Soulful sojourn

Gurnaaz Kaur

On a three-and-a-half month trip to India that started in December last year, this couple from Sweden marched to Chandigarh in the first week of January. Their agenda is simple; explore the northern side of the country and their travel guide is Lonely Planet India.  “This is a self-planned vacation. We have no to-do list or must-visits list. All we want is a glimpse of the lifestyle, culture and traditions here and Lonely Planet book is all we have as help. We got a good look at some of the heritage sites of this country since we travelled across Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Pushkar, Bikaner and Ajmer,” shares Per Lindqvist, a retired psychiatric nurse. 

He calls himself a part-time painter since he has lately delved into the art and has put up some exhibitions of his work back home. A lot of spots during this trip have intrigued him and he has managed to capture them on his canvas. “I’ve drawn and painted some landscapes in this trip so far. The maharajas have left a lot of heritage. Udaipur seemed like a scene from a fairytale.  I plan to dedicate an exhibition to this visit to India,” he tells.

Before reaching Chandigarh, the couple went to Amritsar and the Golden Temple has surely left them in awe. “It is so beautiful and peaceful. People were so broad-minded. Spirituality aside, there’s something so philosophical about that place,” says Pilar Lasasempere, a retired general nurse.

They have travelled more than 60 countries and the last time they visited India was 20 years back. They loved all the tourist spots in the city and there’s something about Chandigarh that they haven’t found anywhere in all their travel experiences. “We haven’t seen so many trees anywhere in the world. It is spectacular. Such big, huge trees everywhere in the city, it feels unreal. Other counties are chopping trees for paper and furniture and other things, but Chandigarh is keeping the environment safe and healthy. Other places should learn this from your city,” they conclude.