A Dutch national has caught social media's attention after sharing how her recent India trip changed her, especially during a visit to the holy city of Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. In a heartfelt Instagram video, the user named Isha Branderhorst, a storyteller and filmmaker by profession, revealed that she had never experienced a true sense of belonging anywhere else in the world before arriving in India.
Known for its yoga centres, peaceful ghats and the flowing Ganga, Rishikesh attracts travellers from across India and abroad, seeking calm and meaning.
"I have never felt a sense of belonging until I walked on the bridge in Rishikesh, and it just hit me. I started to cry," said Branderhorst
"Just for the information, I wasn't able to cry for such a long time because I was just carrying such a harsh layer around me, and I tried to protect myself so much."
Branderhorst said that as she walked, tears began to flow. For maybe, the first time in her life, she had found a place where she truly felt a sense of belonging.
"And that time, I was just walking, and I cried, like tears were coming out of me. And I felt like for the very first time, I actually belong somewhere," she added.
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'You Found What You Were Looking For'
As the post gained traction, social media users highlighted that the energy of Rishikesh was different and she managed to find what she had been looking for.
"Rishikesh has very different and strong vibes and atmosphere. It happens with me every time I visit there," said one user, while another added: "It was your sentimental attachment to that soil. You found what you were looking for. God bless."
A third commented: "Every city in India has an air of a deity; for example, Rishikesh is Mahadev's while Vrindavana is Krishna's. If you are close to the parmatmatattva (the God code within you) - you will feel that subconsciously, and yes, this is very, very real. I too cry my eyes out, even at the thought of holy sites."
A fourth said: "What India does is destroy the very identity you carry, leaving you disconnected from the image you have of who you are. And that image itself becomes a burden. You have to protect it, justify it, constantly nourish it. You spend so much of your time maintaining an image of yourself that you forget to actually live."
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