Priya Pathiyan
Deputy Editor
In a bid to label everything, we glorified minimalism, when people were fed up of excess. But when the wheel turned, then the natural urge to want more, more, more of everything came around and was termed it Maximalism.
It’s very evident in interior design these days, where tropicals casually meet stripes and dance on with lush velvet and gleaming brass. Same with fashion — think over-sized shirts, bling, and prints on prints on prints. In food too, more is more, and even high teas and grazing platters (meant for elegant, bite-sized eating) see copious amounts of expensive foods clustered in clever ways to maximise them for most of the senses, visual, olfactory, tactile, gustatory, as well as the new, necessary one, ‘Instagrammatory’!
Maximising is something that comes quite naturally to us Indians, and we look suspiciously on anyone who wants to downsize their lives. Be it architecture, festivals, or weddings, ostentation seems stamped into our DNA.
Which is perhaps why, as Indians, we love maximalist holidays too. It doesn’t really depend on what you can afford, it’s a mindset that wants the best value from a vacay no matter which income bracket you’re in. We want the biggest, best, brightest, most eventful trip that our paisa can procure.
I think it was easier for travel agents in the past, when travellers didn’t have access to information at their fingertips as they do today. They could suggest a tried-and-tested itinerary and the clients would acquiesce without much thought.
Today, I see travellers being much more involved in planning stage of the itinerary, questioning when some important elements are not included or if they are overpriced. And people are keen to explore more, take a closer look at a destination, and enjoy more immersive experiences rather than be passive baggage on a journey.
This is a heartening trend, and at TravelDine, we are all for maximalism in travel. Which is why, we always do our best to give you the key to unlock all the aspects of any destination. This brings me to some exciting news — the introduction of a new series called 60 Hours this month. As I mention in our very first video that’s centred in and around Srinagar, these long-form, deep-dive features will help you plan a five-day trip that allows you to discover all the treasures while you pace the pleasures just right. Go on then, enjoy the read, and maximise your peripatetic pleasures.