An Australian traveller exploring India says one thing has surprised him more than anything else: just how different one part of the country can feel from another.From riding camels across the deserts of Rajasthan to exploring the Himalayas and learning to paraglide in Himachal Pradesh, Lewis Pullman has been sharing snippets of his travels online. And according to him, the image of India often seen in the West doesn’t come close to capturing that variety.
‘You all are sleeping on India’
Pullman recently shared an Instagram video talking about what he has experienced while travelling through the country.“Guys, I’m telling you, you all are sleeping on India,” he said.He argued that India is often viewed in the West as one broad, single place, despite the huge differences between its regions.“I’m currently in the Himalayas, mate. Just down here is where the Dalai Lama himself resides,” he said, before recalling that he had been riding camels through Rajasthan’s desert just over a month earlier.“And if I go like 10 hours that way, you reach Kashmir, some of the best skiing in the world,” he added.
From camel rides to paragliding
His travels have taken him through some very different parts of the country.Pullman said he had also spent the previous two and a half weeks learning to paraglide in Himachal Pradesh. He compared the cost with what he believes the same experience would have cost him in Australia.“A couple of hours that way, I’ve been learning to paraglide for the last two and a half weeks, which would have cost me at least five times the amount had I’ve done it in Australia,” he said.And he isn’t stopping there.He said he planned to travel to India’s eastern states in the coming weeks, admitting that he didn’t yet know exactly what to expect there but had heard that the region was culturally diverse.
‘Each state in India is like its own entity’
For Pullman, the biggest surprise has been the contrast between the states he has already visited.“Honestly, each state in India is like its own entity,” he said.He compared Punjab with Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, saying each offered a completely different experience.“Punjab was completely different to Rajasthan; Himachal Pradesh, where I am now, obviously completely different to Punjab,” he said.He ended his video by encouraging other people to experience the country for themselves.“Come here yourself. You won’t be disappointed,” he said.The video was shared with the caption: “India – the most diverse country in the world?”
Internet reacts
The video struck a chord with several viewers, particularly Indians who agreed with his observations about the differences across the country.“India’s diversity is truly unmatched,” one person commented.“The diversity here is incredible,” another wrote.Someone else summed up the sentiment by saying, “Every state feels like a different world.”Another commenter added, “This is what makes India so special.”Pullman’s video has since added to a familiar online conversation about India’s sheer geographical and cultural variety, this time through the eyes of an Australian traveller experiencing it firsthand.
