I was in various parts of India in 1997. I found it the most challenging of the 25 countries I have visited. That was 15 years ago, mind you, but still I doubt the rural areas and slums have changed much. When people are starving, or worse yet their children are starving, they do desperate things. Many people were kind to us, but others treated us as less than human. It is the single country I know of, that I recommend visitors go on a tour or at least hire a well-recommended guide (I was traveling independently).
I'm a huge advocate of traveling the world, because I believe we are all one people and the more people that understand this, the better.
But I wonder if I were, say, Catholic (I'm not) and I was in St. Peter's in Rome seeing the Pope, and I'd spent my life savings for the once in a lifetime glorious experience, and a bunch of obviously foreign non-Catholic people were there, watching and pointing, how I would like it? This is a religious ceremony.
Obviously I would defer my advice to anyone who is from India or has spent more time there recently.
Just my 2 cents.
