From Psychedelic Traveller

India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: भारत गणराज्य), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal on the east, India has a coastline of 7,517 kilometers (4,671 mi). It is bordered by Pakistan to the west; People's Republic of China (PRC), Nepal, and Bhutan to the north; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Indonesia in the Indian Ocean.

History

The trance virus that was initiated by hippie tourists during the early 1970’s did not take long to infect the Indian subcontinent. International acts at nature parties became a common form of musical fete, which resulted in exultant sensations across the country. The scenario ameliorated until 2006 – the year that witnessed the colossal failure of the first Indian Psychedelic Trance festival (Moondust), and the subsequent year 150 ravers were imprisoned on the auspicious “festival of colors” party in Pune. However, there exists a flip side to this particularly psychedelic coin, with the India section on the renowned Isratrance forum resurrected, and a large number of artists becoming conspicuously visible in the international market.

[2009] Enchanted by electronica in INDIA

written by Divyan Salotra

The year 2008 was quite colorful for us psyaddicts. It was characterized by a sine wave of happiness which created some havoc, but resulted in much revelry. There were good days and there were bad days. But most importantly, there were still so many days, when Peace, Love, Unity and Respect prevailed.

Despite the gloomy macroeconomic outlook of the world, Indian organizers managed to bring down major acts like Infected Mushroom, Astrix, Protoculture, Atomiculture and more. Not only does this mean that people from all strata of society appreciate psytrance, but it’s also an indication that India is a popular destination for established artists. In addition to the above, the second edition of the blazing Sunburn Festival in Goa invited stars like John 00’ Fleming and GMS, who received an astounding crowd response. Although most major gigs of 08’ weren’t very successful in monetary terms, Atomic Pulse and Pixel performed in 2009, which means organizers are still enthusiastic.

Psychedelic shamans from the motherland imprinted Indian footprints on foreign soil. Kerosene Club headlined trance events in Russia, Belgium and Israel and DJ Nick of Shivlink Records performed at the world’s largest psytrance festival - “Boom 2008”. Ma Faiza further escalated her successful career and feels that “Electronica is more popular than ever before, but it’s not too much about psytrance anymore.”

Psytrance seemed close to its terminus when the infamous ‘Technodrome’ bust occurred at the ‘72 Degrees East’ club in Mumbai. Technodrome doesn’t smoke or drink, but was jailed for over two months under the charges of drug peddling.

In 2008, we let go of our hopes and accepted a terrible truth. The magical, all night parties with fantastic decoration that happened at a different location every three nights are gone forever. However, it’s still a great place for the psychedelic traveler. One can feel the essence of psytrance embedded in the beautiful beaches of Goa and Chicago of 1200 Mics confirmed this - “the party scene of Goa was the icing on the cake, but the cake is Goa”. Clubs like Curlies, Paradiso and West End are places to dance, but do lookout for that occasional beach party.

The hills of Manali and the scenic lake in Pushkar (Rajasthan) are a must-visit if you’re looking for a silent, laid-back holiday surrounded by white skin. The backwaters of Kerala haven’t made much progress on the music front, but no psyaddict will regret visiting the lush landscape. The regularly hosted parties in Calcutta mostly witness sunrise, while Delhi and Mumbai are places where something psychedelic pops up every couple of months.

Some things can be explained, while others have to be experienced. The psychedelic magic of India is definitely the latter.