplating the big picture or the scope of negative issues which you witness. Put yourself in perspective, and then try not to dwell too excessively on the negatives. People will appreciate you when you reach out and merely say your name or country of origin. These simple declarations will almost always evoke tens of grins, head wiggles, inquisitive gazes...
People are Puzzles

Since I am inclined to study people, I am rather acutely aware of how people go about their business in the context of their personal lives and in broader social, economic, and political networks. From a social science perspective, this country is unbelievably complex. Caste, ethnicity, language, and politics are vast categories that cannot be fully understood so quickly. Yet, there are so many fascinating aspects of how occupational groups function, how culture and caste intertwine, who speaks which language in which situations, and how you feel you could become a part of the society that you are observing. Think a little bit beforehand about which of these things you are interested in exploring so that you have some idea of what you want to come away with in terms of knowledge. You'll pick up a few phrases in Hinglish! You'll also learn a few bizarre caste details that will baffle you! You'll also be amazed by the way that it all comes together...

Spiritual Phenomena Deciphered

We have all had quite in-depth conversations about spirituality, but you will undoubtedly have ample time to explore this domain during your time on the subcontinent. You may be awed by the sense of serenity that pervades in Hindu temples and Sufi shrines. There is a good chance that you will feel soothed by the visuals, sandalwood scents, and ritual activities of these sites. You will come across so many gods and goddesses that you might fill up your Blackberry's memory with all the deity nomenclature. However, these are all just earthly representations of forces, visions, dimensions. The human form and the images of the deities overlap a great deal here. Indian society has the ability to deify virtually any person who has spiritual sway for a given group. Certain of these deities might win over your allegiances, but most importantly, you will find some peace in the atmosphere of concentration and devotion that exists in most spiritual space here. Spirituality is also to be grasped in nature, since natural space away from commotion is often hard to come by. Nature can be found just beside a stunning monument to some dead maharaja or far off in some woods where sadhus and sanyasins wander. Yet, the monumentality of human creation can create a spiritual feeling indeed, and we will likely be struck by the grandeur of many of the historical sites.

Fun and Relaxation are Key Elements

At the end of the day, you will be traveling as tourists for the purpose of enjoying some quality leisure time. It is very worthwhile to leave plenty of room for laughing and singing, bonding and frolicking. You will have lots to do and too much to see, but just remember that you should leave some time for simple enjoyment, whether in the context of an interaction with a rickshaw driver or while watching Hindi soaps in the hotel room. Dining, strolling, and viewing are part of your learning experience, but they also should be an opportunity to absorb yourselves in a whole different place and forget about being productive or busy or meaningful. Fun in India definitely does involve some planning and organization, but that being said, we've got lots of room for entertaining ourselves!




Travel Health is Integral

You will be most at ease if you calmly think about how much time you want to spend in transit, what foods you are comfortable eating, and when to sit back and relax after a tiring adventure. The food is to be enjoyed hedonistically, and we will probably be eating most of our meals in clean establishments that are recommended by other folks who've traveled in India. You might have some digestive issues, but it is all about being comfortable with the eating experience. Just be mindful of what is clean and what is not. In terms of travel distances, it is crucial to rest during in between times so that these inter-city voyages don't tire excessively. We can't see everything in the several weeks that you're here, and so we have to fit a reasonable amount into each of the days. It's great to be ambitious about the number of sites you have on your list, but we should always be mindful that stuff in India can take a long time. Lines, bureaucracies, decisions, negotiations...All of these things can be taxing to the Nth degree when involving local, parochial, outdated procedures. But, remaining mentally unbothered by these obstacles is key.

Stuff to Buy

It will be more than plentiful. It will be ubiquitous. You will find so much to purchase that you won't know which consumption bug hit you. Take it slow on the buying, since we will have time to pick up the goodies. Get a sense for how much an Indian would pay for something - and how much it is truly worth to you - and then go into the bargaining process prepared to come away only with the result that you desire. We will surely happen upon saffron treasure after sapphire nugget after elephant sculpture. Go all out if you know how much you will be content to spend. There will be tchotchkes of all sorts to bring back, and so get excited about this ethnic shoppers' paradise.

Photographer's Shangri-La

This is one of the most practical ways of capturing the memories that we will want to bring home. You will be able to take away a lot of visual evidence of your voyage, and the vast majority of your photo subjects will appreciate your desire to photograph them. Just be mindful that this technology does not rule over your other senses to the extent that you experience things predominantly through your camera. But, the photos will be supreme. You will indeed snap some of the best shots you've ever laid eyes upon.

Bon voyage et a bientot!

In sum, this expedition to the Hindustani heartland will be extraordinary. I'm enthralled to be embarking with you on a trip to the real Hindi belt, and Rajasthan & Varanasi in particular will be incredible to experience for me. I've just listed a few (hopefully not too many) things above that recently came to mind, and I hope they are useful for readying yourselves for a profound trip.