What were the highlights of my second trip to India?

 

The highlights of my recent trip to south-west India included visiting waterfalls and historical sites, seeing elephants and tigers in the wild, and enjoying some cultural experiences as well Indian food.

The waterfalls, elephants and history were included on my list when I discussed the possibility of a trip to southern India with Ms Bharathi of Tour Seed over a year ago. I knew before the trip that some lucky tourists also see tigers in the wild but I wasn’t overly optimistic about that. I knew I would enjoy the food but I didn’t expect the cultural experiences to be as enjoyable as they were.

My first trip to India occurred in 2022 and was confined to the north of the country. I wrote about it here. I enjoyed my first trip to India so much that I wanted to see more.

My recent trip began in Bangaluru. From there I went to Mysore, Kabini, Ooty, Athirappilly, Thekkady, Alleppey, and Kochi. The places I visited are shown as red dots on the map.

 

Since this post is about highlights, I will focus on a small selection of experiences.

The first highlight I have chosen is the palace of Mysore. It was the royal residence of the Wadiya family, maharajas, who ruled the Kingdom of Mysore from the late 1300s until 1950. The Kingdom of Mysore covered a large slab of southern India.

The Mysore palace is not particularly old. It was completed in 1912, replacing a wooden palace that had burnt down.

It is easy to see why the palace is a major tourist attraction. It is both opulent and beautiful.

The second highlight is the Kabini wildlife sanctuary, where I saw tigers, elephants, spotted deer and other animals.

 

Athirappilly falls is the third highlight. The person in the photo is my driver, Raju Gowda, who accompanied me to the base of the waterfall. Raju showed great skill in driving under fairly challenging conditions - on narrow winding roads in hilly country as well as in city traffic.

 

The fourth highlight was my visit to Thekkady. I enjoyed being shown spice gardens, and a trekking and rafting experience but the display of martial arts and gymnastics at the Kadathanadan Kalari Centre was an unexpected pleasure.

 

I have chosen a food experience as the fifth highlight. This is a meal I was served on a houseboat at Alleppey. I cannot claim to have eaten it all, but I was able to eat much more than I had anticipated when the meal was served to me.

Finally, there is my visit to Kochi. I enjoyed being shown the historical sites of Fort Kochi, including tourist attractions celebrating Vasco da Gama’s voyage of discovery. However, I have chosen the cannon ball tree, with flowers growing out of its trunk, as one of the highlights of my visit. I also enjoyed the Kathakali performance of the Mahabharata story. A handout in English explaining the story line helped me to understand what was happening.

 

Perhaps I should add a final word about the way my trip was organized. When I tell people that the trip was tailored to my specifications, that I had a driver, and stayed in excellent hotels, I sometimes also feel that I need to explain that it was not particularly expensive. In saying that, I am making a comparison with the cost of staying in similar hotels in group tours, or self-drive holidays, in countries such as Britain or Canada, rather than with the cost of backpacking. At this stage of my life, I feel inclined to leave backpacking to people who are younger than I am.

How important is resilience to individual flourishing?

 

Everyone knows that resilience is important in coping with misfortune. However, it may be more important than I had thought.

My attention was grabbed recently by a newspaper article discussing a study suggesting that people with higher levels of resilience may live up to 10 years longer. The study was discussed in an article (possibly gated) by Lucy Dean in the Australian Financial Review (8 Sept, 2024) which also draws on an interview with Justine Gatt, director of the Centre for Wellbeing, Resilience and Recovery at UNSW and Neuroscience Research Australia.

The Longevity Study

The findings of the study by Aijie Zhang et al were published in an article entitled ‘Association between psychological resilience and all-cause mortality in the Health and Retirement Study’, in BMJ Mental Health (2024;27:e301064).

The study was based on the experience of 10,569 U.S. adults aged ≥50 (mean chronological age  67 years ) in the Health and Retirement Study (2006–2008). Mortality outcomes were determined using records up to May 2021.  During that period, 3,489 all-cause deaths were recorded.

The questionnaire used to measure resilience covered qualities such as perseverance, calmness, a sense of purpose, self-reliance and the recognition that certain experiences must be faced alone.

After adjusting for potential confounding factors, the researchers observed a decrease in the risk of death by 38% in the quartile with higher psychological resilience scores, compared with the group with the lowest scores.

The authors note that their findings are consistent with studies that have shown a significant positive correlation between life goals and self-rated health, with life goals moderating the relationship between self-rated health and mortality. Maintaining a positive self-perception of ageing has a positive effect on functional health, and optimism independently protects against all-cause mortality. Other studies demonstrate that individuals with poor social relationships have an increased risk of death.

The Compass Wellbeing Scale

Justine Gatt leads a project which aims to identify the underlying markers of wellbeing and to improve understanding of the underlying mechanisms that contribute towards resilience to stress and adversity.

In this project, mental wellbeing is measured using the 26-item COMPAS‑W Wellbeing Scale which provides a ​“composite” measure of wellbeing; that is, a measure of both subjective (hedonia) and psychological wellbeing.

The COMPAS‑W scale encompasses measures of composure, own-worth, mastery, positivity, achievement and satisfaction. The existence of a relationship between the Compass scale and resilience is based on the view that factors associated with resilience, include:

• The capacity to make realistic plans and take steps to carry them out
• A positive view of yourself and confidence in your strengths and abilities
• Skills in communication and problem solving
• The capacity to manage strong feelings and impulses
• A feeling that you are a master of your environment and in control
• A general positive outlook on your life and satisfaction with everything you have achieved

Justine Gatt argues these are skills that people can learn and develop for themselves. 

The research on resilience is ongoing, but the qualities encompassed in the Compass scale are obviously worth fostering.